“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1) How do we know if we’re spiritually drifting? The Bible certainly acknowledges that it can happen, but what are the early warning signs that we are moving away from God? Maybe today’s column doesn’t apply to you. How about your spouse, your friend, your child? Were they once closer the Lord than they now appear? Before you turn the page, see if you recognize warnings in the […]

“He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” (2 Samuel 22:31) Psychologists have known for years that many of the personality traits we manifest in our everyday lives as adults are often shaped from childhood experiences. I realized recently that one of my most deep-seeded fears has its origins in my childhood. Within a year of my mother’s death in 1961, my dad lost his job and literally had to work several part-time jobs to make ends meet. Unfortunately, his work schedule forced him to […]

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9) Some time back, I heard a sermon in which the pastor told a story about a verse from one of my favorite hymns, The Love of God, which was written by Frederick M. Lehman in 1917. The verse goes like this: Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; Were every stalk […]

“He sighed deeply and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it’.” (Mark 8:12) When I was in graduate school, I took a course in organization theory. In the early weeks of the semester, I realized that I did not have so much as a clue as to what that course was about. I didn’t understand the readings and found the lectures to be even more confusing. I finally worked up the courage to […]