“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 5:42 NIV). The first house my wife and I lived in was on wheels. Convinced that we should be owners and not renters, we bought a 12×55 mobile
Author: Gary Combs
Staying focused when the heat is on
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the
Freedom isn’t free
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1 NIV). The older I get the more I love history. I guess you have to have a little history of your own before you learn to appreciate
Working it out
“… continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13 NIV). I’ve been trying to take better care of my health since turning 50. The last two years I’ve been pretty faithful in working
Who’s your daddy?
“You received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Romans 8:15 NIV). “Which daddy are you calling?” My son, Jonathan asked, a quirky smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Robin had just called me to the table for Sunday dinner, when Jonathan decided that for matters of clarity, she
Running on empty?
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat– for he grants sleep to those he loves” (Psalm 127:1-2 NIV). Summer is here. School is out. Now what?
When do we take off the training wheels?
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV). “Jesus answered, “I am the way…” (John 14:6 NIV). When we first moved to North Carolina our children were ages five, two, and one. None of them could ride a bike
Let the children come
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14 NIV). “You need to go upstairs and talk to Stephen. He’s really upset.” Robin informed me as she came down the steps from putting the kids to bed. She had a look of
Glad my Mom didn’t read Spock
“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die” (Proverbs 23:13 NIV). “Spanking teaches children that the larger, stronger person has the power to get his way, whether or not he is in the right. Some spanked children then feel quite justified in beating up on
Hearing the heart
“Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Proverbs 20:5 KJV). “What were you thinking?” I asked my middle son, Jonathan, after reading the note he brought home from school that day, banning him from the bus for two weeks. “I don’t know.” He