A Word From Joe Barnett
This site is about words.
First, about God’s authoritative, inspired Word.
Second, about my non-authoritative, non-inspired words—nevertheless, written in hope that they will encourage those who read them, and above all that they will point the reader to God’s Word.
Here are the regular features you will find here.
- Today’s Walk in the Word. A brief devotional that appears Monday through Friday. Each entry is based on a single verse of Scripture, followed by my comments related to it, and ending with a summary aphorism. To access the latest devotional click on "Today’s Walk in the Word" below. To access previous messages click on "Archives/A Walk in the Word" in the top menu.
- On My Mind. Messages on varied topics that appear on this site at least once a month. To access the latest entry click on "On My Mind" below. To access previous messages click on "Archives/On My Mind" in the top menu.
Each of these features can also be fed directly to your email box if you wish. Just click here to sign up.
And yes, you are permitted—in fact, encouraged—to pass along any of these messages to those you feel will benefit from them. Just click on the “Forward to a Friend” button. Your participation in this way makes this “our” ministry instead of “my” ministry.
If you find anything here that brings you, or those with whom you share these messages, into a closer relationship with the Lord, I praise God and thank him for permitting our paths to cross.
Thanks for dropping by. I hope you will do so often.
Today's Walk in the Word
Trust God’s Guidance
By Joe Barnett |
In quietness and trust is your strength. —Isaiah 30:15 Desert Storm fighter pilot Jeff Patton felt like he was flying his F-15 in a bottle of ink. He was sure he was in a climbing right turn, but his instruments indicated …
Witness by Life
By Joe Barnett |
Your very lives are a letter [from Christ] that anyone can read by just looking at you. —2 Corinthians 3:3 There are talented people with high-level media expertise in most of our churches today. We use their proficiency to transmit the message. With print, radio, …
Faith, Love, Hope
By Joe Barnett |
We continually remember [you]. —1 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul had fond thoughts of the Thessalonians, saying he remembered, “your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope” (1 Thes 1:3). Calvin called possession of these three qualities “a brief definition of true Christianity.” Each …
God Knows All
By Joe Barnett |
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. —Psalm 139:1 Cheryl had been married to Bobby Love for forty years when the FBI arrested him. Bobby’s real name was Walter Miller. He had been incognito for nearly a half-century after escaping from a North Carolina prison. Cheryl knew nothing about his …
The How and the What
By Joe Barnett |
The Spirit himself intercedes for us. —Romans 8:26 I first learned Romans 8:26 from the American Standard version: “we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us . . .” The New International Version—my translation of choice—has it: “We do not know what we ought to pray …
Saved by His Grace
By Joe Barnett |
It is by grace you have been saved. —Ephesians 2:8 Do you ever wonder if you’re good enough to go to heaven? You aren’t. That’s why you must depend on God’s righteousness, not yours. “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed” (Rom 1:17). Not a …
