Most parents understand the value of the occasional “No.” When our children were younger, Donna and I said “Yes” whenever we could, but there were times when the wisest response was “No.” The dangers of the world demand it. What if your child wants to spend the night with a family about whom you know nothing? What if they want to play in an unsafe area or near a busy street? … [Read more...] about This Might Be the Reason God Tells You “No”

Life has a funny way of twisting, turning, and taking us on a path we could never anticipate. Sometimes the surprises are wonderful. Other times they are absolutely devastating. They can upend the vision we had for our life, and the shock and grief of unwanted change can leave us feeling as if we no longer have a purpose. Such was the case for Joni Eareckson Tada. In an … [Read more...] about Finding Your Purpose Through Pain: The Story of Joni Eareckson Tada

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? 1. Problems bring great opportunities. 2. Problems promote spiritual maturity. 3. Problems prove integrity. 4. Problems produce dependency. 5. Problems prepare our hearts for ministry. The setting is the peak of the Cold War. America and an unnamed superpower have both developed a new technology called miniaturization, … [Read more...] about 5 Surprising Reasons God Allows Adversity

Every four years, the world holds its breath while America chooses a President. The decision, coming at the end of hard-fought campaigns, influences the destiny of history. Perhaps only those closest to the candidates understand the strain of the race. The pressures of running for President must be nearly as great as the stresses of office once elected. When Woodrow … [Read more...] about 3 Lessons Christians Can Learn From the Election

Job’s friends were true encouragers for one week—they sat with him; they wept with him; and most importantly, they remained silent. But once they began to speak, they became Job’s great discouragers. They responded to Job’s words, but they failed to see his pain or to recognize suffering as a potential part of God’s plan. They assumed Job’s sin, never acknowledging the … [Read more...] about How Not to Encourage Your Friends—A Lesson From Job’s Friends

Dr. David Jeremiah’s Latest Resources Respond to COVID-19 “We’re in this together” has become the watchword of sheltering in place. There is comfort in knowing that others are sharing our frustrations and fears. Yet there is only one source of comfort that has the power to provide unshakable peace in times of trouble. For all who place their trust in Him, God is a mighty … [Read more...] about Finding God’s Help Amidst Crisis

Where can we go during times of trouble? One answer is Zahara de la Sierra in the Cádiz province of southern Spain. Originally built as a castle and fortress in the Andalusian Mountains, Zahara has endured as a place of refuge and security for nearly a thousand years. The town was founded as an outpost for the Moors of the Maghreb; its location between the cities of … [Read more...] about Why COVID? Finding Shelter in God During Times of Crisis

Attitude can mean the difference between victory and defeat in whatever struggle we’re facing. Morale is half the battle, as historian Robert Mackay writes in his book by that title: Half the Battle: Civilian Morale in Britain During the Second World War. According to Mackay, from the outset of World War II, the British Ministry of Information and its partnering agencies … [Read more...] about Facing Coronavirus With Courage, Cheerfulness, and Resolution

It’s no secret that COVID-19 has created an unprecedented crisis in our nation and the world. For the first time in my lifetime, major events and activities have been canceled to stem the tide of a lethal virus. Schools at all levels are either closed for a time or have transitioned to online learning. Broadway theaters have gone dark. Professional sporting events have been … [Read more...] about Facing the Coronavirus: 6 Strategies for Christians

Our world is embroiled in a war against an invisible enemy known as COVID-19. And every war needs a good PR department. Public relations on the home front affect the results on the battlefront and can spell the difference between victory and defeat. That’s why England’s government established the Ministry of Information (MOI) on September 4, 1939, a scant day after Britain’s … [Read more...] about Facing Coronavirus: Keep Calm and Carry On

Throughout the ages, God’s Word has been a source of hope in troubled times. Today the coronavirus is creating chaos on a global scale; its reach is unprecedented in our lifetime. Yet God’s Word remains steady, constant, and true. Like the North Star, it directs our gaze upward, and it will guide us through these dark days if we keep it in our sight. 31 Hope-Filled … [Read more...] about 31 Encouraging Bible Verses PLUS 15 Meaningful Choices You Can Make Today

I want to begin by asking you a question: Why are you here?  I’m not asking why you live in a certain area or how you found my blog. What I’m asking is, Why has God placed you on this earth? The process of developing a vision for your life begins by answering this fundamental question. It’s very difficult to live a meaningful life without a sense of purpose, a dream … [Read more...] about Why Are You Here? Discover Your God-Given Purpose

Moses was a murderer. David was the youngest of eight brothers. Gideon hid from his enemies. Paul persecuted Christians. Thomas was a doubter. God uses unlikely candidates to build His kingdom, and Scripture is filled with examples. In modern times, William Carey (1761-1834), a poor Englishman with almost no formal education, started a revolution in international missions … [Read more...] about Plodding Is Underrated… and Here’s Why

Our pain is real. Even a quick look at the Bible bears witness to the fact that we aren’t the first to walk down the difficult roads of disappointment, persecution, and bitterness. In God’s Word, we find hope for stormy times. Whenever I have suffered, the psalms have been a source of strength and healing. Are you facing a bend in the road? An unexpected diagnosis? A … [Read more...] about Why Does God Allow Suffering?

One of the questions I’m regularly asked is, “Pastor, can I commit a sin that God cannot forgive?” Jesus addressed the topic in Mark 3:20-30. According to Jesus, there is one thing a person can do for which there is no forgiveness either in this age or in the age to come: blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. But what does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Let’s look … [Read more...] about Is There a Sin God Cannot Forgive?

When you think about climbing a mountain, what comes to mind? Do you envision breathtaking vistas from the mountaintop or breathless wheezing along the way? As different as they are, both perspectives capture aspects of the same journey. Reaching the summit requires grit and determination. Spiritual growth is no different. It demands perseverance, but the view from the top is … [Read more...] about 7 Steps to a Closer Walk With God

A Case for Simple Faith Jesus told a story about a wayward son who wasted his inheritance on wild living and ended up destitute. Filled with guilt and shame, the young man returned to his father’s house in hopes of working as a servant—he didn’t dare believe he could return as a son. When the boy arrived home, his father rushed to greet him, threw his arms around him, and … [Read more...] about Is Faith Enough?

Advice columnist, Ann Landers, when asked if there was a common denominator among the thousands of letters that came to her, said that the great overriding theme of all the letters was fear—fear of nearly everything imaginable until the problem became, for countless readers, a fear of life itself. Yet Proverbs 3:25-26 commands, “Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of … [Read more...] about The Bible’s Powerful 3-Step Process for Banishing Worry and Fear

4 Aspects of God’s Faithfulness Every Christian Should Remember In case of emergency—break glass. No doubt you’ve seen signs bearing these words. Painted bright red, they stand out from their surroundings to grab our attention, offering a lifeline when disaster strikes. Whether it’s a means of turning off the gas line or accessing an AED or activating an alarm, emergency … [Read more...] about When You Feel Discouraged … Do THIS Immediately

Walking the Persistent Christian Journey The Christian life is a journey of persistence and endurance. Each morning when we wake up, we have no idea what the day will bring—a flat tire, a troubling phone call, a medical diagnosis. The question isn’t whether we’ll have trouble but when and how.  Following the example of Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica, we … [Read more...] about 5 Biblical Strategies for When Life Is Hard

Recently a young, single woman quit her job in the city and moved back to her small hometown, abandoning her career and leaving a place of service in the church she had joined. When asked why, she replied, “I just got tired of eating supper alone.” No one is immune from it. Even one of the most brilliant men who ever lived, Albert Einstein, complained, “It is strange to be … [Read more...] about 3 Ways to Overcome Loneliness

Paul Jergan’s bend in the road came in the middle of the night, May 1, 2001, when he was jolted from bed by the ringing of the phone. Half-asleep, groping in the darkness for the phone, he muttered a groggy “hello.” A half-second later he was fully alert. It was the emergency room of a distant hospital. Paul’s son, Travis, a university student in another state, was in critical … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Meet God in Hard Times

  You Cannot Sin Away the Grace of God "God's grace is available to rescue you from whatever you've done. I have people say to me, 'Dr. Jeremiah, if you knew what I've done in my life...' It does not make any difference what you've done. It doesn't make any difference how far you feel you're away from God. God's arms of grace are long and reach out to all. You cannot … [Read more...] about How to Become a Christian

Know how to survive a dirty bomb? How to start a fire using a glass bottle? How to preserve food? Have you stockpiled cans of beans and tins of meat? Do you own a solar-powered flashlight? How about your contact list—do you have a hard copy in case our electronics crash? What about a first aid kit and toolbox? Have you studied wild mushrooms and edible insects? Know how to … [Read more...] about What Does the Bible Say About Fear of the End Times?

I don’t see this as often as I used to, but it still happens. I’m talking about the occasional sighting of a car pulled off the side of the road with its hood up, steam billowing from the engine compartment. Besides the obvious embarrassment associated with such an event, there’s the resulting hassle of getting our car towed to the shop and having the problem repaired. What … [Read more...] about The 4 Reasons You Feel Spiritually Drained and How You Can Avoid Them

What advice would you give these people? SITUATION 1: In World War II, a patrol of Soviet soldiers captures a German woman who was foraging for food for her three children. Her husband is already in a POW camp in England, and she is taken to a POW camp in Russia. When her husband returns to Germany, he locates their children but is unable to find his wife. The wife, interred … [Read more...] about Why Your Circumstances Don’t Define Your Spiritual Growth

Let’s do a little geology to get started: The surface of the earth is made of giant plates (the Pacific Plate, the North American Plate, the South American Plate, the African, Arabian, Eurasian, Indian Plates—and so on). These plates that form the earth’s crust sit atop the mantle, which is semi-molten—a thick liquid, if you will. Hard plates, sitting atop a molten foundation, … [Read more...] about How To Prevent Spiritual “Earthquakes” In Your Life