Joe Barnett

To me, to live is Christ.    —Philippians 1:21 Living a good life. Attending church. Knowing the right doctrines. All are important, but do they capture what Paul meant when he wrote, “To me, to live is Christ”? In Philippians 3, Paul draws up his profit-and-loss account. In one column, he lists the things that […]

We have different gifts.      —Romans 12:6 He had an agenda. It wasn’t an agenda for him; it was an agenda for me. He was tenacious: there was no doubt in his mind about what I should do. When I hesitated, he said, “Do you have anything to do that’s more important than this?”

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.                     —1 Peter 4:10 I often think of people I’ve known who have used their gifts to bless others. I think of Don. He was a dud at public speaking, but a genius

Command those who are rich . . . not to put their hope in wealth.               —1 Timothy 6:17 James didn’t beat around the bush. He scorched the self-centered wealthy: “Your life on the earth has been one of luxury, pleasure, and endless consumption” (Jas 5:5 VOICE). Or, as

Do not judge, and you will not be judged.                               —Luke 6:37 Here are five resolutions that will nudge you to make a U-turn when you catch yourself plodding in judgmental mud. I resolve to remember that I will be weighed

We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.             —Romans 8:37 In his April 3, 1965, broadcast, the late Paul Harvey said, “In times like these, it’s helpful to remember that there have always been times like these.” Harrowing happenings have us on edge. Modern media feeds us

With the temptation [God] will also provide the way of escape.    —1 Corinthians 10:13 Asking the king for a favor was a nail-biter for Nehemiah. He said, “I was very much afraid.” “What is it you want?” asked the king. Nehemiah said, “Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the

Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults.                     —Ephesians 4:2 NLT The first ingredient of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is patience (v. 4). The New Century Version gift-wraps and puts a bow on it in verse 7: “Love patiently accepts all

By the grace of God I am what I am.                  —1 Corinthians 15:10 My sister, Jeanette, was valedictorian of her high school class—a straight-A brain. Four years later, I attended the same school and had the same teachers. Gulp! I had a hunch that in the teachers’

You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.                 —James 4:14 Fame has a short lifespan: Who was Harry Truman’s Vice President? Who was Dwight Eisenhower’s Secretary of State? Who won Super Bowl XXXII? Who was the Democratic Presidential nominee in 1988? Who