FamilyDevotionals

“When Jesus heard that Lazarus was dying, he waited to go because he wanted to do something more glorious,” says Josie, 11. God may delay, but he’s never late. The death of Lazarus serves as a prime example of God’s delay increasing his glory. Would God have been glorified if Jesus had healed Lazarus before […]

“I think Jesus, who is the Son of God, and God the Father are in a business together,” says Miquel, 11. Yes, they’re in business together, but it’s much deeper than a business partnership. “Jesus and God are mighty,” says Kathy, 11. “They are one together. God and Jesus are patient, passionate and perfect. God […]

“I am the good shepherd,” said Jesus. “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep,” (John 10:11). The world is full of leaders and gurus who promise peace and prosperity. If we pay a fee to take their course or vote for them in the next election, all our problems will disappear. In the […]

Who could forget that moment in the movie National Treasure when Benjamin Franklin Gates discovers the huge stockpile of precious metals, jewelry, artwork and artifacts dating back to the American Revolutionary War? Discovering the hidden door to untold riches is everyone’s dream. When I was climbing a mountain in the Arizona desert, I discovered what […]

“Jesus opens the door to heaven for believers,” says Zachary, 8. “Hell is not a place you want to go.” The President will probably never call Zachary to serve as a diplomat to the United Nations. His bluntness would offend too many people. I’m reminded of the door in the back of the closet in […]

“Being spiritually blind doesn’t mean that you can’t see,” says Sophia, 10. “It means that you don’t believe in God.” When Jesus gave sight to a man born blind, it started a debate among Jerusalem’s religious establishment. After cross-examining the healed man and his parents, religious leaders couldn’t deny the miracle. Because Jesus healed the […]

“You might be a redneck if the dog catcher calls for a backup unit when visiting your house,” said Jeff Foxworthy. You might be a legalist if you think keeping religious rules will secure your eternal destiny in God’s kingdom. Most people don’t think of Jesus as a rebel, but he was when it came […]

The first time I met Art Linkletter of “Kids Say the Darndest Things” fame, the president of Awana was leading him on a tour of its headquarters. Linkletter remarked on the cleanliness of Awana’s floors and then quipped, “You must not allow spitting!” When Jesus healed the man born blind, he spat on the ground […]

“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them,” wrote Mark Twain. In heaven, Jesus had the deserved honor and glory of myriads of angelic hosts, yet he entered this world in the humblest of circumstances. No trumpets sounded that night in Bethlehem when God the […]

“Some people are troubled by the things in the Bible they can’t understand,” said Mark Twain. “The things that trouble me are the things I can understand.” This was the case when the religious leaders heard Jesus teach in Jerusalem. Jesus’ teaching threatened their religious tradition, which caused them to plot his murder. Jesus told […]

“God likes it when we do what’s right because that is another reason to go to heaven,” says Colton, 6. Good works are never a reason anyone goes to heaven. Rather, they should be a result of trusting Jesus’ work on the cross to pay for one’s way to heaven. When you’re the beneficiary of […]

“When you have a baby sister, and sometimes you trick her, then God will not like that,” says Victoria, 8. Baby sisters seem to have radar for discovering they’ve been duped — at least my baby sister did. Parents also possess this same radar, as Katelyn, 8, can testify: “I was faking sick, and I […]