Perhaps a good way to usher in Christmas this year (today is what is called the first Sunday of Advent) would be with fasting—a change of pace from the wild office party. In the incarnation of Jesus, the widow Anna set a good example of worshiping the Lord in the temple, “fasting,” and waiting for […]
Week 48 Study |
Week 48 Application |
Surprising Delights
I grew up on a farm in Ohio with two brothers and no sisters. My wife, Candy, grew up near New York City with three sisters and no brothers. We started dating and quickly discovered cultural differences we needed to overcome. I introduced Candy to my family’s fields of corn and soybeans, and I gave […]
Week 47 Study |
Empty Worship
Henry Alford (1810-1871) wrote Come, Ye Thankful People, Come. But on this Thanksgiving Sunday, what if our worship is not thankful? What if it is empty? During Isaiah’s prophetic ministry Israel’s worship was anything but thankful. The lack of inward righteousness made a mockery of Israel’s external worship of the Lord. This theme began the […]
Week 47 Application |
The Other 167 Hours
If you only eat one meal a week, your body will be malnourished. If you are paid to do a full-time job, your boss won’t be pleased if you only show up to work one hour a week. An NFL football player can’t skip practice all week and expect to be in the starting lineup […]
Week 46 Study |
Warning!
The real irritating thing about the bearded guy who carries the sign, “Turn or Burn” is not the beard or the guy—it is the truth of the sign. As much as we may think the sign’s content is offensive, it is true. People must turn back to God or face judgment. Both testaments proclaim this […]
