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What is Christmas Spirit? If you do a search online asking the question you will get a variety of answers. Calvin Coolidge stated it this way: “Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” One individual responding...

It may just be “bragging if you can back it up” (Dizzy Dean, Muhammad Ali, Reggie Jackson, others) – but it’s still arrogant! Believers aren’t perfect; just forgiven. To state it a little more directly: No believer is perfect; all are forgiven. In no area is that understanding more important than when dealing with our approach to things about which...

In today’s ever-expanding secular society people eagerly embrace liberty, defining it as “absolute freedom,” and insisting that they have the right to live as they please. There are no constraints because their “self-defined” right to freedom justifies whatever they choose to do. Such twisted thinking produces a world without boundaries, where adults, as well as children, have difficulty discerning right...

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Ps. 19:1) It’s that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, the leaves on the trees are turning, and many are becoming preoccupied with preparations for the holidays ahead. Fall has officially arrived. To many, fall is considered to be...

How do we identify sin? What goes into the reasoning process that helps us determine if there is something in our thinking, attitudes, or behavior that crosses the line between what is acceptable to God and what violates His standards? Is there a clear, scriptural means for gaining that discernment, and what does it entail? Does God ever make it...

What actually exemplifies worship? Is it simply a matter of attending what we call our Sunday morning “worship” service? We sing songs and hymns, we pray, we give offerings, and we proclaim the Word of God, all of which are, in and of themselves, acts of worship. Is that all that is necessary? The truth is, there are many who are...

Carnality is a word that we don’t use very often, even though the scripture has much to say about its impact on the lives of careless believers. Preachers often try to avoid it because of its negative connotation and potential to offend. No believer wants to be characterized as being “carnal.” Most Christians understand “carnality” to be a synonym of...

“Vanity of vanities… all is vanity.” So states Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest king the nation of Israel has ever known, in his second biblical book of wisdom, Ecclesiastes. This is the first of two significant conclusions he comes to in the book, the disheartening result of a series of experiments in which he sought unbridled pleasure and prosperity (chapter...

Many Politicians in our country have forgotten how to think for themselves. (Notice that I did not say they have “lost their minds,” only that they have forgotten how to use them.) They listen to the news media; seek the counsel of advisors, who are analyzing the impact of the news media, and then take a position according to what...

Promises only hold their value as long as there is a realistic expectation of fulfillment. Human wisdom insists that waiting indefinitely is not only unreasonable; it is unacceptable, especially if the promise is made by God. We are not questioning God’s integrity – we are far too spiritual to demonstrate such arrogance. We only yearn to be set free from...