Time Management

Paul Glenney

Following the mad rush of the holiday shopping season a leading bookstore advertised a clearance of all calendars. Buy one at 75% off and get a second one free – what a bargain. I scanned the counter and one seemed to jump out at me. The caption on the calendar was "It’s all about me, all year long because who else would it be about?" In another part of the bookstore there were two books, the titles of which I found interesting. The first by Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D entitled Generation Me described anyone born from the 1970s through the 1990s. Along with W. Keith Campbell, Ph.D. she co-authored The Narcissism Epidemic with a subtitle Living in the age of entitlement. It all sounds so familiar but the roots of this philosophy can be traced back to Genesis 3. >> more...

A Passion to Pray

Bryan Joyce

How is your prayer life? Do you love spending time talking to your heavenly Father? Do you take the time to let the light of His presence flood your heart and mind? This is an awesome privilege we have – to actually be able to approach the Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and the sustainer of life. He is so holy that the angels cover their faces as they cry out "Holy, holy, holy," from above the throne. The foundations shake at the sound of His voice (Isa 6:1-4 ESV). When we were in our sins, we were far from God. His holiness is so great and our sin so abominable that it required the Savior’s blood, shed on Calvary, to wash us clean and to make us fit to approach His presence. Now that we have been "brought near" by the precious blood of Christ and have been made children of God, we can go to Him, our Father (Eph 2:13). God wanted us to have this intimate relationship with Him so much that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son in order to procure it for us. This is the value He placed upon intimacy with you and me. How about you? How much value do you place on intimacy with Him? How much of your time and energy are you willing to invest in your relationship with God? >> more...

Studying the Bible

John Meekin

"I try to read but I get nothing from it." "My mind wanders when I read. I’m constantly losing my place." "I read, but during the day I don’t seem to be able to remember much about it." "I never seem to have time for reading." Are you familiar with these statements? Young people frequently ask: "How do I study a portion of the Bible?" >> more...

The Internet – Engaged but not Enslaved

Caleb Simonyi-Gindele

At last!" you exclaim. "Someone is finally going to tell us if the Internet is good or bad!" Well, sorry to disappoint you, but the Internet is actually amoral. "What?" "What about all the lewdness on there?" That’s true. Pornography is one of the largest industries that uses the Internet. However, the Internet itself is nothing more than a bunch of computers, cables, and some basic communication protocols that have been around for more than a decade. The reason why this is important is because it takes us away from the question, "Is the Internet (Facebook/Twitter/chatting/etc.) good or bad?" to "How should I as a believer use the Internet?" >> more...

Knowing Right from Wrong

David Vallance

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them" (Rom 2:15 ESV). All creatures are subject to physical laws, like gravity, which cannot be broken. Human beings are also subject to moral laws, like charity, which can be broken. No sane person denies the reality of physical laws, since attempting to break them yields such obvious results. However, it is fashionable for people to deny the reality of moral laws, partly because the consequences of breaking them—although severe and eternal—are neither sudden nor apparent. People have learned not to challenge physical laws, because nature never forgives. God, however, tempers the demands of His moral laws with mercy. Taking advantage, people contest God’s ethical standards, because they find them too uncomfortable, inconvenient, and unworkable. >> more...

Social Drinking – Saints who Sip (and Slip)

Andrew Ussher

There are many young people fueled by curiosity and intense peer pressure to "try a few beers" with their friends - the rationale being that "there’s nothing wrong with it as long as you don’t get drunk." Many young couples starting out in family life are facing the pressure to enjoy some wine and champagne with their fine dining as part of a sophisticated, upwardly-mobile lifestyle. It makes them fit in more easily with their circle of social contacts. It is my earnest prayer that the Lord will use this article to cause some to step back and look seriously at the Scriptural teaching relative to this subject. >> more...

Music – Liberty or Limits

Matthew Cain

Casting Crowns ... Ernie Haas and Signature Sound ... Jars of Clay ... Michael Card ... Petra ... George Beverly Shea ... Third Day ... The Happy Goodmans ... Barlow Girl ... Chris Tomlin ... Bill & Gloria ... What’s your choice? Does it matter? I have my taste, and you have yours ... right? It is all about personal preference, isn’t it? Your personal preference will be an important factor when deciding what music you will listen to; but, as with other decisions in life, your liberty to choose will be limited by the principles of Scripture. "‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up" (1Cor 10:23, ESV). >> more...