Luke 15:11-32 tells a wonderful parable that included the story of the Lost Son, sometimes referred to as the Prodigal Son. It is full of comfort and hope for the lost in Christ to regain their royal robes when they return to the Father. But there is much more to the story.

This story tells of a rebellious and reckless-then-repentant younger son who squandered his premature inheritance, shamefully living a life of luxury. After he runs out of money and a famine hit the land where he is living, he is reduced to feeding the pigs and eating… Read more

I have often wondered why people go to church. What is it that they expect to happen while they are there? Do they go for the social hour? Do they go to see what God will do for them? Do they go because they think it will affect their eternal salvation, like punching a time clock? Or do they just go because they enjoy the music or the preacher’s message?

While we were in Niagara Falls traveling with Chalice this Spring we had a chance to spend some time at the falls. While we were there the younger boys, Steven and Evan, were exploring the park and found a few squirrels that were quite playful. These squirrels were so friendly that they would come right up to you and take food from your hand.

Now as a mom, all I could think of was, “Be careful. Don’t get bitten. You might get rabies.” But Steven was so amazed by this one squirrel. He had his mouth full of sticks and… Read more

Psalm 127:1a “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it”

This nation was blessed at its founding because the people that were involved sought the direction of God. The earliest settlers came to these shores with the desire to worship God free from persecution. There are those today that would rewrite that history. The names and the dates would stay the same but the motives and desires would be omitted. The prayers that were prayed would be left out. There are those that would take God out of our fine history. As God is taken… Read more

When the Samaritan woman went to the well to draw water that day she went in the afternoon during the hottest hour of the day when she knew no one else would be there. She was trying to avoid seeing anyone. Because of things she had done in the past, having five failed marriages and living with a man who was not her husband I’m sure she was the “talk of the town” and she learned to avoid rejection by avoiding the other town women, her peers.

Imagine the rejection she felt not only from those women but from the… Read more

Today, we face turmoil in the world. Wars and rumors of wars run rampant. I find myself smiling whenever I see a roll of duct tape or any type of plastic sheeting. My government is trying to tell me to prepare. God told us long ago to prepare. Because He forewarned me, I have no fear of anything that might happen in this world.

Reflecting on preparedness, I look back to Noah. God forewarned and told Noah to build an ark. He worked on preparing that ark for 120 years. He and his family survived a global flood. Noah was… Read more

Even today we reflect upon the events of 9-11-01 and we realize how fragile our lives are. Despite all our power and all our wealth as Americans we find that we are still vulnerable. We are uncomfortable with these thoughts. The unknown, the uncertainties of life make us aware of our human frailties. We would prefer to be self-sufficient. We would like to be the “stand on our own two feet, pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” kind of people.

Somewhere along the line we bought into the lie of the devil that depending upon God is a form… Read more

We don’t always understand why things happen the way they happen but we do know that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. There are several stories in this issue of “The Well” that reinforce this. Why would someone call at the exact moment another person needed it? Why do you feel drawn to speak to another person at a particular moment? God knows the reasons, and He has the plans.

Last weekend we traveled about 5½ hours away from home for a puppet program.… Read more

Another year is coming to a close. With it is another opportunity for us to make New Year’s Resolutions, some we keep and some we don’t. One resolution people seem to make is to “surrender” more of their life to God.

Have you thought about what surrender really means? When I think of the word “surrender,” I think of the song “I Surrender All.”

“All to Jesus, I surrender, all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. All to Jesus I surrender, humbly at His feet I bow, worldly pleasures… Read more

What is love? Love to me is commitment. Love is denying myself and putting others first. Love is when you’ve done me wrong, I forgive you and let it go. Love is when I give you something that causes you to be comfortable, but in the giving it makes me uncomfortable. Love is going beyond my own strength to help you out. Love is standing up against an enemy for your sake.

You might say, “Right, no one here can meet all of that.” You are absolutely right. But, I can tell you about someone who can meet it… Read more

This month is not only the end of the year but the end of the millennium. Some have said it’s going to be the end of the world too. I’m sure there isn’t a person who hasn’t heard of Y2K and what it means.

The end will come some day. No man knows the date or the hour. As Jesus taught us, “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When her branch is tender and the leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is almost here. Just so, when you see all these things beginning to happen, you… Read more

Did you know that the end is really the beginning? Well it really is. I suppose you are saying, Okay what is she talking about? We know that in the world the end is the end, but God is not like the world. When we say I have come to the end of my rope, if we look to God, the end becomes the beginning. It becomes the beginning of the rest of your life.

In each of our lives, if we just keep on living, there comes a time where the struggles and confusion of everything begins to weigh… Read more

If you think this is the end, it’s not. It’s only the beginning. God loves you and He wants you to experience peace and life. If you’re not experiencing this right now God wants you to. God desires to have an intimate, personal relationship with you. He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother. He will never leave you or forsake you. No matter what you are going through, God is always there.

If you already know God but you’re feeling just a little dry, then go back to the well and take a drink.… Read more