Joe Barnett

According to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.               —Psalm 51:1 Biblical portraits of its characters are pictured just as they were: no stumble, scar, or sin is airbrushed out. There they are, failing and falling in full view of all future generations. But their get-up-and-get-back-on-track deeds are […]

[God] is able to do immeasurably more than all [you] ask or imagine.              —Ephesians 3:20 You are living well when . . . You don’t let a failure define you, refusing to allow “I failed” (an event) to become “I’m a failure” (an identity). You learn from the past

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.           —Philippians 1:6 You are living well when . . . You embrace today as a new beginning, mindful that yesterday died last night. You control your emotions, understanding that your mood is not determined by circumstances

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.                     —Proverbs 3:5 You are living well when . . . You let go of the past, enjoy the present, and face the future with faith. You focus on your responsibilities rather than your rights. You map your

Her children arise and call her blessed.                             —Proverbs 31:28 Those of us blessed with a godly mother have in wayward moments wandered off in a prodigal swagger, only to limp back from the far country by the pull of her influence.

A gossip betrays a confidence. but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.                    —Proverbs 11:13 Dirty laundry is a sweet treat that’s hard to resist: “Gossip is so tasty! How we love to swallow it!” (Prv 26:22 GNT). But its aftertaste is bitter: “[A] gossip separates close

[God] works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.                         —Ephesians 1:11 Candidates win elections, take office, preen, and flaunt their power—but only briefly. Sooner than they expect, they lose an election and are swept out of office. As J.B. Phillips

This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.            —Mark 12:43 “Many rich people threw in large amounts [into the temple treasury]. But a poor widow came and put in two very small coins, worth only a fraction of a penny” (Mk 12:41–42). “This poor widow,”

Do you have eyes but fail to see?                  —Mark 8:18 A significant percentage of Jesus’ healing miracles gave or restored sight to the blind. Persistence and faith are on display in Matthew 9:27–29, where two blind men followed Jesus, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”