Joe Barnett

Be strong and courageous. —Joshua 1:9 Life is a mixture of joy and sorrow. You have good days and bad days. Victories and defeats. Times when you feel good and times when you don’t. What sets courageous people apart is that they refuse to give up. They stumble. Fall. Get up. Move on. The strongest

It is by grace you have been saved.                     —Ephesians 2:5 When trouble pays a visit, the pity-party theme song is “Why me?” Adversity is understandably unwelcome. But we should balance our benefits with our hardships. You and I have incomparable blessings in our inventory that

I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.         —Psalm 119:60 If a parent tells their child to do something and the kid says, “Maybe later,” you have a disobedient child and an unhappy parent. Do you ever respond to God that way? A command is presently difficult or uncomfortable.

  Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life.                       —James 3:13 Maxims of Wisdom Part 5 Never too bad, never too old, never too late to change. Our job is not to see through each other but

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.                             —Proverbs 4:7 Maxims of Wisdom Part 4 I don’t determine the length of my life; only the use I make of it. I should be true to conscience, not cave in to popular opinion. I

Whoever heeds correction gains understanding.                                 —Proverbs 15:32 Maxims of Wisdom Part 3 It requires no special talent to be miserable. Negative thoughts don’t produce positive results. Nothing can control my attitude without my consent. If I plant poison ivy,

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom.                        —Proverbs 3:13 Maxims of Wisdom Part 2 Those who do the most good usually make the least noise. If I expect to see rainbows, I will have to endure a little rain. Two kinds of people fail—those

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you.               —Psalm 34:11 This week let’s consider some things we have learned, are learning, or need to learn. Maxims of Wisdom Part 1 Defeat rarely comes because I try and fail, but because I fail to try. Success is

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.        —1 Corinthians 9:25 Striding to the stake in the Stadium of Smyrna, Polycarp prayed, “O God, make me a true athlete of Jesus Christ, to suffer and to conquer.” The New Testament compares the Christian to the athlete some 50 times. One

I will never leave you nor forsake you. —Joshua 1:5 “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). With those three sentences, God commissioned Joshua and gave you a path to follow. The first sentence consists of two positive directives: