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Acts 27 Today’s reading recounts Paul’s journey to Rome. Because the fall was upon them, it was “already after the Fast” (9; in AD 59, the fast was Oct 5. Sailing in the Mediterranean was considered dangerous after Sept. 14. The wisest course would have been to wait until the Spring to venture...

Acts 26 Paul’s speech before Agrippa is one of his most autobiographical speeches. Again, note the stress on the resurrection of Jesus (6-8). Paul contends, “Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?” (8). Paul explains that “I thought I was to do all that was...

Acts 25 The new governor was a man named Porcius Festus (AD 59). It is important to recall that the tensions between Rome and Jerusalem were very high. The war between Rome and Jerusalem was just around the corner. The threat of revolt was extremely high. The poor leadership of Felix and now...

Acts 24 In Acts 24, Paul has the first of several trials before a Roman governor. We must bear in mind that the governor’s job was to maintain peace in the region. The fact that Paul spent 2 years in prison in Caesarea (AD 57-59) was a direct result of the fact that those in power were seeking...

The Most Dangerous Threat to Your Relationship There are a lot of things that threaten a relationship. Challenging circumstances. Outside temptations. But the most dangerous thing in your relationship might surprise you. It is a bigger threat than circumstance or temptation, anger or addiction...

Are You Headed for a Grey Divorce? In recent years, there has been a lot of traction on the web about grey divorce. If you are over age 50 and have been married for a few decades, the media might have you questioning if your marriage is in on the rocks and you may not even realize it. The Pew...

Hitting the Throttle [ 1 min read ★ ] And we all . . . are being transformed . . . from one degree of glory to another—2 Corinthians 3:18 There’s a pattern to the lives of men trying to follow Jesus...

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...

HEARING GOD’S VOICE AND OBEYING IN OUR SORROWS Someone once said, “The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world.” They must have been thinking about the story of Hannah and Samuel in 1 Samuel when they said that. Hannah was a barren woman who longed to have children. She cried to God in...

Chinese Christians Have Faith in the Wilderness. Will We? Today’s guest post is from Elizabeth Raleigh. She and her family spent twenty years in ministry in China. They’ve recently relocated to Central Asia. She shares her experience leaving China in light of a great new book Faith in...

Light It Up . . . Right Where You Are [ 1 min read ★ ] You are the light of the world—Matthew 5:14 The strongest evidence that we are where God wants us—in our jobs, in our careers, in our cities—is simply...

DOES GOD SPEAK TO YOU? Someone once said, “it is normal to say, ‘I talk to God.’ But when you say, ‘God talks to me.’ That’s when everyone thinks you are crazy!” Believe it or not, God wants to speak directly to you. Jesus said in John 10, “My sheep hear my voice.” Some of us have never heard...

When You Feel HOPELESS, Remember THIS I’ve been drained lately. I just feel at the end of myself, which is likely right where God wants me. Nevertheless, its painful, scary and uncomfortable to say the least. This morning I was sitting reading in Lamentations. I had forgotten how much I love...

3 Reasons Your Wife Plays Games Instead of Telling You What She Wants Not long ago, someone we know got engaged via a multi-stage, elaborate proposal that had clearly taken an immense amount of thought and effort. A mutual friend, upon hearing the story, told him, “Good job. Only 9,999,999...

My Marriage is a Battleground: How Can We Stop Arguing So Much? How can you break the pattern of bitter disputes that can lead to the breakup of a marriage? This is a question that couples often ask me. For instance, Monica, 46, and Jeffrey, 48, seem to have the same intense disputes over and...

Shame is a Unique Solution to a Unique Problem When distinguishing guilt from shame, we can easily oversimplify what makes them different and not appreciate certain similarities. I began to make this point in Part 1 of this series. In this post, I want to add a few unique features of shame...

5 Ways to Communicate With Your Partner By Being Less Defensive Many couples struggle with regrettable incidents and argue about the same things over and over again. While it’s tempting to attack your partner when you feel hurt or frustrated, it can lead to misunderstandings and emotional...

Taking the Plunge Into God’s Story There’s a moment in childhood when you realize that the world is a much bigger place than the family farm (or apartment, suburban home, or village you call home). This awakening looks different for boys and girls, and I can tell only one side of that story...

The Cost of Disobedience: Forfeiting Our Heavenly Reward Unbeknownst to them, my wife wanted to surprise our kids with small toys the other day—just because. There was no special occasion, nor was it a reward for good behavior. Rather, it was just a simple kindness for children who already have...

10 Things Your Husband Wishes You Knew About Him “Lisa” said she wishes she knew what she knows now when she got married. She thinks it might’ve saved her marriage. She thought her husband was uncaring, disconnected and didn’t care about her. What if “Lisa” had known what she was...