OK – I get it! It’s a lot easier to talk about bearing fruit than actually doing it. Jesus knew that fruit bearing was a difficult undertaking, and so He provided His disciples with a blueprint for doing so. He did this by using the illustration of a grape vine

Jesus always encouraged his hearers to live their lives bearing the kind of fruit that would bring glory to God and blessings to others. On one occasion, He told the story of a man (God) who planted a fig tree in his vineyard, but never found any figs on it.

Let’s face it – There have been times when we have simply been exhausted: Exhausted after an 8-hour shift of doing hard physical labor; Exhausted after a full day of watching over and caring for rambunctious toddlers; Exhausted after walking off the field after a grueling and intense competition; Exhausted

Peggy and I both grew up in pretty traditional churches. That is where I got to know and love the hymns. I would sing them often, although I made sure that no one heard me except when singing in church. Peggy used to be amazed at me when we would

One of the foundation stones of any marriage is trust. When suspicion is present in any relationship, the foundation begins to crack and will eventually crumble. Like in any marriage, an essential element of having a meaningful relationship with God is learning to trust Him to be faithful in keeping

Let’s return for a few moments to a site just outside the walls of Jerusalem on that first Easter Sunday morning. It was the women bringing spices to anoint Jesus’ body who first noticed that the stone had been rolled away and that Jesus was not inside the tomb. Of

I think that we would all agree that it’s tough walking around in the darkness. Getting up in the middle of the night without a “nite light” to guide us can be a precarious experience as we try to navigate through the maze of various toe-stubbing obstacles that can cause

I suppose that most of you reading this are pretty familiar with the story of the Exodus, that is, the time recorded in the Old Testament when the children of Israel left their bondage in Egypt and headed for the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And, I suppose

Jill was dying of thirst, and she was desperate to have a drink from that cool and refreshing stream that flowed in the distance. But it was the lion, laying across the path, who blocked her way to the stream. Surprisingly, the lion spoke, challenging her to come and take

(Some edits for readability, excerpt from “The Silver Chair,” The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis) Stumbling through the forest with her lips cracked and her mouth parched, Jill was desperate for a drink of water. Suddenly, she heard the distant sound of a flowing stream. As her pace quickened,