Author: Dwight Clough

"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." — John 8:7I come back to this passage, because I think we should understand that all of us face a choice: are we going to get our needs met in God, or in something else — something like a second chocolate bar, or a promotion at work, or a few drinks at the bar, or church appointment, or an extramarital fling.I don’t know exactly why some people are wired to be susceptible to one temptation, while others are susceptible to other…

"I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock." — Acts 20:29 We are sheep, the Lord is our shepherd, and He is not stupid. He has placed undershepherds among the flock — in plain language, pastors of local churches. Now, how do wolves operate? Do they take on the whole flock? No, they scatter. They divide. They seek out the straggler, the one separated from the flock, the one who is weak and all alone.Let’s get real. It’s just about impossible to be part of a local church for…

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age … — Titus 2:11-12This is one of my favorite passages. I am encouraged, first of all, to know that the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. I’m not sure, exactly, how that can be, but it tells me that God has a plan to reach every person who has ever drawn a breath of air. Yes, we get to…

… give thanks in all circumstances … – 1 Thessalonians 5:18I want to speak to those who are unhappy in their marriages. Kim and I have been married for almost 29 years, and we have gone through seasons of unhappiness. There have been times when I really didn’t know what drug induced me to say, "I do."Jesus knows all about this, yet He says, "Give thanks."Why would He ask us to do such a thing? Is He trying to wring some last bit of holiness out of us even when He knows we are miserable?I don’t think so. I think…

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. — Deuteronomy 5:21What is the secret of contentment in marriage? I think my answer will surprise you.We need to receive love from outside the marriage.No, I’m not advocating an affair. Not at all!Instead, I am suggesting that working on our marriages is the wrong place to start if we want to be happily married. Rather, we need to work on opening our hearts to the Lord.I am married to a good woman. My wife is godly. She is patient. (She needs to be, living with me!) She is wise. (Every good idea I…

"… neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." — John 8:11In this passage, Jesus shows us His intentions. If we are tempted, if we have sinned in our minds or in our actions, Jesus doesn’t want to condemn us; He wants to set us free. Jesus knows, better than we do, how we got into the mess we may be in — and He knows how to set us free.In the passage above, a group of religionists wanted to use a woman who had sinned as a tool for discrediting Jesus. But,…

Happy Mothers Day to all you moms! We love and appreciate you!Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. — Ephesians 6:10Our strength flows from our connection to God. Isn’t it wonderful that God wants us to be strong! In the real world, the world that we can’t (usually) see with our eyes, we are tremendously powerful in the Lord. Because of our connection with Christ, because we are seated with Him in heavenly places, the powers of darkness are defenseless against us.Their only real hope is deception. If they can get us to believe that we…

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. — Ephesians 5:21On the surface, this seems to put us in a position of weakness. But we must connect this instruction with the whole book of Ephesians. This is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. I’m not a big Star Trek fan, but I do remember one episode where the Klingons took over a planet and the Federation was troubled because the planet’s inhabitants were so willing to be bullied by their new taskmasters. What Captain Kirk didn’t know was that the planet’s inhabitants were far…

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.– Ephesians 5:18Why do people get drunk?The answer is simple: The fantasy world of drunkenness seems to them to be so much better than the real world of sobriety. Alcohol deadens pain. It is cheap comfort.All of us are smart enough to know that alcoholism leads to misery for the alcoholic and everyone around him or her. Yet that knowledge does not stop people from getting drunk.What stops us from getting drunk? God’s alternative.Why drink a lie, when you can drink the Truth? Why let…

I’d like to wish my daughter a happy 16th birthday today!He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. — Ephesians 4:28Imagine, for a moment, Bill Gates showing up at your door and begging you to give him a crust of bread. What a ridiculous scene! Bill Gates could go downtown and buy the bakery almost as easily as he could buy a loaf of bread.At some point, we need Jesus to show us how rich we are inside.…