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Outwardly Wasting Away, Inwardly Renewed Day by Day There’s nothing like the feeling of renewal that comes with looking out over Lanikai Beach, Kailua. This photo was taken during a family vacation back in 2013. Christopher loved visiting this beach. Hoping and praying we can take Christopher...

Confession? Ugh . . . [ 1 min read ★ ] . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God—Romans 3:23 Confession—real, raw confession—is a critical component of a healthy spiritual life. It’s...

A little water won’t hurt It’s always interesting to see how informal groups quickly fall behind a person. There’s always somebody that has the magnetism and the drive that others recognize. Every group needs a leader, otherwise it will quickly fall apart. The ragtag group called “the...

Burdens . . . Bad? [ 1 min read ★ ] Count it all joy, my brothers—James 1:2-4 This age regards the burdens of struggle/hardship/pain as simply bad, to be avoided at all cost—the loss of a job, loss of a...

The Man of All Talents: the Extraordinary Life of Douglas Clark Douglas Clark was a champion wrestler and rugby legend before going off to war. He hauled ammunition on the Western Front in World War I, suffered horrible injuries, won a medal for bravery, and then came home to wrestle, play...

Satan Has Vested Interests in Making Unbelievers Think They Are Going to Heaven I’ve read many accounts of experiences in which people who do not know Christ claim to have gone to Heaven, or its outskirts, and were reassured by a “being of light” that all is well with them. I’m convinced that...

Why do tyrants always behave stupidly? Read about the downfall of any tyrant, even a less than awful one such as Napoleon, and you marvel at the increasingly foolish decisions the tyrant makes. If only they did not, if only they stopped, if only they did not say, but the tyrants do, go on...

Spurgeon on the Ever-Living Gospel and the Person of Jesus “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”—1 Pet. 1:25. ALL human teaching and, indeed, all human beings, shall pass away as the grass of the meadow; but we are here...

Carrying the Right Stuff? [ 1 min read ★ ] Strength is for service—Romans 15:1-2 Carrying burdens is something we do . . . as husbands, fathers, friends . . . as men. It’s hardwired into how God designed...

The Two Kinds of Malaise (And How to Handle Both) Malaise is a common occurrence in the life of every human. That feeling of being tired or a little sad. Just not wanting to do anything. Bored. In some ways, a feeling of malaise is the most human thing in the world. We are creatures of pattern...

How to Know When It’s Time to Go … To Couples’ Counseling You’ve heard the timeworn — and so often true — cliche: marriage is work. No matter how strong a marriage or remarriage is, couples often encounter a common set of conflicts. Whether early in a new marriage, or after years together...

Good . . . How? [ 1 min read ★ ] . . . and he will give you the desires of your heart—Psalm 37:4 When the Apostle Paul wrote the word “good” in the passage below, what did he mean? “For we are his...

A Simple Practice to Bring More Harmony Into Every Relationship Our relationships with one another are often a source of distress. One major form of conflict we experience with others involves their failure to give us the consideration we feel they owe us. We often suffer from thoughts like...

Live Your Courageous Calling From God We live in very challenging times right now and the last thing any of us want to do is add more challenge to our lives, but that is just what God asked Jeremiah to do. In challenging and uncertain times, it is easy to shrink back. It is easy to give up...

Why do we have lingering shame? I recall sitting in my car one day, pondering the question, “Why do I continue to struggle with lingering shame?” I’ve read widely concerning shame, whether from a psychological, social, theological, or moral perspective. Some might think that I personally...

Am-Bushed Am-Bushed Minding the flocks he had Not looking for surprise. He looked up And saw a bush, That blazed before his eyes. Weirder still there was a voice That came from in this thing It caused him to draw close And hush It had a familiar ring, ‘Moses I’m...

You're Made for Adventure [ 1 min read ★ ] . . . how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done?—Numbers 14:11 God the Father designed us for adventures . . . for his...

Experiencing Peace Amidst OVERWHELMING Anxiety Are you tired emotionally? Is your peace short lived due to the overwhelming nature of your life right now? What if I told you there is a cosmic spiritual war going on right now around you that is impacting you inwardly, would you believe me...

Ready to Go? Let's Go. [ 1 min read ★ ] For I am ready . . . even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus—Acts 21:13 When we follow him, God will—sooner or later—ask us to do something we don’t...

Your spouse’s 5 most annoying habits Habits that seemed “cute and quirky” while you were dating can become really annoying after years of marriage. After informally surveying many couples through our Facebook “Marriage” page, I’ve compiled the most common pet peeves you have about your spouse...