Category: Devotions
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Trust and Mistrust
Mistrust ignites more conflict than any other cause. Even when there are other mitigating origins for a conflict, suspicion is frequently hiding in the background. At some level, all serious conflict is about the truth and how people interpret it. And as a general rule of thumb, most individuals assume their enemies are completely lacking…
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The Conflict Within
A very real conflict is still going on in each one of us between our old Adam and our new man in Christ. The battle is being waged all the time. This is a good reason for being careful about picking our battles. A noble cause is certainly worth going to war over. Jesus fought…
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5-Minute Bible Studies: For Teens – Letter From the Editor
Dear brothers in the ministry, The teenage years are challenging years for many—spiritually challenging. How often don’t pastors wistfully scan the assembled worshipers with an ache in their hearts because of the absence of many recent confirmands. How many parents don’t cautiously encourage their high school students to include time in their busy schedules for…
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God Our Refuge: Letter From the Editor
Dear brothers in the ministry, After spending over a quarter century serving as an editor at Northwestern Publishing House, I can safely say that there are few NPH and WELS publications—present as well as past—that I’m unfamiliar with. With this letter to you, I’m calling attention to one publication that had completely escaped my attention…
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He Catches Me
“Caution: Slippery Conditions!” It’s a warning that many of us in wintry parts of the world see around Christmastime. While messages like these speak of the physical dangers of the season, Christians face spiritual dangers as well. Busy schedules, excessive wanting, and pressures to please others combine to make a perfect storm that can whisk…
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New and Eye-Opening Devotionals:
A Letter From the EditorDear Fellow Students of the Word, In my letters and blog posts to pastors, I usually write about a recently published book that is geared particularly toward pastors. This time I’ve chosen to write about a devotional book (actually a two-part set) that is intended for any mature Christian reader. At the same time, I…
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Standing Out From the Crowd
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he…
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Questions About My Country
“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” — Proverbs 30:5 Today is Independence Day in the United States of America. On this day, American Christians will want to give thanks to God for the blessings we enjoy as citizens of this country. At the same…