Worry, anxiety, distress, and depression seem to be everywhere. Yet even in a troubled world, some people possess a deep sense of peace and stability.
What’s the difference?
We often assume our peace—or lack of it—is primarily determined by our circumstances. If the difficult person would change, the financial pressure would ease, our health would improve, or the world weren’t such a mess, then we could have peace.
But Scripture points us in another direction.
Today’s reading raises an important question about the relationship between the choices we make, our willingness to obey God, and the peace—or distress—we experience as a result.
And there’s an even more sobering issue.
Jesus said there will be people who stand before Him convinced that they belong to Him, only to hear the terrifying words, “I never knew you.” Isaiah described people who called themselves God’s people but whose lives told another story.
So, is it possible to think we’re right with God when we’re not? And could the same truths that help answer that question also help us understand where genuine peace comes from?
Most Christian parents want their children to behave well. We want them to obey, tell the truth, be respectful, make wise choices, and stay away from things that could harm them.
And we’re right to teach and require many of those things.
But what if, in our desire to raise godly children, we inadvertently teach them the wrong lesson about Christianity?
What if our children learn all the rules, know exactly what will get them in trouble, and even become very good at outward obedience—without ever understanding what is going on in their own hearts?
Worse yet, what if they come to believe that Christianity itself is primarily about keeping a long list of rules?
There is a subtle form of legalism that can creep into even sincere Christian parenting. It happens when our household rules begin to carry the same weight as God’s commands and when changing our children’s behavior becomes more important than helping them see their need for genuine heart change and a Savior.
Could we be raising well-behaved little Pharisees instead of pointing our children to Christ?
And how can we tell the difference between biblical discipline and parental legalism?
We’ll look at that today in Galatians 4. We’ll also discover how we can practice idolatry without bowing before a statue and why Proverbs gives us two seemingly contradictory instructions about how to answer a fool.
Why are things that were once almost universally recognized as wrong now celebrated, while biblical truth is increasingly ridiculed?
Romans 1 answers those questions with remarkable clarity.
The problem isn’t a lack of evidence for God. According to Scripture, creation itself reveals enough about Him to leave every person without excuse. The real issue is that people suppress the truth because they don’t want to acknowledge God’s authority over their lives.
What follows is a frightening downward spiral—not only for individuals but for entire cultures.
The sobering truth is that none of us is immune. Every time we resist God’s truth in some area of our lives, we’re taking a step in the wrong direction.
Today’s readings challenge us to ask an important question:
Is there an area where I’m ignoring God’s warnings?
Why do some conflicts seem to spiral out of control while others end in peace?
Most of us assume the problem is the other person. If only they would listen… admit they’re wrong… or stop being so difficult. But what if God is trying to teach us something through conflict that has very little to do with winning the argument?
Today’s Proverbs says something surprising: it is honorable to stop striving because any fool can start a quarrel.
That raises an important question.
What if the strongest person in the room isn’t the one who gets the last word—but the one who knows when to let it go?
We’ll also look at David’s preparations for worship and discover why our attitude toward singing on Sunday mornings may reveal more about our hearts than we realize.
Have you ever watched someone make a terrible decision and thought:
“What were they thinking?”
Maybe it was a friend. A family member. A politician. A pastor. Or perhaps, if we’re honest, it was ourselves.
What’s surprising is that foolish decisions aren’t limited to foolish people. In fact, some of the worst decisions in history were made by people who knew better.
Which raises an uncomfortable question:
If wisdom alone were enough, why did Solomon fall?
God gave him extraordinary wisdom. People traveled from around the world to hear him speak. Yet despite all he knew, Solomon eventually ignored God’s clear instructions and suffered the consequences.
How does that happen?
And why do we often listen to bad advice, follow our feelings, or believe what we want to believe—even when God’s Word says otherwise?
Today’s readings reveal a dangerous trap that catches far more people than we realize.
Today is April Fool’s Day, a day to have fun and play practical jokes. I’ve carried out a few and been the recipient of even more … all in fun. But being a true fool is no laughing matter. Biblically, a fool is a man who fails to heed God’s warnings or refuses to live according to God’s wise principles.
Ironically, some who don’t know the Lord believe the opposite. They call us foolish for forgiving those who have hurt us, keeping God’s moral laws, and refusing to lie, cheat, or steal. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be called a fool for God than foolishly live in ways that will be displeasing to God and bring about His discipline.
