“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” — Luke 2:52 For many years I have made it a habit to spend the last week of the year in prayer, meditation and Scripture study. I call it my annual study break. It’s also a time to evaluate how I
Author: Gary Combs
4 Devotions of Life Changing Small Groups
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42 ESV). We’re not a church with small groups. We’re a church of small groups. Our church started in my living room with seven people. So, we’ve considered small groups to be one of the keys to fulfilling our
Taking 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). When we first moved to North Carolina our children were ages five, two, and one. None of them could ride a bike without training wheels. The youngest was still mastering the
4 imperatives for raising up children in the Lord
‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline
You can’t do the “one anothers” without one another!
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” — John 13:34-35 “About 20 years ago, a church member was considered active
Three ways to experience relief for your anxiety
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall
The sincere faith of my mother and grandmother
“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5 NIV). The church of my youth had annual revival services. We would often have an evangelist come and share how God had miraculously saved
For those that asked about my reading list for Daniel . . .
For those that asked about my reading list for Daniel . . . . . . here it is. I’ve tried to list most of the books that I have read and quoted from during our twelve-week series through the book of Daniel. I have also included a couple of the charts that I’ve made,
4 ways you can help with phase one
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day
Behold, the empty tomb
“On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men