Give Me a Drink
2015-12-01
by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: John 4:13–14 “Give Me a drink.” Jesus said that. He was thirsty after walking on a very long journey during the heat of the day. Around noon, He came to a well in a town named Sychar. Jacob’s well was located in that ancient place. Tired and hot, Jesus sat down by that well. Soon, a woman came to that same well. Seeing that she was drawing water, He asked her if she would give Him a drink. This happened in an area known as Samaria—a region where Jews seldom went. She was shocked that He would even speak toRead More →
Caleb’s Can-Do Attitude, Part One
2015-11-23
by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: Joshua 14:10–11 There aren’t many things better than exercise to keep all of us feeling, thinking, and looking younger than we are. For almost 10 years, my wife and I lived in a home in Dallas, Texas, located about a quarter of a mile from the renowned Cooper Aerobics Center that was founded by my longtime friend and physician, Dr. Kenneth Cooper. Not only did I enjoy the wonderful facilities—especially the one-mile track that runs through those beautiful grounds, around a lake where ducks and swans make their home—but each time we would drive by, we’d see men and womenRead More →
The Value of a Positive Attitude
2015-11-19
by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: Philippians 2:3–5 Several years ago I determined to deal with my attitude. I found myself getting pretty testy, even argumentative at times. Our children were young and often had needs that required my time and attention. More often than I’d like to admit, that irritated me—to the point where my wife said I needed to think about how negative I was becoming, and then I needed to do something about it! At first, like most husbands would, I resisted her words, but after giving them further thought, I realized that what she was observing was painfully true. To use aRead More →
Face Your Anger
2015-11-17
by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: Genesis 4:6-7 Cain failed to heed the Lord’s counsel. Allowing the crouching, hungry beast within him to attack, Cain later murdered his younger brother—and to make things even worse, he could never escape the consequences. They would continue to haunt him for the rest of his life, illustrating the truth of the old proverb: “If you seek revenge, dig two graves.” While all anger is not wrong, uncontrolled anger, lingering anger, and temper tantrums do not result in anything good. We’re back to God’s counsel to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance [face] fallen? . .Read More →
Mind over “Madder”
2015-11-16
by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: Genesis 4:7 We’ve all heard the expression “mind over matter.” For the sake of our thinking today, let’s alter the saying to “mind over emotion.” To tie it in even more directly to a story from the Bible where these words would really apply, we should change it to “mind over madder.” Adam and Eve’s firstborn was a son they named Cain. Their second, you’ll recall, was named Abel. Cain grew up to be a farmer. When Abel became a man, he was a shepherd. It came time for an offering to be made to the Lord, so Cain broughtRead More →
The Foundation of Emotions, Part Two
2015-11-13
by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:17 Once a person comes to know Jesus personally, an amazing inner transformation occurs. Paul pinpointed that fact in his second letter to the Corinthians: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Among those “new things” would be a renewed intellect that can comprehend spiritual truth, changed emotions that are capable of loving God, and a volition that willingly submits to obeying Him. It is remarkable how all of that becomes a reality once we come to Christ. Now then—why wouldRead More →
The Inclusive Secret to Life
2015-11-11
by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 10:31 No one is immune to problems in the areas of exercise, digestion, and diet—not even those in ministry. For example, consider a middle-aged minister of the gospel named Timothy, who was the pastor of a church in the busy, heavily populated city of Ephesus back in its heyday. Timothy was one of Paul’s closest and most loyal companions, but Timothy was neither as healthy nor as strong as he could have been. Knowing this to be true, Paul served as what we would call a mentor to Timothy, giving him solid counsel, reliable advice and, occasionally, strongRead More →
Making Some Essential Changes
2015-11-10
by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 God did a remarkable act of creation when He made the human body. The more advanced the medical profession becomes, the more we discover what an amazing machine the body is. From the remarkable bone-tendon-muscle structure to the delicate and sensitive network of nerves . . . how the oxygen-carrying blood-circulation system is tied in so perfectly with the necessary and healthy function of the lungs . . . and how many of the organs work in concert with the digestive system, turning the food we eat into the fuel we need. What makes all of thisRead More →
Comparison
2015-10-22
Comparison by Charles R. Swindoll 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Galatians 6:1-5; James 2:1-12 If I may select a well-known phrase from the cobwebs of the fourteenth century and wipe away the dust to garner your attention, it is: COMPARISONS ARE ODIOUS Odious . . . disgusting, detestable. If you want to be a miserable mortal, then compare. You compare when you place someone beside someone else for the purpose of emphasizing the differences or showing the likenesses. This applies to places and things as well as people. We can become so proficient at this activity that we sustain our addiction through an unconscious force of habit. Inadvertently, the wheelsRead More →