A Full Life » Robert Murray M’Cheyne
A Full Life Robert Murray M'Cheyne was one of the rare souls who was allowed to live and labor only a few years, but his influence has had a profound...
A Little Can Make A Big Difference by Dr. Charles Keen
Four Principal Spices to Sprinkle On Life Small things can make a big difference - this is true in the negative and positive. Examples of the negative are the little...
Why Study the Bible?
Whether a new believer or a mature Christian, it is absolutely essential that believers keep growing in their knowledge of God. This is only possible if we are day by...
Stories You Should Know: Operation Auca
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are...
Well Fed Christians
Let me begin by saying this is not an article about food or a healthy diet. The truth is that most of us are physically very well fed - perhaps...
Don’t Lose the Essentials by Dr. Charles Keen
Don't Lose the Essentials "...Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off..." - Judges 1:7 This is one of those Bible stories that is only understood...
Christians You Should Know: Amy Carmichael
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” – Luke 1:37 A Snapshot of the Life of Amy Carmichael: Born: Dec. 16, 1867 - Millisle, Northern Ireland Died: Jan. 18, 1951 - Dohnavur,...
What Are Your Eyes Saying?
What Are Your Eyes Saying? Recently, while studying Proverbs 4, I began to wonder about the physical connection between the various members of the body and the heart; this theme...
Christians You Should Know: John Newton
“And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.” –...
Christians You Should Know: Nicholas von Zinzendorf
Christians You Should Know: Nicholas von Zinzendorf "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."...
Christians You Should Know: Charles Spurgeon
"For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." - 2 Corinthians 13:8 A Snapshot of the Life of Charles Spurgeon: Born: June 19, 1834, in Kelvedon,...
Christians You Should Know: John Harper
"...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." - Acts 16:31 A Snapshot of the Life of John Harper: Born: May 29, 1872, in Houston, Scotland Died: April 14, 1912,...
Christians You Should Know: Lady Jane Grey
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." - Proverbs 18:10 A Snapshot of the Life of Lady Jane Grey: Born:...
Christians You Should Know: JC Penney
"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." - Luke 6:31 A Snapshot of the Life of James Cash Penney: Born: Sept....
Christians You Should Know: Polycarp
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly...
Christians You Should Know: John Bunyan
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the...
The Need of Every Nation
Truth transcends all language, time, and cultural bounds. There are no social, moral, economic, or political solutions to a spiritual problem. Therefore, the only hope of a nation is in...
New Bible App Plan!
'Tis the season for New Year's resolutions. This is the time when many people decide to change or add something to their life for the coming year. The fact is,...
Hymn History: Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting
Hymn History: Jesus I Am Resting, Resting "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising...
Looking Vertically
Looking vertically in a world where the majority looks horizontally can be quite the difference maker. To be a dynamic follower of Christ and not a discontent believer, we must...
Hymn History: Great Is Thy Faithfulness
“It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion,...
Hymn History: I Am Thine, O Lord
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” - Hebrews...
Hymn History: Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
"To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." - John 10:3 We are thrilled to...
Hymn History: Blest Be the Tie the Binds
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard,...
Hymn History: I Have Never Lost the Wonder of It All
Gypsy Smith was one of the most loved evangelist of all time. When he would give his life story, crowds overfilled churches and auditoriums around the world. His trips across...
Hymn History: He Leadeth Me
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he...
Hymn History: I Will Sing of My Redeemer
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." – Titus 2:14 We are thrilled to share...
Hymn History: All The Way My Savior Leads Me
"He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Psalm 23:3 We are thrilled to be sharing several brief accounts of how some...
Hymn History: Revive Us Again
"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6) We are thrilled to begin sharing several brief accounts of how some of the great...
More To Come
Are you worn down? Nerves on edge? Wondering what is coming next? These have been challenging days for so many, but we should not be surprised. As we near the...
When We Are Blessed…
Blessed people often become the most rebellious. If you don't believe me, look at God's chosen people, the nation of Israel. When we are full of good things it is...
The Next Leg of the Race
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Each phase of the race is both distinct and essential to the whole. We have begun, in many respects, the next leg of...
Lessons Learned On A Walk Through the Woods
Henry Drummond who wrote the classic work on 1 Corinthians 13, The Greatest Thing In The World, was a naturalist. He believed that every spiritual reality has some natural parallel...
A Way To Escape
One of Satan's lies is that the besetting sin in your life (you know the one) will always defeat you. "That's just the way you are and it will never...
5 Books To Help With Your Personal Devotions
There is a delicate balance in the daily devotional life: we want to keep both discipline and freshness in our time with God. Very easily routines turn into ruts and...
Stop (Just) Reading the Bible!
Yes, that's what I said. Stop it. Stop reading the Bible. It is not that the Bible should not be read, rather, it is that too often we substitute Bible...
5 Books To Read For Bible Study
The wisest man who ever lived said, "There is no new thing under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). That is because truth is never new - it is eternal. One of...
What Will Change In Your Life When This Is Over?
Did you know that the word "quarantine" actually comes from an Italian word that has biblical roots? It means 40 days - a reference to the 40 days of purification...
3 Things To Look For As You Study the Bible
Are you hungry to know God in a deeper way? We come to know God through His Word - literally, through His words. We believe that the very words of...
Some Advice For Your Bible Reading This Year
We are one week into the new year. How are you doing with your devotional Bible reading so far? Many believers begin at the first of the year with some...
3 Simple Helps For Bible Study
3 Simple Helps For Bible Study It is truly amazing the number of Bible study helps that are now available at our fingertips. The proliferation of tools and the accessibility...
Fall On Your Face Before You Fall On Your Face by Dan Knickerbocker
Dan Knickerbocker is a happy Christian, a dear friend, and an encourager to God's people. He is being used of the Lord in evangelism all over the country and is...
40 Days Of Prayer
Every day should be a day of prayer, but it is a good thing to set aside specific seasons to give yourself to concentrated prayer. Extended periods of prayer help...
Something To Nibble On Later by Dr. Charles Keen
Something To Nibble On Later In Mark 6:43 we read, "And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments..." We all are familiar with the phrase, "Would you like...
7 Ways The Bible Helps Your Prayer Life
We all know we ought to pray more. We all want to pray more effectively. Wouldn't it be wonderful if God wrote a manual on prayer? Indeed, He has! God's...
My 90 Day Adventure
Bible reading schedules have not been a great help to me. While I can appreciate the discipline they develop, for me they often became a distraction, a duty, a drudgery....
New Growth In The New Year
Henry Longfellow was once asked how he managed a long and happy life. He pointed to an apple tree and said, "The secret of the apple tree is that it...
A Fresh Look At Familiar Scriptures
“Why didn’t I see that? Where did that preacher get the understanding of that passage…and how could I have missed it?” Sound familiar? We have all had these questions. Perhaps...
Are You “Having Devotions”?
I don’t know when the word devotions started to mean the daily meeting with God in prayer and the Word. The only two times the word is used in our...
Birthday Meditations
Birthday celebrations are special, especially when you get to enjoy them with family. The older I get the more my celebrations turn to meditations. (They tell me that reflection is...
“Lord, Teach Us To Pray!”
These words from Luke 11:1 are the prayer that opens the understanding to more prayer. How often we go through the motions and mechanics of prayer but fail to truly...
Do You Have A Favorite Hymn?
We were in the middle of a service several weeks ago when a fine young man leaned over and asked me, "Do you have a favorite hymn?" I did not...
Improving Your Devotional Life
Just today over lunch the topic of the devotional life came up. Let's be honest. We all struggle with it. Not just consistency, but truly having a meaningful time with...
One Word Can Make A World Of Difference – Helps for Bible Study
I remember well the first Bible word study I ever did. It was an easy word. I already knew what it meant...or at least I thought I did. On that...
Family Worship
Did you know that the first time the word "worship" is used in the Bible is in the context of the home? On top of Mount Moriah Abraham taught Isaac...
A Story That Changed The Way I Look At The Bible
Below is one of the longest posts I have ever made and yet it will be one of the most enjoyable reads. As a college student, learning to learn, I...
“Journey Through Scripture” Ready Reference
Just this week as I was reading God's Word I noticed a reference that Jesus made to the reading of Scripture. In Luke 6:3 Christ spoke to religious people when...
My Shortest Post Ever – 2 Words to Help You Today
This is the time of year when so many people become sluggish. Schedules are hectic. The newness of the new year has worn off and the freshness of spring has...
A Devotional Truth for the Morning
I am in another time zone this morning. Next week I will be in a time zone ten and a half hours different from home! It is easy for mornings...
A Reminder for 2018
Today is the last day of the first week of a new year. Imagine each year as a puzzle with fifty-two pieces. The first piece is now in place. Recently...
A Goal for 2018
How are you doing with your goals for the new year? It is just the first week but how quickly we can forget and fail in the very areas we...
A Prayer for 2018
When God speaks to us it is natural to respond to Him. The Bible should lead us to prayer! Several years ago someone gave me a book about praying the...
A Word for 2018
There is power in one word from God. I hold a personal conviction that the very words and every word of Scripture are given by inspiration of God. They have...
A Scripture for 2018
Many of us have made definite commitments to give renewed attention to God's Word in the new year. For me, that means something different every year. I try not to...
A Simple Practice to Add to Your Morning Routine
What is your morning routine? We all have one. Typically, mine begins with a trip to the coffee maker! While there are simple variations to my morning routine I try...
Can You Go One Day Without It?
Relax. I'm not going to ask you to give up something important like chocolate or coffee. I want to ask you to give up something far more destructive. A few...
How to Use Hymns and Why You Should
On a recent flight a lady commented to me that she loved the hymns but found it very difficult to find a church now that would sing them. This is...
A Simple Idea for Families
Families are busier than they have ever been. One of the most challenging things to do as a spouse or parent is consistently read the Bible with your family. I...
Walking with Jesus – 30 Days Through the Gospel Records
Are you spiritually fit? Spiritual health does not come on accident - it is a product of purposeful disciplines. In recent days the Lord has taken me again to the...
Revival of Bible Reading Bookmark – 7 Suggestions for Getting the Most from God’s Word
Each month this year we are offering a free resource to help encourage Christians and churches. These tools are designed to encourage prayer, Bible reading, witnessing, and personal ministry to...
Making the Most of the Evening Hours
Through the years I have written a number of things about making the most of the mornings. (You may read several articles about how to begin your mornings here.) In Genesis 1...
Will You Do This In the Morning?
In recent years I have come to realize the importance of the morning hours. There is something special about the quiet - and the coffee! - before the noise of the...
30 Day Prayer Guide
We would like to make available to you this "Tool to Strengthen Believers." It serves to accompany our current series on Watch and Pray. Several years ago as I studied...
Seven Tips for Bible Reading
I often hear wonderful messages on the subject of reading the Word of God. The Scriptures are so wonderful! We may grow stale, but the Lord is perennially fresh! We...
Quiet in A Noisy World
This is a busy time of the year. It seems that every season has become a hectic one! So much noise. Beneath the surface our hearts long for quiet -...
A Deepening Conviction
Every conviction in our hearts should grow out of God's Word. With the passage of time those convictions that are founded in eternal truth only deepen. The Holy Ghost confirms...
12 Minutes A Day
A Christian's relationship with the Word of God does not end with Bible reading, but it does start there. The simple discipline of reading the Scriptures is a powerful resource...
An Aid for Your Prayer Life
Prayer is a help. It is our connection to the great Helper! Prayer is our lifeline to Heaven and the only way to live victoriously on earth. Yet, as surely...
Daily Bread (Daily Living – Part 4)
Confession: I love to eat. Food makes the day so much more interesting. It is one of my favorite hobbies to tour America by restaurant! Most of us rarely go...
Daily Worship (Daily Living – Part 1)
Some things must be done every day to sustain life. This is as true in the spiritual realm as it is in the physical. The Christian life cannot be lived...
What to Do When Your Devotional Life Grows Stale
Has your devotional life become dry? As far as you know there is no unconfessed sin. You are reading the Bible and going through the mechanics of prayer, but it...
3 Books to Use In Your Devotional Time
Books are wonderful tools. When it comes to the daily quiet time there are a number of wonderful books that may be used with great benefit. Occasionally I enjoy reading...
Too Busy to Pray?
Aunt Goldie is with the Lord now. I rode my bike past her house hundreds of times as a boy. In the summer she was almost always sitting on the...
2015 – The Year of the Bible
Last January the American Bible Society released a study of the most "Bible-minded" cities in the United States. Our city was ranked number one. Knoxville, Tennessee was listed first in...
The Most Important Work I Have to Do Every Day
If your days are like mine they often resemble a whirlwind of people and tasks. Correspondence. Problems. Phone calls. Appointments. Projects. Meetings. Decisions. Life can become very crowded at times!...
Our Daily Bread
This week a fine young man sent me a message asking how to keep his mind fixed on Christ while surrounded by so many distractions. It is not an easy...
A 31 Day Devotional Challenge that Could Change the Way You Approach the Bible
Two of God's most blessed servants, one hundred years apart, practiced the same devotional habit. Both George Whitefield and George Mueller read the Bible each day on their knees. This...
Early Mornings
Do you love mornings? I have never considered myself a true morning person. In fact, I have always envied those people who seem to rise cheerfully "a great while before...
Kind People in a Mean World
There once was a school that had but one rule. (Oh, what a wonderful place that would be!) It is now known as Washington and Lee University and Robert E....
5 Books To Read As Commentaries