When Life Crowds You Out

Introduction

On the wall of a subway in New York City was an advertising poster that depicted a dignified older gentleman recommending a particular product. ...

Life on Wings

Introduction

The biblical image of the kind of life Christians are called to live is, "The way of an eagle in the air." I have lots of experience with ...

Evangelical Laughter

Introduction

I have never been criticized for being too serious in a sermon. Humor is my downfall. Sometimes I've attempted a little remark in a sermon, ...

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Introduction

I don't know much about sheep. I was born and raised in the suburbs, and we didn't have sheep. In fact, they were probably illegal. ...

Worship or Worry?

Introduction

There's an old Greek proverb that says, "The bow that is always bent will soon break." What that proverb seems to be implying is that the ...

God Remembers

Introduction

In the 1960s Jim "Wrong Way" Marshall was a member of the "Purple People Eaters," the fearsome defensive unit of the Minnesota Vikings football ...

Where Are You?

Introduction

When I was a kid growing up in Minnesota, my family had a summer tradition. Every Sunday night, all seven kids and my parents would cram into ...

Inquiring of the Lord

Introduction

I want to read to you an obscure little verse from an obscure part of the Old Testament. Very few people know this story, but it has a lot ...

Understanding Providence

Introduction

A loyal person understands providence. In order to understand this, by way of contrast, consider our culture today. If there's one word that ...

You Don't Have to Be Good to Come to Christ

Introduction

The description of the early church that is found in the opening chapters of the Book of Acts almost sounds like paradise revisited. Two events ...

Remember Me

Introduction

Several years after Jimmy Cagney had become famous portraying gangsters in Hollywood films, he and his wife were getting into a car in New ...

The Process of Transformation

Text: 1 John 3:1–10
Topic: How to attain holiness

Introduction

Imagine that you've been asked to write a book on marriage. Your publisher says, "We ...

Be Prepared

Introduction

Most of us have heard of Billy Graham. Since the 1950s, Dr. Graham has conducted hundreds of evangelistic crusades throughout the world. Most ...

Who Can Take It?

Introduction

Ezekiel 2:2 says: "As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me." The voice of this prophet, ...

The Valley of Death's Shadow

Everyone walks through valleys.

Donald Barnhouse was the pastor of Philadelphia's Tenth Presbyterian Church when his wife died and left him with young ...

My Name Is Harbona

My name? Harbona. My job? The title depends on what country you're in. In Britain, I would be called a personal valet. In America, I would be a male private ...

A Mind-Expanding Faith

Introduction

Some time ago, my wife got me a unique birthday present: a ride in a hot-air balloon. We went together to the field where all of the hot-air ...

Don't Waste Your Cancer

Text: Various
Topic: How to respond to life-threatening circumstances

Editor's note: The richness of John Piper's theological reflection as it relates to ...

I Struggle With a Certain Sin Often. Will God Forgive Me?

Introduction

Here is today's question in the complete words of the person who submitted it: "I struggle with a certain sin often. Will God forgive me? ...

Praying Through God's Silence

Introduction

Hear these words from the Word in Matthew 15:21–28:

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman ...

It's a Good Thing You've Got Problems

I was at a camp meeting revival a few years ago. The evangelist was preaching away at full throttle when a big fly zoomed by him. He swatted at it and ...

Crisis Management

Everybody likes to cheer for the underdog, don't they? People love to see someone beat the odds and beat the "giant". Whether it's Indiana ...

A Breath of Fresh Air

Focus: Sometimes the best way to build God's kingdom is to brace up his workers.

Introduction: I want to read three brief passages, first from 2 Corinthians ...

Fasting as Fuel for the Soul

We're in the third week of a series called Fuel For the Soul. We're looking at some ancient Christian disciplines that serve to strengthen us spiritually. ...

Walking on Water

Introduction

For over a hundred years, since 1889, in the last week of July, Canadian Indians from many different tribes--Cree, Chippewa, Blackfoot, ...

What to Do When Your Life Is a Mess

Maybe I hang out with a rough crowd, but everyone that I know well enough to know the details of their life has, at some point, found themselves in ...

The Gift of No-Limit Living

Not too long ago a friend of mine was telling me about all the good things going on his life. He received a promotion. He sold investment property for ...

You're A Privileged Character

1 Peter deals with some topics that may not immediately grab the attention of some believers. In fact, since 1 Peter was written for disenfranchised ...

The 23rd for the 83rd

What does the psalm have to say to our day? I think it is possible to say with some confidence that this twentieth century has seen developments in many ...

Born to Live

Jesus is enjoying the most exhilarating moment of his life. He has just finished being the guest of honor in the Palm Sunday parade. His archenemies, ...

Lost Sheep, Coins, & Men

If God is what you describe him to be, if God is so huge and powerful and capable and loving and caring and concerned and involved and all of these other ...

Singing in the Rain

The psalmist is singing again. It's not exactly like singing in the rain, but it's kind of like singing in the rain, because he's in trouble ...

Yet I Will Praise Thee

Have you ever asked God questions and felt you haven't received a good answer? I heard about a little boy once who said to his father, "How many people ...

Living Expectantly

I'm sure that you hear it sometimes on the elevator. At other times if you're waiting in a doctor's office, you hear it. If you're shopping in the mall, ...

He Is Able

One of the lovely things about the Lord is that he hides the future from us. Most of us would love a sneak preview of the future. We say, "Well, Lord, ...

Happy New Year!

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how many seconds in this year you'll be unhappy? Have you ever thought how much can happen in a second? When you say, ...

Touch of Christ

I would like to begin by asking you to look at your hand for a moment. Maybe it has been a while since you have looked at it. Why don't you get reacquainted? ...

By Faith, Miracles!

Introduction

I sometimes feel when I get to a passage like Hebrews 11 that I'm almost like a little boy walking through the Hall of Fame wearing sneakers ...