The Thrill of Freedom
Chuck Swindoll revels in the heart-pounding freedom felt by a soul newly released from the shackles of sin. It's a freedom that can never be snatched away again!
Chuck Swindoll revels in the heart-pounding freedom felt by a soul newly released from the shackles of sin. It's a freedom that can never be snatched away again!
Paul’s relationship with Timothy goes back to Paul’s earliest days as a missionary. Paul and Barnabas visited Timothy’s hometown of Lystra on Paul’s first journey around AD 47.
Of all the bad habits we could address, few are more prevalent yet more acceptable than lying. As painful as it may be to hear it, ours is a nation of liars. The majority of North Americans find it hard to get through a week without lying.
James encouraged us to prevent verbal fires from burning the forest around us. And yet, he gave no checklist, no tear-out sheet, and no three-step solution. Thankfully, the Bible isn’t silent about what we should and should not say.
In our image-conscious society, there is an enormous emphasis placed on appearing to be someone you’re not. Playing such a role is not just inauthentic; it also encourages us to keep others at a distance.
It is correct to say God wants me happy. But He doesn’t want us to value it above other things or base our happiness in superficial temporary circumstances. God built us to desire happiness but He wants us to find it in relation to Him.
It's easy to become entangled in bad stuff. Instead of running from temptation, we often run right into it. Living life well requires making the choice to do what's right—regardless of what everyone else is doing.
There are times when defending one’s rights is essential; to do less would result in chaos. However, we are not addressing those issues in this message, but rather the sin of standing in stubborn defiance against and questioning any and all authority that has the right to confront, correct, or instruct us.
Kids get enjoyment from the simple things in life. It’s when we start taking life too seriously we become not so easy to live with. Why not try thinking like children?
In a previous article, we began sharing the story of our ministry partners Jim and Kelley. In 2002, this couple felt led to add to their biological family of five through adoption. When God closed the door to domestic adoption, they wondered what in the world He was up to! They soon discovered He had kept that door shut so He could open the door to international adoption in India.