Vivian Bricker
This biblical soap opera showcases three truths we can learn from Jacob and Rachel’s relationship:
1. Favoritism Is Wrong
The Bible states Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah: “his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years” (Genesis 29:30b). Jacob showed favoritism in his relationship with Rachel, though he was married to both sisters.
God never wants us to show favoritism in any of our human relationships. While polygamy is wrong, Jacob shouldn’t have shown favoritism between the two. Due to his blatant favoritism, we see bitterness creep up in Leah's...
Robert G. Clouse
War is one of the evil necessities which arises from the fallen state of humanity. War is evil! As Samuel Shoemaker said, ‘you do not wait for a war to look at the problem of evil, war is simply the problem of evil writ large’. It is a true saying that ‘sweet is war to him who knows it not’. There is really no question concerning the ugliness of war.
How then are we to respond to the problem of war? How is the Christian to tackle the moral dilemma of resisting evil? In his attempt to grapple...
Michelle S. Lazurek
1. Practice Spiritual Disciplines
Reading the Word and prayer are two great disciplines to develop our spiritual lives. But Jesus practiced additional disciplines that helped him keep himself close to the father. He fasted, spent time alone in silence and solitude, and meditated on the Law. These disciplines helped him do the work he was put on earth to do. But so often, we, as Christians, neglect these additional disciplines. Sometimes all we do is read a quick devotional, present God with our requests, and never give him another thought until the following day. Jesus demonstrated that these additional disciplines were a...
Here are a few helpful tips and resources for studying the Bible together as a family.
by Tim Pollard
1. Start early.
You can begin studying the Bible together as a family the moment your child is born.
Will she understand? No. But she will grow in understanding as you spend this special time together. Your kids spend more time with you than anyone else. You get to see who your kids really are—not the ones that show up when you're in public and make you wonder, Who is that kid and where did she come from?
When your kids grow and get older, they will...
Amanda Idleman
Codependency is when one partner sacrifices all for or ends up being defined by their relationship. The term codependency is defined as “excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner, typically one who requires support on account of an illness or addiction.”
Codependent relationships are one-sided where one person relies on the other for meeting virtually all of their emotional and self-esteem needs.
Here are some symptoms of codependency:
Low Self-Esteem
The feeling that you are never good enough, don’t deserve love or affection, and always viewing yourself as inferior are all signs that you are suffering from low self-esteem. This is something only you can...
Katie J. Trent
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV) says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” This is a beautiful picture of what life looks like when we merge our unique gifts, talents, and ideas to...
Jen Jabbour
What Is Freedom in Christ and How Do I Obtain It?
Freedom means you have a choice. It means you are no longer restrained or controlled by the thing that once held you back.
All of us are born as slaves to sin (Psalm 51:5). Our sin nature separates us from God’s love and His freeing power of the Holy Spirit. The moment you decide to place your trust in God and follow Him is when sin loses the power to control you (Romans 6:6).
Freedom in Christ means that you are no longer controlled by sin. The power of the...
By Daniel DeWitt
In asking the question, “Where did we get the Bible?” ultimately we must answer that we received it from God. This is, in fact, the claim the Bible makes for itself. The apostle Paul says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).
The biblical word for ‘inspired’ means Scripture is “breathed out” by God. The apostle Peter describes this process, “First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the...
Becky Harling
Though many of us grew up hearing about God’s love for us and singing songs about God’s love for us, living in the joy and security of that deep love can be a challenge. In part, this has been because the love of God is extraordinary in every way. It is incomparable in nature and unfathomable in depth.
What Does Scripture Teach about God’s Love for Us?
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible speaks of God’s love for us. The book of Psalms alone has many verses describing God’s love for us. The Psalmist David described God’s love with these poetic words, “Your...
Dr. David B. Hawkins
Touch is important from the beginning of our lives, and the touch between mother and infant has been shown to impact and enhance the attachment between mother and child. Touch is the first of the senses to develop in the infant and the connection between mother and child is fostered by touch.
Touch is critically important to our emotional development. A mother’s touch has been found to even mitigate pain with infants. Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute has linked touch, in the form of massage, to many benefits including better sleep, reduced irritability and...
