“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 […]

“In order to be free, we need to believe in the Lord,” says Emily, 12. Yes, that is where freedom begins. Freedom from spiritual death comes from believing in Christ alone as one’s savior. That is why Jesus called this a new birth. Like a physical birth, it happens in an instant. But learning how […]

“I’m cleaning up my room,” says Joseph, 5. “People need room to walk so they don’t trip. I’m not hurting anyone and that makes God happy!” Whether you’re 5 years old or 50, cleaning your room is always a challenge. It reminds me of what Phyllis Diller said, “Housework can’t kill you, but why take […]

When it comes to where we will spend eternity, God doesn’t want us to gamble. Therefore, Jesus banished all doubt by fulfilling a mission predicted by Hebrew prophets hundreds of years before his miraculous birth in Bethlehem. “Gambling is the surest way of getting nothing for something,” wrote Wilson Mizner. By bringing us into this […]

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you,” wrote Lewis Smedes. I’ll never forget the video I saw of a session where a counselor urged a woman to forgive her mother. With great effort, the woman tried several times to utter words of forgiveness. Her entire face and […]

“Nothing is as frustrating as arguing with someone who knows what he’s talking about,” wrote Sam Ewing. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time constantly tried to trap Jesus with trick questions. They must have come away frustrated every time they talked with Jesus. Jesus came from the presence of his Father in heaven. The religious […]

“Never give up; for even rivers someday wash dams away,” wrote Arthur Golden. Isn’t this the story of Christianity and the mighty Roman Empire? Rivers of living water flowing out of the lives of Christians eventually overcame the mighty dam of Roman persecution. Within a few hundred years, the small and often persecuted movement called […]

“They did not like Jesus,” says Jonathan, 7. “They hated him. They did not think he was the savior and they wanted to crucify him.” A lot of Christians fantasize about walking with Jesus during the time of his ministry. Remember the 1993 movie based on the old TV series, The Fugitive? Living on the […]

“When eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree,” says an ancient Vietnamese proverb. Good teachers are like those who plant fruit-bearing trees. Psalm One says that a wise person, who meditates in God’s Word day and night, is like a tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth fruit in […]

“You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go,” said Yogi Berra. In life, everyone wants to hit home runs. It’s the lack of timing that causes so many strike outs. Mark Twain once wrote, “I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had […]