ThingsHopedForThingsHopedForThe randomly recorded thoughts of Jason Hardin. Articles
Stay Away From The Vomit
2008-04-17 15:04:00 No picture today (for obvious reasons), but check out Proverbs 26:11. GROSS! If you’ve never witnessed that nasty scene for yourself, it doesn’t take much to imagine how repulsive it really is. But allow it to make an impression on you. Remember that disturbing image throughout your day and its wise parallel with the person who ... More About: Christian , God , Meditations , Stay , Vomit
The Tempest
2008-04-16 15:36:00 Proverbs 10:25 is the inspiration for today’s meditation. It may be that you didn’t get much sleep last night. Why? You’re living in the midst of a tempest. It’s possible that a terrible storm is on the horizon of your life, and you don’t even know it. Or, ... More About: Christian , Bible , Meditations , Tempest
Got Plans?
2008-04-15 15:10:00 Take the time to read the wise words of Proverbs 19:21. Got any plans for the day? Most of us do. But at the outset of the day, and throughout this busy week, make sure to remember the inspired admonition above. Your schedule may be full. Much of your time for the ... More About: Christian , Bible , Meditations , Plans
A Muddy Spring
2008-04-14 14:56:00 Take a moment to place your cursor over Proverbs 25:26. What good is the spring you’ve walked miles to reach if it’s full of mud? What difference does the ornate exterior of a fountain make if the water within is polluted? Such is the predicament of the righteous person who gives in ... More About: Christian , Bible , Spring , Meditations , Muddy
The Fear Of The LORD
2008-04-11 12:42:00 Some wise and insightful words from Proverbs 9:10 form our thought for the day. You love God. You praise God. You thank God. You ask God. But do you fear God? We live in an age of ever-increasing casualness when it comes to our relationship with the Almighty. Let me encourage you ... More About: Christianity , Christian , Lord , Fear , Yahweh
A Really Humble Man
2008-04-10 17:22:00 Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent ... More About: Christian , Lewis , Humble
Never Stop Listening!
2008-04-09 18:41:00 A serious warning comes our way today from Proverbs 19:27. The message? Never stop learning! Never quit listening! Never halt in your search for Truth! When you cease hearing godly instruction, you can all too easily wander off the narrow pathway which leads to life. There will still be an overabundance of words all around you, but they won’t be the “words of knowledge.” You want to be a man or woman after God’s own heart today? Make sure that you take the time to listen to your Creator. Sure you’re busy. Absolutely you have much to get done. But open up your Bible. Spend some time in meditation and prayer. The weeds of this world can never grant you the license to stray from what you know to be right. More About: Stop , Listening
The Danger of the Devious
2008-04-08 14:50:00 Today’s thought is the wise saying of Proverbs 14:2. You may be faced with the opportunity on numerous occasions to be “devious” in one way or another today. To be “devious” is to distort, to scheme, to twist or misrepresent. Whether intentionally or not, such a person “despises” the God who is perfectly just and honest and holy. Why not determine right now that in each conversation, in every situation, at every turn throughout the day, you will do everything in your power to “walk in uprightness”? Be honest. Be straightforward. Abide in the truth. Do that, and while others may not even notice, your Father will be proud of you once this day is done. More About: Danger
Reading Your Life Backwards
2008-04-07 21:10:00 Allow me to state something that is very obvious. You are reading this from left to right. What might not be obvious is that, if it were written in Hebrew, you would be reading it from right to left. Books published in English are read from front to back. Books written in Hebrew are exactly the opposite–you read them from back to front. I bring that up for a reason. Thomas Watson, the old Puritan sage, once said that “Some providences of God, like Hebrew letters, are best understood backwards.” Many times in life we find ourselves not understanding why God has permitted us to be in a hard place or in difficult circumstances. But if you wait a few years, and then read your life backwards, you can often see His good purposes. (Steve Farrar) More About: Life , Reading , Backwards
Lessons Learned In The Storms Of Life
2008-04-07 06:30:00 Where is God when it hurts? Doesn’t He care when we pass through the “storms” of life? And if He does, why not simply navigate the storms away from dedicated disciples of Christ? This lesson seeks to reinforce the truth that the storms of life come even to the most dedicated of disciples. The only question is how we will handle the storms as they come. Lessons Learned In The Storms Of Life was recorded in the A.M. assembly of the Laurel Canyon church of Christ. The interactive outline is available here. To hear the sermon, simply click the play button below. A number of other sermons (both interactive outlines and audio recordings) are available via the player in the right hand column. For easy and consistent access, subscribe to the Podcast by clicking the iPod button on the bottom row of the player to the right.
It Is Well With My Soul
2008-04-07 05:18:00 When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.” Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. My sin — O the bliss of this glorious thought! – My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul! And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resoun... More About: Soul , My Soul
Upgraded
2008-04-05 07:14:00 Late Friday night/early Saturday morning I upgraded to WordPress 2.5. Everything appears to be in order. If you notice anything out of whack, please click the title of this post and leave me a note. Thanks for your help and especially for visiting!
The Best Translation Of The Bible
2008-04-04 07:24:00 Four preachers were discussing the merits of the various translations of the Bible . One liked the King James Version because of its simple, beautiful English. Another liked the American Standard Version best because it comes closer to the original Hebrew and Greek. The third liked Moffatt’s translation best because of its up-to-date terminology.The fourth preacher was silent. When asked to express his opinion, he replied, “I liked my mother’s translation best.” The other three expressed surprise and wanted to know what he meant. “Well,” he explained, “my mother translated the Bible into her everyday life, and it was the most convincing translation I ever saw.” - Attributed to William Barclay More About: The Bible , Translation
The Blessing Of A Quiet House
2008-04-03 16:29:00 Check out what the wise man wrote in Proverbs 17:1. How many people do you know who have more “stuff” than they know what to do with? How many of those people woke up this morning to a miserable home life? Do you think they would trade the majority of their “stuff” for the blessing of a quiet, peace-filled house? Yeah, me too. Let’s do what we can to make this day a day of harmony in our homes. We may not have much, but we can appreciate our blessings. We may not have everything we would like, but we can appreciate the Giver of our gifts. We may not be able to afford a feast, but if our houses are cloaked with the divine peace which passes all understanding, we are truly rich (Philippians 4:4-7). More About: House , Blessing , Quiet
Soft On Discipline = Hard On Family
2008-04-02 20:17:00 It’s been a long, hard day at work. You want to come home and just relax and have fun with your kids. You don’t want to deal with discipline. But Mom has had the children for most of the day and she’s tired of the fighting and bickering. So she starts to discipline and wants you to help. This is not your idea of unwinding. So what do you do? Support her. Absolutely. Children need a unified front from parents, and when Dad is viewed as the Soft ie, it makes Mom look like the Bad Guy and makes her job so much more difficult. And marital tension increases dramatically. If you have an issue with the way Mom is disciplining, wait to talk to her about it after the children go to bed. Short term, backing up your wife will be extra work. But long term it will be well worth it as your children will be unable to pit Mom and Dad against each other. The softer you are on discipline now, the harder it will be for your family. - Bryan Davis More About: Family , Discipline , Hard
Please Do, And Please Don’t
2008-04-02 15:52:00 Take a moment to listen to Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. Miriam Neff has compiled a very practical list of suggestions for comforting and encouraging widows. Members of the body of Christ who are seeking to comfort just as they have been comforted will profit from taking these suggestions to heart. There are many ways individuals can encourage widows on their journey. But it’s often hard to know what to say, for fear of making things worse. So let me offer some “Please do” as well as some “Please do not” suggestions. 1. Please do stay connected. Do not assume we need “space” to grieve. There is already a huge hole in our universe. 2. Please do say you are sorry for our loss. Do not tell us you understand, unless you do from personally experiencing the loss of a spouse. We would rather you tell us you do not know what to say than tell us the story of losing your friend or even close relative. We may be able to listen to your story later, but...
April Fools
2008-04-01 15:18:00 There are two key passages of Scripture for today’s thought. One is the warning of David in Psalm 14:1. The other is the practical reasoning of James 2:19. Do you believe in God? Are you acting like it? When it comes right down to it, who is the bigger “fool”? The man who says in his heart, “There ... More About: April , Meditations
A Stepford God
2008-04-01 15:09:00 Consider this from Tim Keller in The Reason For God. If you don’t trust the Bible enough to let it challenge and correct your thinking, how could you ever have a personal relationship with God? In any truly personal relationship, the other person has to be able to contradict you. For example, if a wife is ...
?O Be Careful, Little Eyes?
2008-03-31 14:17:00 Take a moment to listen to Job’s words in Job 31:1. While the lessons we can learn from Job’s integrity are in many ways universal, today’s thought is specifically aimed at men. Guys, the odds are overwhelming that at some point today you will be presented with the opportunity to “gaze” at a woman to whom you ... More About: Eyes , Men , Meditations , Careful
Seven Mistakes Too Many Parents Make
2008-03-31 04:38:00 Ours is a confused culture when it comes to the meaning of effective, successful parenting. Too many fathers and mothers are much more likely to listen to the advice of Oprah and Dr. Phil than the Great Physician. What, then, does God expect of parents? Seven Mistakes Too Many Parents Make was recorded in ... More About: Family , Parenting , Home
Today (1)
2008-03-30 13:37:00 Today, I will pray like Nehemiah whose first instinct was to pour his heart out to his God. “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the ... More About: Today
Watch Out For The Vultures
2008-03-29 20:17:00 Today’s thought is especially for young people–particularly those who are still living at home–and it’s taken from the wise saying in Proverbs 30:17. If you haven’t already, put your mouse cursor over that scripture above. Done? Isn’t that nasty? If you’ve ever been traveling down the road in a car that distracted the vultures from ... More About: Watch , Meditations , Vultures
The Easy Way To Preach
2008-03-28 20:54:00 James 3:1 “It is easier to declaim like an orator against a thousand sins in others than to mortify one sin in ourselves; to be more industrious in our pulpits than in our closets; to preach twenty sermons to our people than one to our own hearts.” (John Flavel) More About: Preaching , Easy , Easy Way
The Path Of Your Feet
2008-03-28 19:53:00 Our Creator has clearly revealed for all of humanity the pathway of holiness and integrity. While the trail at times may appear to be overgrown with the weeds, thistles, and thorns of this world, if we will take the time to carefully look, God’s better way can still be discerned. He continues ... More About: Feet , Path
?But I Say To You??
2008-03-28 19:16:00 Remember Luke 6:27-31? NPR Morning Edition, March 28, 2008 Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a ...
Shakespeare On Sermons
2008-03-27 18:18:00 That is not the best sermon which makes the hearers go away talking to one another and praising the speaker, but which makes them go away thoughtful and serious, and hastening to be alone. (William Shakespeare ) More About: Sermons
Tomorrow
2008-03-27 15:51:00 Proverbs 27:1 offers some wise and practical advice for the day. Let’s be careful in talking about what we will do tomorrow, or next week, or this Spring. What if tomorrow doesn’t come for me? What if the Lord returns before Monday? Who is to know what will happen in the next month? There is not ... More About: Tomorrow
?Let The Wise Hear?
2008-03-26 19:13:00 Take a moment to reflect on the message of Proverbs 1:5. You’ll hear a lot of different things today. Conversations. Commercials. News updates. Music. Traffic reports. Talk show hosts. Weather forecasts. Complaining. Boasting. Encouragement. Pessimism. Hope. Discouragement. In the midst of all the noise, ... More About: Hear , Wise
Don?t Focus On The Fall
2008-03-26 15:03:00 An NFL coach huddled with his players just before the big game. He said if you laid a two-by-four on the ground, you could walk across it with no problem. But, if you put the board between two buildings ten stories high, you probably wouldn’t make it — because your focus would now ... More About: Focus , Fall
A Balanced Diet
More articles from this author:2008-03-26 02:44:00 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Do you watch what you eat? Do you count the carbs before you take a bite? Throughout the day, you will take the time to feed yourself. You’ve got to. Just make sure that ... More About: Diet , Meditations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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