Joe Barnett

Do not be anxious about anything.          —Philippians 4:6 Can you think of anyone with more reason to be anxious and depressed than the apostle Paul when he jotted down that line? Under house arrest, awaiting trial, shaky health—eyesight so bad he had to squint to read. Yet, read his letter to […]

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.       —Proverbs 21:23 William Barclay wrote: “We owe a very great deal to the fact that Peter had a quick tongue. Again and again Peter rushed into speech, and his impetuosity drew teaching which is immortal.” Here’s an example . .

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.    —1 Thessalonians 5:16 Sometimes you get slammed by a train wreck over which you have no control: divorce, disease, death. But you have control over your thoughts. A flash of anger or lust may pop in, but you are able to flip the switch

This week we’re considering Five Life-Changing Questions (5) Is This Who I Want to Be? I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin. —Psalm 39:1 Blunt fact: you are what you say and do. Blunt truth: you’re not good if your words and actions are bad. Measure your stature by asking if

This week we’re considering Five Life-Changing Questions (4) Is This a Healthy Relationship? He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.               —Proverbs 13:20 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, widely considered Germany’s greatest literary figure, said, “Tell me who you spend time with,

This week we’re considering Five Life-Changing Questions (3) Is This the Most Important Thing to Me? Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding.         —Proverbs 3:13 What’s the most important thing to you? If you don’t know the answer to this question, you have no way of

This week we’re considering Five Life-Changing Questions (2) Is This Worth Worrying About? Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.    —John 14:27 Worry saps stamina, triggers health problems, torpedoes optimism, impairs judgment, and smothers gratitude. Worry doubles your trouble: if what you’re worrying about doesn’t happen, you’ve lived through

This week let’s consider Five Life-Changing Questions (1) Is This In My Control? Search me, O God . . . and know my anxious thoughts.            —Psalm 139:23 You can save yourself a lot of agitation by sorting out what is in your control and what isn’t. Your actions, words, and

Do not be afraid or discouraged . . . For the battle is not yours, but God’s. —2 Chronicles 20:15 You’re strong. But the problems just keep coming until you have a backpack full. The load seems unbearable. Jehoshaphat, Judah’s fourth king, would understand. He was minding his own business when the Moabites decided to

Because I live, you also will live.                 —John 14:19 Grieving women trudged to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, only to find the tomb empty. “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” an angel asked. “He is not here; he has risen!”