1 Samuel 18-19 – How to be Successful
If you type “success” in Amazon’s search bar, you will come up with over 100,000 hits! Why? Because we all want to be successful. We want success in…
July 14, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 17 – Who Wants To Be Like David?
Have you ever encountered someone who was so different from those around them, they stood out in a powerful and positive way? The kind of someone…
July 7, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 16 – People Are Like a Box of Chocolates
I’m not a fan of those variety boxes of chocolates. They leave you to guess about what might be lurking inside each piece. You can pick one that…
June 30, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 15 – “Because I Said So.”
“Because I said so!” Most of us can remember hearing this from our parents. We didn’t like it then, and we still not crazy about the “because I said…
April 9, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 14 – Biology, Sociology, or Spirituality?
Have you ever noticed how two people from the same family can be radically different from one another? Are those differences related to biology…
April 2, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 13 – Pay Attention to the Red Lights
Some people are “feelers.” They respond to things based upon their feelings. Now feelings are not bad and should not be avoided. God Himself has…
March 26, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 11-12 – Balancing Mercy and Discipline
As a child, our logic is very simple. If we do something bad, something bad will happen to us. Likewise, if we do something good, something good will…
March 19, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 10 – Commitment
have you ever known someone who had difficulty committing to something or someone? Have you ever known someone who says, “I’m in!” but still seems to…
March 12, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 9 – The Master Chess Player
I’m not very good at chess. I can’t think like a chess player. Really good chess players think many moves ahead, as if they already know what’s going…
March 5, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 8 – Teenage Rebellion
In 1 Samuel chapter 7, we compared the nation of Israel to little children who get distracted and wander away from their parents. But sometimes…
February 27, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 7 – Wandering Off
You’ve seen it before. A young child is walking through a store with a parent when the child gets distracted and wanders off. But when the child…
February 20, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 5-6 – When God Parents Teens
Parent is a difficult job, no matter the age of your children. But it is especially difficult to parent teens. Teens strongly demonstrate and…
February 13, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 4 – Are You Superstitious?
Would you consider yourself superstitious? Most of us would deny being superstitious. In our modern, scientific, and technologically driven world, we…
February 6, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 2-3 – Does God Choose Favorites?
“Mom always liked him better.” “Dad always favored her.” What sibling hasn’t said or thought something like this? Some would say God plays favorites…
January 30, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 1 – How to Start a Great Story
The Wizard of Oz is a great story full of heroes and villains, fear and hope, trickery and bravery. Yet, it starts in simple black and white; with a…
January 23, 2020 · 2 min read
Ruth 3-4 – Relationships Should be a Two-Way Street
Note: If you’re not familiar with the story of Ruth, I encourage you to read the book of Ruth before reading further. At least read Ruth 3-4. You’ll…
January 16, 2020 · 2 min read
Ruth 2 – More Than a Fable
Aesop’s fables are engaging little stories that are both entertaining and instructive. The Book of Ruth is both entertaining and instructive, but…
January 9, 2020 · 2 min read
Ruth 1 – Commitment
These days, absolute and total commitment is more of an ideal than a reality. Employees jump from company to company. Employers lay off workers, then…
January 2, 2020 · 2 min read
Joshua 23-24 – The Pep Talk
As a kid, I wasn’t very good at sports. When I was in the eighth grade, my parents insisted I play basketball. Two things came out of my short-lived…
December 26, 2019 · 2 min read
Joshua 22 – It’s Really None of My Business
“It’s really none of my business. “Besides, what right do I have to say anything to them?” Individualism and personal freedom dominant our world…
December 19, 2019 · 2 min read
Joshua 20-21 – How Binding is a Promise?
How binding is a promise? Some would say, it depends on things like: Who made the promise? What was the promise? When was the promise made? What has…
December 12, 2019 · 2 min read
Joshua 12-19 – Is Close Enough Enough?
In Joshua chapters 12-19, you see two different standards on display… “Close enough for government work.” “A job worth doing is worth doing right.”…
December 5, 2019 · 2 min read
Joshua 11 – War Takes Time
You have to be careful when you read the Bible, or you could easily be deceived. This statement may sound blasphemous or just plain wrong, so let me…
November 28, 2019 · 2 min read
Joshua 10 – Are You Dependent or Overconfident?
I remember learning to ride a bike as a child. There were times when I had this great boost of confidence. I would think, “I really am doing it! I…
November 21, 2019 · 2 min read