Basic Truths | Finding God in Everyday Life

 I have a hard time remembering names, and it has only gotten worse as I get older. It’s frustrating because I have an excellent memory in other areas. It’s funny, though – some relatively meaningless things have been burned into my memory forever while I have difficulty recalling other things that have much more importance.   Jesus had been teaching a great crowd on a mountainside by the Sea of Galilee. He called to His disciples and said to them, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat” (Matthew 15:32). The disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” (Matthew 15:33). Jesus then took seven loaves and two fish and was able to feed the whole crowd through a miraculous work.   My first thought when I read this passage is always, “Gosh, those disciples didn’t have a very good memory! They already saw Jesus feed another crowd of thousands with just five ...

  It’s fall and that means it’s football season here in Texas! We enjoy college sports and watching our school’s team in action. Fans can be very enthusiastic in the support of their team, especially when they are winning. I remember walking into the Cotton Bowl during the rivalry game between Texas and Oklahoma. Half the fans were decked out in burnt orange and half in crimson. Without looking at the scoreboard, I could tell who was winning just by observing the expressions on the people in the stands.   If someone walked into your church today, would they immediately know that they were in the presence of the winning side? Would they see a joy and enthusiasm that comes from your relationship with God?   It’s easy to fall into routine habits, so it’s good to ask ourselves once in awhile - Are we here to worship or merely to fulfill an obligation? People sometimes complain that they don’t get anything out of going to church. It’s a law of nature that you can’t tak...

  I’ve been to an Escape Room a few times. For those of you not aware of what they are, a group of people are placed in a room where they have to find clues and solve puzzles in order to progress to the next step and eventually solve the final puzzle within the allotted time. It takes some effort to work out each of the puzzles.   We are advised to seek God’s will when we are facing a question in our lives. Many people take the easy way out, pretty much deciding in their own minds what they want to do and then asking God to bless their path. This kind of superficial seeking after God’s will often leads people in the wrong direction. If we are truly seeking God’s will, we need to be diligent, putting some effort into the process and being willing to accept what He says to us.   How do we do this? Billy Graham wrote an excellent essay on this topic. I hope you find it useful. ______ How can we discover God’s will when we face a major decision? Let me give you...

  Our fall garden looks pretty pitiful this year. Lots of little shoots just struggling to hang in there.  I’ve been watering daily and doing the other things you need to do but the abnormally warm temperatures and no rain for over a month seemed to be winning out. I was just about to give up and get ready for next year when I noticed several little tomatoes had started growing. Now we have dozens on our one plant. Hopefully we won’t have an early freeze this year so that we can have some homegrown tomatoes for Thanksgiving.   Paul encouraged the Galatians, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). It can be difficult to carry on day-by-day when we don’t see the results of what we are doing. This is true regardless of the nature of our task. We can take heart in knowing that, when we are doing what God has called us to do, He has promised that we will see a return because it is His work...