Author: Joshua Goodling

All too often, we seem to treat God like He needs us and is dependent upon our help.  God is Almighty and absolutely dependent upon no one or nothing!  He chooses to allow us to be of service to Him in His great plans and purposes, and we should be so grateful and thankful to …

I can remember back in 1984 as I was preparing to go to college. I’m not sure if it was a requirement to get into college, or what, but my parents took me to have an eye test, and it was obvious I needed glasses. The day my glasses arrived, I put them on, and …

When writing to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I …

Paul gives an important warning in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” Note especially two words in this verse. “All” and “will” – ALL who desire to live a godly life… WILL be persecuted! In other words, if we truly want to follow …

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:19, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.” Another way to translate this verse would be, “Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win …

Imagine you’re facing an enemy on the battlefield who enjoyed a good night’s sleep, a hearty breakfast, and a personal escort to the most strategic position on the battlefield. And here’s the worst part—you provided all those things! Sounds absurd, doesn’t it? What kind of lunatic makes provision for his enemies and gives them that …

How often do we get impatient with God?  We live in a world of impatient people.  We want everything instantly.  And often when we seek to give God control of our lives, we get impatient waiting for His perfect timing, and then we give up on God and go back to our old lives.  So …

In Isaiah 26:3, we read the comforting words, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” And that is an awesome promise to us. However, many people read it and claim it by stating that as long as they keep their mind on Jesus, they will …

I often see people cry and get upset over losing a piece of jewelry or breaking a dish that they valued, but in reality those are just material possessions. However, I seldom in todays world see people cry and get upset over sin that is breaking their fellowship with God. I think part of the …

In Daniel 3, we read the account of when King Nebuchadnezzar built a statue and demanded that everyone bow down and worship it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego determined that even if it cost them their lives, they would NOT bow! In verses 13-18, we read, “Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and …

One of the problems I see among Christians is we too often follow the advice, plans, and strategies of the world around us without seeking God first. We go to people for help with our anxieties and worries. We seek financial and business advice from today’s leading professionals. And we seek help and advice from …

If you pay any attention to the news, you’ll see that America (and really the world) is falling apart. It seems each day brings more and more sad and disheartening stories. Each day I see hundreds of postings on Facebook and other online locations saying “Pray for this city…” or “Pray for America”. And, while …

As we all know, if we want to be healthy and keep in shape, we have to watch what we eat. Sure, we can just go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of candy, cookies and ice cream and we might eat all of that and think “I’m fine…I can still walk and …

It is such a great privilege to be able to personally know Almighty God. Just to think that God, the creator and ruler of everything even desires to have a personal relationship with us is amazing! What better relationship could we possibly find than the one He offers us? There is no better offer! Knowing …

I sometimes wonder if many people even stop and think about what they are reading when (if) they read the Bible. The entire Word of God is filled with important lessons, warnings, and yes – commandments. Take for example these verses: “Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to …

The entire reason Jesus Christ came to this world was to DIE for our sins. He lived a perfect sinless life, healed people, raised the dead, etc., but the REAL plan was for Him to pay the penalty for our sins by His DEATH on the cross and then His resurrection. In Matthew 16:21 Jesus …

In Matthew 7:13-14, we read; “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Genuine salvation …

In the book of Acts, we read about how Paul and Silas were wrongly thrown into prison for casting a demon out of a slave girl.  Look at Acts 16:22-24, “The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they …

Over the course of most people’s lives, they make a LOT of choices and decisions due to peer pressure. They are afraid of what others might think about them or do if they don’t make the choice everyone else wants them to make. Sadly, if we look back at our lives, we can all think …

Let’s face it, we all make lots and lots of choices and decisions each and every day of our lives. As I often tell the young people whom I speak to – every choice we make affects the rest of our life, so we need to make the right choices! Of course, obviously, the closer …

I saw a video online recently that a building owner in downtown Dallas had posted. The owner had an old building in the downtown area with an alley behind it where there were a few parking spaces that were reserved for its customers and employees. The building was located just a block or two away …

Too often in today’s world, people preach salvation without repentance. They argue that all we need to do is believe in Jesus, and forget that part of believing in Him leads us to repent of our sins and seek Him as our Saviour. True repentance involves a change of heart, it inevitably results in a …

In Luke chapter 1, we read the story foretelling of the birth of both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.  Most of the time, when reading the Bible we just simply read over the section of Scripture quickly or without really stopping to think and studying to find the actual truths behind and surrounding what …

I watched an American Pickers show on Amazon the other day. This guy had hundreds of motorcycles in over 3 different building, and thousands of spare parts and other items. He wouldn’t hardly part with anything, and he said “Motorcycles have always been my consuming passion in life!” This guy had spent thousands of dollars …

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”  And that is EXACTLY the time in which …

Many people look at prayer as basically just a way of getting what they want. They think of God sometimes as a spiritual wishing well. 1 John 5:14 reminds us, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” We so easily …

One of the biggest mistakes we make as humans is to try to fit God into our humanness and ability to understand. We argue that God can’t do this or shouldn’t do that. We say “Well, if God really loved me, He would….” or “If God really cared, this wouldn’t have happened.” J. I. Packer …

I saw a quote the other day that made me stop and think for a moment. It went like this: “Judas had the best pastor, the best leader, the best advisor, and the best counselor – yet he failed!” We can go through all the motions, say all the right things, and even do all …

All too often, we seem to treat God like He needs us and is dependent upon our help. God is Almighty and absolutely dependent upon no one or nothing! He chooses to allow us to be of service to Him in His great plans and purposes, and we should be so greatful and thankful to …

John Owen (1600’s): “Be killing Sin, or sin will be killing you.” That’s right – kill or be killed. Take your pick. “It is to be feared that very many Christians have little knowledge of the main enemy that they carry about with them in their hearts.” Alexander Whyte (1800’s): “You do not really care …