Joe Barnett

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.    —Psalm 119:105 In Allen Isbell’s weekly blog to his congregation, he always ends: Come to Church; Bring your Bible. Only in the last few centuries has a minister been able to say to the assembly, “Please turn in your Bible to […]

He will call on me, and I will answer him.                              —Psalm 91:15 The Papago Freeway Tunnel, which opened in 1990, is a slice of Interstate Highway 10 that snakes under downtown Phoenix. Motorists in trouble could contact the Papago controller through

They saw no one except Jesus.             —Matthew 17:8 Jesus’ three closest friends were terrified. Imagine yourself on the mountain with them, and you’ll see why. Their drowsiness gave way to wide-awake bewilderment when Jesus’ face suddenly shone like the sun, and his clothes became as bright as a flash

Pray without ceasing. —1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Mt 7:7). Ask Asking implies a consciousness of need: the petition of an inferior to a superior; according to his will (1 Jn 5:14). Therefore, a request,

Do not forget the Lord your God.          —Deuteronomy 8:11 Bill Gunn was wealthy. And generous. Every year, he came to my office in the last week of December to inquire about the status of the church budget. If there was a deficit, he wrote a check to eliminate it. When I

God loves a cheerful giver.         —2 Corinthians 9:7 Grudge giving says, “I have to.” Duty giving says, “I ought to.” Grateful giving says, “I want to, I get to, and I’m happy to.” Generous giving is a response to God’s grace; a clear and grateful understanding that we have nothing but

The Father has qualified you to share in the inheritance.         —Colossians 1:12 Your Last Will and Testament declares how you have decided to distribute your possessions. Jesus’ Will does the same. The night before he died, he told his disciples, “In my Father’s house are many rooms . . . I

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.           —Hebrews 12:1 The Ritz theater in my boyhood hometown, featuring cowboy films with favorites like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, was packed every Saturday afternoon. But the hook that kept us coming back was the serial short, ending on

Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.        —Psalm 33:22 “What are you discussing?” incognito Jesus asked. So, they told him about the crucifixion of their leader. “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel,” they said (Lk 24:21).

[Jesus] bore our sins . . . so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.                        —1 Peter 2:24 With focused attention, unyielding determination, concentrated self-discipline, unflagging hard work, and a few breaks, you can orchestrate your success. But there’s nothing you