Joe Barnett

God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!                         —Galatians 4:6 The Aramaic word, Abba, is an intimate term that was used by Jewish children in addressing their father. It came to have broader application: each Christian has […]

The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also . . . teach others.                                              —2 Timothy 2:2 “For the support of this

The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber.       —Romans 13:11 Movies have an advantage: if a scene doesn’t go well, no problem; reshoot it—as many times as it takes to get it perfect. Real life doesn’t offer that option. Here’s something you’ve said more than once: “If I

Those who do not control themselves are like a city whose walls are broken down.                 —Proverbs 25:28 Do you have any bad habits? If you say “No,” I need to remind you that lying is a bad habit. If you want to conquer a habit, here’s a

It is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities.              —Proverbs 16:32 Name three things that irritate you. I’ll go first: Know-it-alls who do little but know what everyone else should do and how they should do it; Interrupters who jump in with their two cents when

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.          —1 Corinthians 15:22 We exercise, we watch what we eat; which may—or may not—delay death. At best, it only postpones it. Death is the biggest bully in the building, and fear is his most potent weapon.

Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise.              —Ephesians 5:15 It wasn’t Ernest Hemingway’s best-crafted sentence, but it makes the point: “Time is the least thing we have of.” Or as Alexander Pope had it: “Swift fly the years.” You don’t need the

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.                        —Ecclesiastes 3:1 Life has three chapters: Past; Present; Future. Past: Life is short. The Bible describes life as a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then vanishes, a fleeting

I will not neglect your word.        —Psalm 119:16 Dear Abby told about a boy in a wealthy family who expected to receive his dream car as a graduation gift. Instead, his father gave him a gift-wrapped box, in which he found a Bible. Angrily throwing it down, he stormed out of the

The words of a wise person are gracious.                  —Ecclesiastes 10:12 The manager of the shoe department at my nearby Dillard’s advises salespeople: “Never tell a lady, your foot is too big for this shoe; instead, tell her, I’m sorry, but this shoe is just a little too