Joe Barnett

You are in me, and I am in you.                  —John 14:20 Are you old enough to remember television before remote control? To turn it on or off, change channels, or adjust the volume, you got some exercise; took a hike to the set, punched buttons, and turned […]

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly.            —1 Timothy 1:14 Paul never got over the gift of God’s grace. Late in life, he wrote a note to his young protégé Timothy, saying he thanked the Lord “that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

It is by grace you have been saved.                   —Ephesians 2:8 We may hope to rack up enough points to be pronounced righteous. But pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps is an impossible spiritual contortion. God, praised be he, reversed the procedure, declaring believers justified and

There is no one righteous, not even one.                        —Romans 3:10 We want to be as good as we can be. But we’re in for a rough ride of fear, frustration, and failure if we expect to attain justification by being good enough. Our behavior

Do not test the Lord your God.              —Matthew 4:7 We should never approach prayer with the attitude that we are wise enough to tell God how to run the world. Prayer should be a request, not a demand. Requests may or may not be granted. A flawless God lovingly

Honor her for all that her hands have done.                             —Proverbs 31:31 Last night, while perusing some files, I came across the names of several people who have significantly impacted my life. Some have held high-profile positions, while others have lived largely

Many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.             —John 6:66 Feeling like giving up? Disappointed because things haven’t worked out the way you wanted them to and thought they would? Thinking of turning back to your old life, returning to your old haunts and habits? Jesus

Those who exalt themselves will be humbled.                          —Matthew 23:12 Navigating his ship through the storm, the captain thought he was on a collision course with a large vessel he spotted in the distance. He ordered the approaching ship to alter its course ten

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son             —John 3:16 With a world population of more than eight billion, we may be inclined to think that we, one individual, is too insignificant to merit God’s attention and love. As Christians, we don’t claim that

Be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate.                                           —1 Peter 3:8 “[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them