Posts with the tag “pastor-kenton-rahn”

This is one of the best-known and most-quoted verses in the Bible on parenting.  On the surface there is a precious promise here: if we train our children in the ways of the Lord, when they get older ...  Read More

In college, some of my friends nicknamed me “the seeker.”  At the time I wasn’t a Christian, and even though I didn’t realize it I was searching for something missing in my life.  That’s why I joined ...  Read More

We’ve all had some bad days.  Discouraging days.  Days when it seemed like everything went wrong.  Days of sorrow.  Days of regret.  Terrible days when tragedy struck.  But no matter how bad things we...  Read More

Embedded in the western wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is one of the world’s largest cut stones.  It is 44 feet long, 10 feet high, 16 feet deep, and weighs 570 tons.  The stone is so massive t...  Read More

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan river and entered the promised land, they encamped near the city of Jericho.  Tensions were high as the people prepared for their first battle with the Canaanite...  Read More

Occasionally, when I start a new year, I ask the Lord to give me a word that will signify what he wants me to learn in the days and months ahead, a word he wants me to focus and meditate on until it b...  Read More

Over the years I’ve heard people make some pretty ridiculous New Year’s resolutions.  A few that stand out to me are:I will think of a password other than “password” or “hello.”I will do less laundry ...  Read More

There are two mistakes we can make in the Christian life that are equally dangerous: we can be too hard on ourselves, or we can be too easy on ourselves.  The second mistake leads to a life of unrestr...  Read More

One of the saddest moments of my life was walking through the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC.  At one point on the tour, the museum highlights how Jews were abducted, packed into train car...  Read More

“Hey partner, how are you doing?” the paramedic said, looking down at me.I was writhing on the floor with excruciating pain radiating through my left side, the unmistakable sensation of a kidney stone...  Read More

According to the Bible, there are only two kinds of children in the world—the children of God and the children of the devil (cf. 1 John 1:12–13 and John 8:39–44).  That’s a very stark and startling re...  Read More

The fear of the Lord is a difficult concept for many Christians to grasp.  As God’s children, we marvel at the love our heavenly Father has for us, and we have a hard time understanding what role fear...  Read More

When I was in Elementary School, I had a great friend who lived on the other side of town where I grew up.  During summer vacation, we were allowed to walk, run, skateboard, or ride bikes to each othe...  Read More

I’m kind of an all-or-nothing type of person.  I like things that are black-and-white, cut-and-dry, clean, clear, simple, and straightforward.  But life is often sloppy, messy, uncontrollable, unpredi...  Read More

Recently I completed my first 40-day fast.  I never thought I would attempt something like that, but I believe the Lord invited me to a different kind of feasting that I couldn’t resist.  It reminded ...  Read More

There are a lot of wonderful promises in the Bible, but one of my favorites has to be the promise of God’s presence.  The ESV translation contains the phrase “I will be with you” eleven times and “I a...  Read More

Romans 12:12 is an amazing verse.  John Piper calls it “a description of the Christian life,” and I think he’s right.  Here is a strand of three priceless pearls for us to marvel at.  Not only is each...  Read More

Samuel has got to be one of my favorite characters in the Bible. The story of his birth and Hannah’s desire to dedicate him to the service of the Lord is inspiring (1 Sam 1:1–28).  As a young boy, he ...  Read More

Have you heard the sweet old hymn called “Count Your Blessings?” The opening stanza has some really good advice. It reminds us: “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise y...  Read More

I was born again and became a new creation in Christ on February 13, 1993—just two months shy of my 23rd birthday.  I know for a fact that my mom helped pray me into the kingdom, and shortly after my ...  Read More

When I was about nine years old, a neighborhood friend of mine probably saved my life. It was a beautiful sunny day during summer vacation. Steven and I were sitting on top of a block wall talking whe...  Read More

When I was younger – and in much better shape – I used to go on solo backpacking trips in the Sierra mountains.  I would scour the map for a remote lake nestled in a forest and get away for a few days...  Read More

In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick made one of the greatest discoveries in the history of the world.  Peering into the genetic structure deep inside our cells, they were the first to identify the...  Read More

There have been a couple of days recently when I was feeling pretty down and didn’t even want to open the Bible.  I just didn’t have the energy to search the Scriptures, and I didn’t know what to read...  Read More

A number of years ago my parents gave me a loan to help me buy a car.  It came at a time when I wasn’t making a lot of money, but every month I sent them my monthly payment.  Like so many of us, I was...  Read More

Recently my dad spent 16 days in the hospital.  After battling pneumonia and sepsis, it appeared he was recovering and the doctors took him off life-support, but he passed away on January 9, 2023. At ...  Read More

One of my favorite scenes in John Bunyan’s classic work The Pilgrim’s Progress is when the main character – Christian – spends time in the house of Interpreter.   Interpreter (who represents the Holy ...  Read More

I can’t imagine living in a world without new things.  What if everything stayed the same and never changed?  Or everything just wore out and dilapidated over time without being fixed or replaced? It ...  Read More

A few days ago I walked past a convenience store and did a double take when I spotted the grand prize for the California Lottery - $1 billion dollars – the second largest Powerball jackpot in U.S. his...  Read More

The average adult between 18 and 64 needs between 7-9 hours of sleep, but recent studies show that 35% of Americans are sleep-deprived, and 50% struggle with feeling sleepy throughout the day. If you ...  Read More

I once heard a story about a man who went to see an eye doctor.  The receptionist asked him what kind of problem he was having.“I keep seeing spots in front of my eyes,” came the answer.“Have you ever...  Read More

Some people think the will of God is mysterious and enigmatic – hard to understand.  But this passage makes it crystal clear. While there are puzzling questions in life that require patience and wisdo...  Read More

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible on prayer.  In my book, it ranks right up there with Hebrews 11:6 and 1 John 5:14-15.  It begins with three mind-blowing promises for those who A.S.K. – ...  Read More

Lately I’ve been feeling the call of Yosemite Valley.  If I don’t visit once a year I start going through withdrawals.  One of the most-breathtaking views on the planet, in my opinion, is driving thro...  Read More

I’m not being humble when I say that I’m a horrible singer.  I have virtually no musical talent.  So when I worship the Lord, my goal is that the song in my heart will sound better than the song that ...  Read More

What does it mean to have faith like a mustard seed?  In this verse, Jesus uses an analogy, and I find it interesting that he compares faith to a mustard seed.  I think there are a couple lessons we c...  Read More

Have you ever wondered what Jesus meant when he said to his disciples, “You are the salt ofthe earth?” In ancient times, his parable was particularly striking because salt was a rarecommodity before m...  Read More

The grace which justifies is the grace which sanctifies. Sanctification is all of grace. It is initiatedby grace, performed by grace, and perfected by grace. It requires our cooperation as saints, but...  Read More

There is a promise from God in Scripture for every conceivable situation we may encounter in life.  And since we’re always facing some sort of situation – a need, a trial, a perplexing dilemma, a deci...  Read More

At the risk of being overly simplistic, imagine everyone in the world fit into one of three categories: those who dwell on the past… those who live in the present… and those who focus on the future.Al...  Read More