Joe Barnett

Blessed are those who find wisdom —Proverbs 3:13 Not all wisdom is cut from the same cloth. There is a worldly wisdom that is driven by envy and selfish ambition. “Such ‘wisdom’ . . . is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” It bears the fruit of “disorder and every evil practice” (Jas 3:14–16). Then there is a […]

Things which are impossible with men are possible with God.                         —Luke 18:27 People that we are sure will never change sometimes do. Every church has a few people in its pews who are a surprise to everyone—even their relatives. Two of the most

According to your faith let it be done to you.                             —Matthew 9:29 Life-changing faith isn’t a breezy belief that God exists and that the Bible is true. It’s a question of how much you are willing to let your weight down

[God] has given us . . . rich and wonderful promises.            —2 Peter 1:4  “God always keeps his promises” (Nm 23:19 CEV). “There is no question that he will do what he says” (Heb 10:23 TLB). Here’s a peek at a few of God’s promises. Guidance: “Seek his will in

No one can serve two masters.              —Matthew 6:24 What are your priorities? Here’s the simple—and sure—answer: how you spend your time and money reveals your priorities. Important question: do you call the shots; or allow others to determine your priorities? When someone makes demands that control what you do

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.                       —Proverbs 3:5 It isn’t easy to trust God when you’re up to your eyeballs in problems you don’t understand. But that’s what trust is—confidence in God’s love and sovereignty when your own understanding is murky. Trust

Bringing many sons and daughters to glory.                                —Hebrews 2:10 Limping ashore after decades at sea, the weathered sea dog was assaulted by the taunt: “You don’t have much to show for all those years, do you?” “No, not much,” said

Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live again.                           —John 11:25 Several of my friends have lost a companion in recent months. The parting is painful. But as much as it hurts, every day of missing your dearest on

Do you still not understand?                  —Mark 8:21 For a couple of days, we’re looking at a dozen questions Jesus asked. Six of them were posted yesterday; the other six today. When you read Jesus’ questions as if they were addressed directly to you, you get in this-is-about-me-and-Jesus-in-the-here-and-now

Why is my language not clear to you?                              —John 8:43 Jesus asked a lot of questions. I’ve chosen a dozen of them for your perusal. I’m presenting six of them today and will post the rest tomorrow. Imagine Jesus looking you