Joe Barnett

In all things God works for the good of those who love him.               —Romans 8:28 God’s providence is a mysterious mixture of pleasure and pain. “The Lord appointed” is a recurring phrase in the book of Jonah. God appointed a great fish, a protecting plant, a destructive worm, […]

Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.   —Mark 4:9 I love sea bass. I was in my barber’s chair many years ago when I was introduced to it. My barber and her husband had recently returned from their anniversary cruise, and she was telling me about their culinary experiences, both good and not-so-good.

Make disciples of all the nations.                 —Matthew 28:19 The Small World ride has been a part of the Magic Kingdom in Orlando since the park opened in 1971. Walt Disney told the Sherman Brothers, who wrote the song It’s a Small World, that he wanted one song

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.           —Proverbs 27:19 Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey: Snow White’s seven dwarfs, each wearing a name that describes him. The name pictures the personality. Some of them are opposites: Doc and Dopey or Happy and Grumpy. Which of

The word of God is living and active.                     —Hebrews 4:12 Do you have a favorite Bible verse? Martin Luther did. The thought of facing God on judgment day terrified him until this verse—which appears once in the Old Testament and three in the New—calmed, captivated,

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions.                    —Ephesians 6:18 It was frustrating. Perplexing. Embarrassing. These were Jesus’ specially chosen disciples—and they had miserably failed. Jesus had earlier given them authority to cast out demons and heal the sick. And they had been wildly successful (Mk 6:7,

Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.            —Ephesians 4:1 Often, the first question we ask a person is, “What do you do?” Sometimes followed by, “What led you to choose that?” Occasionally, someone will respond, “It is my calling.” That accurately expresses the Bible’s perspective on ministry.

My power is made perfect in weakness.                   —2 Corinthians 12:9 Do the math. The Midianites were like swarms of locusts: they “could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore” (Jgs 6:5; 7:12). Comparatively, Gideon had a measly 32,000 troops, which God reduced to

The Lord is with you.        —Judges 6:12 God’s angelic messenger notified Gideon that he was God’s instrument to save Israel, calling him a “mighty man of valor!” The description seems dubious, for at that moment Gideon was hiding underground from the Midianite raiders, appearing neither mighty nor valorous. Nor did Gideon consider

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.          —1 Corinthians 15:57 As Thanksgiving week winds down, I want to note the words of Gary Mabry’s hymn Thank You, Lord, as my final post for the week, Thank you, Lord, for loving me, And thank you,