A hammer can build a house or break a window. A knife can prepare a meal or cut your finger. Fire can warm a home or burn it down. When it comes to judging these tools, the difference is never with the tool itself but how it is used. The same is true of God’s…

There are lots of things that you can eat that won’t kill you. But not everything that won’t kill you is good for you either. Of course, poison will take you out fast. That’ll straight up kill you. But what about junk food? Junk food won’t kill you today, but it’s not good for you.…

There are several places on my body that I could point to where I have scars. Whether it be from rapid growth or an accident or an injury, those moments are etched in my body. And each of them tells a story. Like this scar on my hand, it has a story from the summer…

There’s a really interesting statement in Galatians 6:11. Apostle Paul suddenly draws attention to his handwriting, “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.” By this stage in his life, Paul commonly used an amanuensis, a secretary who wrote as Paul dictated. But here at the close of Galatians,…

This spring, I finally broke ground on my first garden here in Mississippi, four years after moving from Kentucky. The biggest question with a garden is: Do I want one or not? And once it’s settled that you do, then the second biggest question is: What do I want to harvest? My daughter and I…

Somebody somewhere decided that teachers deserve apples. And they were right. They deserve more than that, but the gift of an apple is a beautiful instinct, a simple way of saying what you do matters, and so do you. A child handing their teacher a big Red Delicious is really handing them honor. Gratitude with…

Here’s a fact: nobody else can eat for you. They can cook the meal, set the table, cut your food, and even bring it to your mouth. But when it comes to chewing and swallowing, you’re on your own. Spiritual growth works the same way. Apostle Paul delivers a sharp line in Galatians 6:3: “If…

The Bible calls us to do hard things. Forgive those who hurt you. Love your enemies. Deny yourself. But Galatians 6:1-2 contains a command that is doubly hard, “If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the…

Christy and I love walking together at Okatibbee Lake, both the dam area and the beach area. It’s beauty is unmatched in our area. There’s something about those walks that just settles you. But early on I learned that if I’m going to walk with her, I have to walk like her. Match her stride.…

What is your favorite fruit? Picking a favorite fruit is almost impossible, isn’t it? Watermelon on a hot July afternoon. A cold, Honeycrisp apple. Strawberries straight from the vine. Peaches so juicy they drip down your elbow. Pineapple cut up in every shape and size, and even on your pizza. Grapes so plump and sweet…