Joe Barnett

Bodily exercise has some value.                  —1 Timothy 4:8 Year after year, “Lose weight” tops the list of New Year’s Resolutions. If you watch TV, read a newspaper, or eyeball the magazine display at the grocery checkout, you haven’t escaped weight-loss ads and fads, and before-and-after pictures. No […]

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.                                  —Mark 4:7 Some respond to the gospel, and some don’t. It has to do with the condition of the soil, not the quality of the seed. In

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.     —Ecclesiastes 9:10 I’ve presided at quite a few funerals where the P.S. of life could have been “Someday” or “One of these days.” There were important things that the deceased intended to do but postponed and never got around to doing.

As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.    —Isaiah 66:13 Lauren was eighteen, but she had a question for her dad: “Am I still your little girl?” You know the answer—she would always be his little girl. Fred was seventy-six; his mother was ninety-five. She phoned to say she was thinking

Think about these things.       —Philippians 4:8 Lists cause us to think, reevaluate, and sometimes change direction. The Bible displays numerous lists. There’s a list of ten commandments, a list of things God hates, a list of beatitudes, a list of God-given gifts, lists of good fruits and bad. I’ve made a short

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.                    —1 Corinthians 15:57 Dan Richardson lost his battle with cancer. A fervent Christian, he wrote the following to be distributed at his memorial service. Cancer is limited . . . It cannot

Those women who work hard in the Lord.                              —Romans 16:12 Pioneer aviator Orville Wright was once asked to speak at a conference of acclaimed scientists. He refused, allegedly saying, “I’m not a parrot. The parrot is the best talker and the

What is unseen is eternal.    —2 Corinthians 4:18 Paul wrote: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor 4:17). He gives us a snapshot of some of his “light and momentary troubles” in 2 Corinthians 11:23–28. He was: Imprisoned Flogged Stoned Shipwrecked In

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.                                    —Isaiah 55:9 Paul planned to preach in Asia, but the Holy Spirit nixed that venture. Instead, God sent him to Europe. That