For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made us understand that it is the brightness of his glory that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. But this precious treasure - this light and power that now shine within us - is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed becaus

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore be earnest, thoughtful men of prayer. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love makes up for many of your faults. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay for the night. God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings. Are you called to preach? Then preach as though God hims

"How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." "I have already told you, and you don't believe me," Jesus replied. "The proof is in the the miracles I do in the name of my Father. But you don't believe me because you are not part of my flock. My sheep recognize my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one shall snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me,

Read Genesis 19: 15-26 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis 19: 24-26 (NRSV) Melinda Eye Cooper, from Tennessee, remembers the first time she heard her dad read the story of Lot's wife. As a child, she didn't understand why Lot's

One of the teachers of religion who was standing there listening to the discussion realized that Jesus had answered well. So he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus replied, "The one that says,'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only God. And you must love him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.' "The second is: 'You must love others as much as yourself.' No other commandments are greater than these." Mark 12: 28-31

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary' and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. I

So Elijah fled for his life; he went to Beersheba, a city of Judah, and left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day, and sat down under a broom bush and prayed that he might die. "I've had enough. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now." Then he lay down and slept beneath the broom bush. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him to get up and eat! He looked around and saw some bread baking on hot stones,

The next morning he was up long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray. Mark 1:35 (TLB) But he often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 5:16 (TLB) Most humans yearn for group interaction, so it can be considered odd to delight in solitude. But the "odd" people stand out. They break away from the herd by doing something different. Many of us desire to always be part of some conversation or part of the collective in some way. We can't stand to b

"A farmer was sowing grain in his fields. As he scattered the seed across the ground, some fell beside a path, and the birds came and ate it. And some fell on rocky soil where there was little depth of earth; the plants sprang up quickly enough in the shallow soil, but the hot sun soon scorched them and they withered and died, for they had so little root. Other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns choked out the tender blades. But some fell on good soil, and produced a

Read Psalm 27:1-5 The Lord is my light and my salvation; he protects me from danger - whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1 (TLB) But whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change or shadow. James 1:17 (TLB) Joanie Shawhan lives in Wisconsin. The warmth of the sun lured her to the window. Joanie noticed long shadows stretching across the snow-covered ground from barren trees blocking the light. A breeze rustled the b