Wood & Nails

What does a Spirit-led, Spirit-filled relationship look like? How do you know that a particular home or relationship is being filled with the Spirit of Christ? What does it look like for the Spirit of God to be truly at work in a person’s life? ...

The warmth of Paul’s closing comes from his godly affection for this faithful church. He began the letter with grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now he concludes, maintaining his focus on the centrality of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. ...

There is much that distracts and pulls our attention from the things that matter most. How do we combat the encroaching concerns of life that threaten to overwhelm our proper focus? As Paul is wrapping up his letter of thanks and encouragement to the Philippians, ...

Unanswered prayer is difficult to understand. How can Jesus really love you when you pray about something you know is good and nothing seems to happen? Unanswered prayer not only confuses us; if we're not careful, it can also contribute to a diminishing of faith. So what gives? ...

When unexpected tragedy happens in your life, where do you turn for guidance? When, in the words of Fantine in Les Miserables, “Life kills the dream you dreamed,” where do you turn for hope? What can happen to many of us is that great doubts and suspicions towards God suddenly arise in our hearts....

In one of my favorite stories, The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes tries his hardest to escape from prison but all his plans and efforts fail. Yet, something finally happens that sets Edmond free. Faria, a priest and innocent cellmate who befriended Edmond, suddenly dies and the prison guards put the priest’s dead body in a sack and sow it up to be taken away. ...

"For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is a light...”Proverbs 6:23a It's that time of year again. You know, when it gets dark outside in the afternoon!! Ok, it's not that bad, but truthfully, the dark early evenings during the fall and winter months are at the top of my list of things I had a tortuous time readjusting to in our move back to New England. I'm not there yet. I'm still trying...

Are you content? Most of us aren’t. Most of us have goals, bucket lists, and treasures we want to achieve or acquire. This is a part of how we are made, to imagine, set goals, and bring about a vibrant exciting future. It can also be a sinful preoccupation pulling us away from seeing gifts and blessings to be cherished....

I've got to admit, early on in my spiritual journey (and immaturity), I used to wonder if and how I was supposed to apply the last chapter of proverbs to my life when so much of it specifically describes the characteristics of an industrious and virtuous woman. ...

When I was four years old, I was screened for pre-school and they recommended I get my eyes checked. This led to glasses and a whole new world. Prior to wearing glasses, I was able to function, but with corrective lenses, I was able to navigate, appreciate, and excel in areas that had previously been fuzzy and obscured....

How often have you lacked peace in your life? Unresolved conflict, overwhelming choices, and negative circumstances all contribute to the unsettling of our hearts. Paul’s external experience was anything but peaceful, and the Philippians faced many things that threatened their tranquility, but Paul uses 5 emphatic imperatives to impress upon the Philippians the importance of trusting the Lord to p...

Delight in God’s word sounds like something every Christian wants. We want to understand, grow and apply God’s word to the relationships and decisions of our life. Yet our busyness, laziness, and all the other “ness’s” cause our delight to flutter away, and instead of our souls being watered by God’s truth, we are blown around like a dead autumn leaf....

Have you tried to lift something heavy with other people without communicating? You lift and they don’t. It is very frustrating to expend so much energy for no good purpose. Little can be accomplished when we don’t work together or work at cross purposes....

As Paul begins wrapping up his letter to the Philippians, we see his genuine love and care for them and are reminded of how willing he was to do whatever was needed for them to grow and be strengthened in their faith (Philippians 1:24-26)....

Do you have a hard time orienting your life in the present to the realities promised by God? Even though we are able to imagine future outcomes, we are often overwhelmed by besetting issues and problems. And in many ways dealing with what is in front of us is a healthy way to live. Didn’t Jesus say, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient ...