Author: Joshua Goodling

As we draw closer to Easter Sunday, people all over the world will celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of our glorious and wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. Some will undoubtedly celebrate what they don’t even begin to understand or truly know, and others will just go through the motions, taking more delight in egg hunts…

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) What an awesome promise this is. God doesn’t force us to draw close to Him, but He does promise that if we take the first step and start seeking Him, He will draw near to us. In the second part of that…

One of the saddest portions of Scripture is found in Matthew 27:3-5, “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to…

In 1779, John Newton penned the words to the very famous hymn “Amazing Grace”. And God’s grace that can save us who are wretched and lost is nothing short of amazing. The Apostle Paul put it clearly in his letter to the church at Ephesus, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” (Ephesians…

In Luke 12, Jesus told a parable about a rich man, who was only consumed with his riches and possessions. In verses 15-21, we read these words, “And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’ And…

Sometimes when reading the Bible, we come across commands and instructions that make us in our human nature question, “Wait a minute….what does that say???” And one of those sections is found in Luke chapter 6. Jesus is teaching, and he says, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to…

In Luke chapter 6, we read as Jesus is again teaching, and He says “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you, when…

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:15-16, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” When the Bible talks about our “walk”, it is referring to the way we live in our daily lives. And so, Paul here is…

The creator of the Pogo comic strip used a quote in a comic strip back in 1971, the quote read, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” Unfortunately, that is often the case in the real battle we face as Christians. The apostle Peter, wrote “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles…

Let’s read a couple of verses in Matthew 4, “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he [Jesus] saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of…

We read about an amazing experience in Luke 5. Jesus was teaching to a large crowd of people standing on the shore of the lake called Gennesaret. Jesus Himself was seated in a fishing boat, anchored just off the shoreline. After He had finished teaching, we read – “And when he had finished speaking, he…

One of the hard things for many people to come to grasp with is the fact that God is sovereign, and He can do whatever He chooses, even when it seems unfair or not right to us. A key illustration of this is found in Luke 4:25-27. Jesus was speaking in the synagogue, “But in…

We live in an “Hurry UP” “Instant Gratification” “Give it to me NOW!” world. We, like the prodigal son want everything to happen on our timetable and in our way and according to our plans. However, as a Christian, we must learn to wait upon God. We must learn to trust Him. We must learn…

Psalm 115:3 reminds us of a very important truth, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Too often in this life, we question God, and even demand answers from Him as to why He has done something or hasn’t done something in our lives. However, God owes us no explanation,…

In 1 Peter 2:21, we read, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” Christ Jesus purpose for living in this world, was to show us how we should live, so that we can follow His example. Look…

One of Jesus’ great promises is found in John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” With such a great promise, why is it that we so often wander away or on purpose, stop following Him? The word “abide”…

Have you ever been out to eat with someone who is very picky about their food?  They say to the waiter something like, “I want the meatloaf, but I don’t want any meat in it.  And I want the salad, but no lettuce please…”  It almost makes you want to go sit at another table….

There are countless options in today’s world for those seeking wisdom and advice. And it seems all we have to do is merely mention that we are looking for answers or wisdom in any area of our life, and everyone we talk to has a piece of advice or a theory or thought to give…

The root of all our troubles in this life is doubting God and thinking we know better than He does. It all started back in the Garden of Eden, where Satan tempted Eve by asking “He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis…

In Matthew 27:22, we read the words of Pilate, the Roman Leader, “Pilate said to them, “‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’” Of course, we all know the reply he received from the hostile crowd, “Crucify Him!”, but everyone of us must answer that question in our own lives, “What…

I have had people say to me, “Joshua, why don’t you just focus on the good stuff? Why all this attention to the difficult things?” However, until we learn to deny ourselves, until we learn to honor and obey God’s commandments, and until we learn to have faith in Him – there is no “good…

Jesus taught in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” As I was thinking over this recently, I wanted to more fully understand exactly what Jesus was talking about here, so I began to look deeper into the Greek text and the rest of God’s Word. The word “meek” here…

One of the sad and eye opening portions of Scripture is found at the end of Jesus Sermon on the Mount.  In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On…

One of the greatest problems that has ruined the name of Christianity today is that we too often try to be just like the world around us. As a Christian, we are called to be different and separated from this world. Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be…

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’”  (Matthew 16:24) True salvation is when we realize we are nothing, hopeless, damned, and lost.  We have nothing good in ourselves, we are sinners condemned to die!  And we believe…

Most people look at the Ten Commandments and say “Well, I’ve never killed anyone. I’ve never committed adultery. I’ve never done this or that. So I’m doing pretty good!” However, it’s not just our actions that matter. When preaching His “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus Christ said. ““You have heard that it was said to…

This world’s philosophy is to do just that “Just Follow Your Heart.” If you look up “follow your heart” quotes on the web, you’ll find all sort of advice, like – “Just follow your heart, and let it take you wherever it wants!” Sadly, however, that is what leads many people astray and to a…

The way many people in today’s world look at the Christian life, it’s like they think it’s all a game. It’s all about having fun and being entertained. However, the Bible paints a COMPLETELY different story. Paul told us in Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to…

Jesus Christ very clearly stated in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.‘”.  After Jesus’ resurrection and return to heaven, the Apostle Peter, preaching, said it quite clearly as well, “This Jesus is the stone that was…

Hebrews 4:12 reminds us, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…”  Sometimes when we read God’s Word it will point out errors and sin in our lives – and it’s not always fun, it hurts at times.  And sometimes, when we try to show what God teaches to…