PTL Wednesdays

“Finally home,” she thought to herself as she pulled into the garage. She was tired from another long day at work and was ready to kick off her shoes, grab a hot meal, and settle onto the couch with her phone. She’d just finished watching a funny dance video when another post caught her attention. Someone was talking about nursing school and the journey it took to get there. She paused and kept reading. She’d been thinking about a career change and had even looked into nursing programs. But she’d have to work and go to school at the same time, study at night, give up some of her free time, and make sacrifices with family and friends. She was tired of the job she had, but staying where she was suddenly seemed a whole lot easier. We’ve all been there. We want something to change, but we also know that change can be uncomfortable. Sometimes God may be moving us toward something new, but making that shift means stepping away from what’s familiar. It could be taking a class to learn a new s...

  Recently, the famous food critic Keith Lee survived what could’ve been a fatal car crash. A drunk driver was traveling on the wrong side of the highway, heading straight toward Keith and his family. With only seconds to react, Keith swerved behind a cement mixer and narrowly avoided being hit. The car behind him also swerved but lost control and hit the concrete barrier. Tragically, the drunk driver then collided head on with another car, killing one of the passengers. Keith thanked God for saving him and his family while offering condolences to the family who lost their loved one. As I began reading the comments on his video, I was shocked by what some people were saying. They questioned why we give God the credit when good things happen but none of the blame for the bad that happens. If God gets a pat on the back for saving Keith’s life, then shouldn’t He get the scorn for not saving the other person? I couldn’t believe their responses, but after some thought I had to admit it...

Recently, the famous food critic Keith Lee survived what could’ve been a fatal car crash. A drunk driver was traveling on the wrong side of the highway, heading straight toward Keith and his family. With only seconds to react, Keith swerved behind a cement mixer and narrowly avoided being hit. The car behind him also swerved but lost control and hit the concrete barrier. Tragically, the drunk driver then collided head on with another car, killing one of the passengers. Keith thanked God for saving him and his family while offering condolences to the family who lost their loved one. As I began reading the comments on his video, I was shocked by what some people were saying. They questioned why we give God the credit when good things happen but none of the blame for the bad that happens. If God gets a pat on the back for saving Keith’s life, then shouldn’t He get the scorn for not saving the other person? I couldn’t believe their responses, but after some thought, I had to admit it’s a ...

If God is good, why does He allow bad things to happen? It’s a tough question that I’ve asked before, but the answer I was given sounded like a Christian cliché. It left me wondering, and if I’m being honest, it shook my faith a little bit. But tough questions shouldn’t weaken our faith. God tells us to test everything and hold on to what is good. There are answers. We may just need to grow in our understanding to find them. It’s why apologetics (the defense of our faith) is so important. It isn’t about arguing or trying to win a debate. It’s about understanding what we believe, why we believe it, and being able to explain it when someone asks. That’s why every now and then, we’ll look at some of those questions. Following Christ means growing, and growth requires learning and studying God’s Word. We shouldn’t simply know what we believe. We should understand why we believe it and recognize when something doesn’t line up with Scripture. Think about some of the questions you or someone ...

“Lord, surely this can’t be the rock  you want me to move,” the old man said with a bewildered look. He stood next to the giant boulder waiting for God to answer, but several minutes passed without a reply. “You know I can’t move it without you!” he shouted as he grew more exasperated by the minute. Still, no answer. He couldn’t understand why God remained silent, but he was a faithful servant so he began to push. After several unsuccessful attempts to move the immense stone he walked away. He returned the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, but the only thing he had to show for his efforts were blisters. Life can often be like moving that boulder. We face challenges that seem insurmountable, and no matter how hard we try, nothing changes… or does it? You may have spent years trying to improve your marriage, but your spouse still seems distant. Perhaps your boss, to put it mildly, isn’t your favorite person despite your efforts to be a team player. We try to d...

"Are you sure this is the right move?" his wife asked nervously. He barely looked up from the job offer on his laptop. It came with a title and salary he could've only dreamed of a few years earlier. He gently rubbed her shoulder. "I know this isn't easy," he said softly. "But I believe God's opened this door for a reason. We'll get through this together." She forced a faint smile. "I hope you're right," she whispered. Months later, the boxes had been unpacked, but life hadn't unfolded the way he'd imagined. He found himself replaying that conversation over and over. His wife never once said, "I told you so." She didn't have to. Every time life became difficult, those words echoed in his mind. Have you ever replayed a decision over and over? Regret convinces us that if we dwell on yesterday long enough, somehow we can change it. But we can't. The enemy’s greatest tactic is keeping our attention fixed ...

Families were stretched out along the shore enjoying a beautiful sunny afternoon when several young women walked by in bikinis that left very little to the imagination. It didn’t take long before heads began to turn. A group of young men suddenly lost interest in their volleyball game. As the women moved toward a row of lounge chair a few noble husbands quickly looked away while others were nudged by their wives before finally breaking their gaze. The young women giggled and smiled as the attention confirmed their choice of swimwear had done exactly what they’d hoped for… get the guys’ attention. Our culture says there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look sexy. But have you ever stopped to think about what that actually means? To look sexy is to present yourself in a way that invites sexual attention. It encourages others to focus on your body before they focus on you. People often call it confidence, but it’s really allowing your body to become the source of the attention you receive....