God does something when we read his Scriptures. J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom note in their book, Guard Us, Guide Us, that when people read or reflect upon the Scriptures, "even when they are beginners and do not as yet know the sacred text well, ...

In her book Splashes of Joy in the Cesspools of Life, Barbara Johnson included a cartoon depicting a person with hair flying in all directions and frazzled, sunken eyes. The caption read, "I try to take just one day at a time … but lately ...

So, Jeremiah, you're worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can't keep your wits during times of calm, what's going to happen when troubles break loose like the Jordan in flood? Jeremiah 12:5

My ...

Most of us have several names or titles to which we respond. In my work, I am called "Dr. Hemphill." In most social settings, I am called "Ken." My wife calls me "Honey." My mother refers to me as "Son." Now that ...

When I first became a Christian, I had no Bible and knew nothing about it. I was handed one and told to read it, which I tried to do for a while, but I was totally lost without someone to break it into bite-size pieces for me.

Fortunately, today there ...

In the days of the prophet Amos, God spoke of a time when a famine would strike the land. It would be a famine worse than the times when food and water were scarce. It would be the worst kind of famine ever. Amos records these words of God: "'The days ...

A cartoon that appeared in Leadership Journal shows a couple leaving church and shaking hands with the pastor. The man says to the pastor, "You're in a rut, Reverend. Every time I come here, you preach about the Resurrection."

We chuckle ...

Cindy was in the Bible study I led for three years. She always answered the questions and participated in the discussion. She accumulated a lot of knowledge, but her life never changed. She lived a defeatist life, looking to unhealthy relationships with ...

Throughout his life, Jesus faithfully celebrated all of the Old Testament Jewish festivals (see Lev. 23). Like our Christian holidays, these feasts recalled God's saving acts and providence. Match the description to the correct Jewish festival below. ...

I recently talked to a young woman who was visiting our church. As I chatted with her, I found out that she considered herself an atheist. She visited just to humor a friend. When I asked her why she was an atheist, she said she couldn't believe stuff ...

After five years of championing small groups at Willow Creek Community Church, Brett Eastman shuttled his family westward to Orange County, California. He was hired at Saddleback Church and figured he would pick up where he left off at Willow.

But Saddleback ...

Quick. Who wrote 1 Corinthians? What does it mean to walk through the valley of the shadow of death? Who was Jehoshaphat? Can you answer questions like these? An increasing number of Christians can't. Or do you know more than you think you know? To help ...

If film clips are to be used effectively in preaching, guidelines concerning number and placement need to be observed. How many clips should be used in a single message? For preachers who are new to video usage the prospect of illustrating an entire ...

Recently, I was in Cincinnati for a conference. Our activities were at the Duke Energy Center where the entire west facade is a sign of 77 lights that spell out Cincinnati. The sign can be seen for miles as it adorns the skyline and has become somewhat ...

According to The Barna Group research about one-third of Americans say they study the Word of God daily or weekly. Another third say they study the Bible, but less frequently. The final third are Americans who say they never study the Bible at all.

Most ...

From the book Growing Your Church Through Evangelism and Outreach

It is now clear that large numbers of people have become Christians through peer-group discussions of the Bible. And when unchurched participants become serious about the Christian faith, ...

Wouldn't you love to be able to grasp what the entire Bible contains in just a few minutes? This compilation of the themes of the Bible will allow you to do just that. The following is a summary of what each book of the Bible contains. Keep it handy ...

It works in offices, on college campuses, and in local churches. What is it? The evangelistic Bible study. Can you really get non-Christians involved in such a study? It happens all the time, it changes lives, and it's easier than you may think.

How do ...