'Sound Words' Tagged Posts (Page 17)

Knowing This Knowledge is empowering. The simple recall of knowledge may be useful if one were to be a contestant on Jeopardy. Otherwise, the true power of knowledge is in the application. This is especially true of God’s word. When mixed with faith, God’s word provides access to eternal life. Knowledge that is not put into practice has no benefit. “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did…

It Is Not Easy Being Told, It Is Not Easy Telling How would you describe children? Your children? What is remarkable about children? One that gets overlooked is their innate honesty. I call it brutal honesty. This honesty makes for some memorable situations, embarrassing and hilarious at the same time. Mine can’t hold back. It is not that they are nit-picky to be overly critical, I think it is just who they are, who most kids are. “Dad, you got…

Growing: For the Better? Growth is a progression. We typically think of growth in a positive sense. Plants, puppies, and children start out small and grow up. We like to see our savings account grow. God wants to see our faith grow and so should we. However, not all growth is for the better. We often refer to aging as “growing old”. Our senses dim and our strength fades. The world in which we presently reside is also aging. God…

Growing: Grace and Knowledge Peter wrote a second letter to his brethren for the purpose of reminding them of certain truths. Foremost, judgment is coming, and the world will be destroyed. God is patient. That does not mean that He will not keep His word despite what critics say. God’s patience is not a reason to disbelieve, it is an opportunity for us to be saved. “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from…

Growing: Consider the Lilies Growing is a natural process. Growth is the progression in size and maturity of living things. Growth requires fuel, an intake of nutrients and water. For people the securing and preparation of food is a priority. For plants the process appears to be passive. Mankind tends to look to future provision with trepidation. Those unfounded fears arise when we forget that it is God who provides. Yes, we are intimately invested in the process, but we…

Prayers of David David may well be the ideal example of how to pray. His prayers range in content from absolute despair to unbridled praise of God. David rose from the position of lowly shepherd to King of Israel. His life was filled with work, music, fear and excitement. He went from sleeping on the ground to absolute luxury. He experienced difficulties in many forms. Dangerous animals threatened the flocks in his care. David’s older brothers did not respect him…

Hannah’s Prayer We often fail to pray until we feel a desperate need even though we have the privilege of constant access to God. Many times, our desperation is the result of our own poor decisions. In such cases it is indeed appropriate to appeal to God. Simon was told to repent and to pray for forgiveness. (Acts 8:22) We must understand and accept that forgiveness does not usually mean escaping consequence. “For what credit is it if, when you…

Prayer Prayer is a powerful form of communication. The power of prayer does not come from the language in which it is spoken. The power of prayer does not come from the eloquence of the speaker. The power of prayer lies in the relationship between man and God. It is only God to whom it is permissible to pray, and only God has the power to answer prayer. God conversed directly with Adam in the Garden of Eden. One such…