ENCOURAGING WORDS

Pastor Glenn Burris tells that one of the ways he helps around the house is to haul the large garbage containers out to the street for pickup—a five-minute job.  But…

John's phone rang.  It was the call that all parents hope they will never receive. His teenage daughter, who had recently received her driver's license, was involved in an accident.…

One time Jesus said to a busy woman, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things" (Luke 10:41- ck. NIV). I can certainly relate to Martha. How about…

Many, many children today are growing up in one-parent homes. Maybe when you were a child your father turned his back on your mother for another woman, and your home…

A fighter jet pilot flying upside down at tremendous speed became disoriented.  Confused as to which way was up and which was down, he pulled the flight stick in the…

Bill wore a t-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and flip-flops--his wardrobe for literally his entire four years of college.  Admittedly, a bit strange, though very bright, Bill had become…

In Bible days, each Jewish man 20 years and older was expected to contribute voluntarily a two-drachma tax every year for the upkeep of the temple in Jerusalem—that's about a…

It's pretty common these days for people not to answer their phone calls until they know who is calling. But the person who refuses to return phone calls is just…

Recently someone asked me, "How do you decide what ministry opportunities to accept and what ones you should say 'No' to?" The question is fair enough.  My husband and I…

For a long time now I've been fascinated by a verse I found in Psalm 131. It's the second verse, where the psalmist writes, "…I have stilled and quieted my…

"Why? Why did Dennis have to die?" The question screamed in Jean Galang's mind.  This 14-year old boy had all of life ahead of him. So many hopes, so many…

The disheveled man had been washed up on a small, uninhabited island—the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Every day he prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. And every day…

People still talk about a sermon illustration my Dad used many years ago. As people walked into church that Sunday morning, they saw a small table sitting beside the pulpit.…

She lived in Joppa, a coastal town on the edge of the sparkling Mediterranean.  Day after day after breakfast she picked up her needle to create coats and garments that…

For years my mother faithfully subscribed to the homemaker's Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I used to look forward to turning to the last page of each issue to read…

A mother whose name we don't know wrote the following, My little girl went out the door; I hugged and squeezed her just once more, Reminding her as oft before,…

I wonder if your past is keeping you from being your best right now, in the present. Past sins do that, you know.  David Eckman writes, Sin walks us into…

Strolling through the mall one day, I caught sight of a T-shirt with a catchy slogan that read, "The future is so bright, I need shades." I couldn't help smiling.…

Usually we think of "patience" and "waiting" as passive terms.   If you were to define waiting, you might say that waiting is "doing nothing until something happens."  And you might…

A pastor tells about the time his young son burst into his office after the morning session at the church's preschool. "Here, Dad, this is for you," he said as…