“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:24, ESV) One time I decided to climb a mountain with a group from the church. When I was in the military I trained in mountaineering while going through Army Ranger School, I was in peak physical condition. Yet atContinue reading “Climbing Out of the Valley”
Author Archives: Steve Hankins, Th.D.
Medication for Perfectionism
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, ESV) Years ago, I had a home project to renovate a bathroom. I decided to put in a marble tile floor as part of the project. There was a section that I built that elevated the showerContinue reading “Medication for Perfectionism”
House of Mirrors
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.Continue reading “House of Mirrors”
The Monkey on Your Back
“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21–22, ESV) In 1822 Thomas Gillet published a collection of stories. One of them is titled “The Devil and the Doctor.”Continue reading “The Monkey on Your Back”
No Regrets
“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.” (Joel 2:25, ESV) There was a Milky Way chocolate bar commercial that aired years ago that pictured a tattoo artist and a client. The client wanted aContinue reading “No Regrets”
Encountering Divine Power
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18, ESV) Here is a message from three weeks ago that covers five ministries of the Holy Spirit and our responsibility in them. The first four are works the Holy Spirit accomplishes in one’s life upon savingContinue reading “Encountering Divine Power”
Our Pet Rocks
“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10, ESV) Many years ago, a man named Gary Dahl came up with an idea. He created a fad called the Pet Rock. These were being marketed and sold in retail stores in theContinue reading “Our Pet Rocks”
Shedding the Load
“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV) When I lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I participated in an annual 5-K race on the fourth of July. Following the 5-K they had a 1-mile Survival Run where the participants ran in combatContinue reading “Shedding the Load”
Defeating the Blame Game
“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, ESV) When I was a boy, my brother and I used to get in trouble a lot. We would be doing something that we should not have and possibly break something. My mother would try to investigate the problem. However,Continue reading “Defeating the Blame Game”
When Others Hurt With You
“So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head . . . Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.”” (Job 2:7-9, ESV) One evening as IContinue reading “When Others Hurt With You”
Renewing the Heart 