Wayne Stiles's Blog, page 71
December 18, 2015
How You Can Read More Books Than Ever Before
5 Ways I've Found to Make Reading Easier and Faster
Most us would love to read more books if we could. Our problem, of course, is that precious commodity: TIME. To my surprise, however, I have found ways around that limitation.
(Photo: Reading on my day off)
For the past three years, I’ve done my best to read 50 books by the end of each year. Though I never meant to surpass that goal this year, to my surprise, I did.
Your life is busy—just like mine. So I’d like to share with you the 5 ways I...
December 16, 2015
When Finding Favor with God Makes Life Tough
What was true of Mary is also true for you—why that's good news.
Sometimes finding favor with God makes life much harder. When Gabriel informed Mary she would give birth to the Son of God, many thoughts ran through her mind, not the least of which was how she, a virgin, could conceive.
(Photo: by Jolanta Dyr. Own work. CC-BY-SA-3.0-pl, via Wikimedia Commons)
What’s more, Mary knew the social and biblical fallout that occurs for a pregnant woman without a husband. How could she possibly explai...
December 14, 2015
God’s Promises—How We Can Know They’re True
One sure way proves God has told us the truth.
When someone makes us a promise, it’s always best to give them the benefit of the doubt. Might as well believe them. Unless, of course, they have a history of fibbing to you.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com)
It happened again to me not long ago. A man I know shook my hand and said, “Let’s grab a coffee soon; I’ll call you.” I didn’t say it, but I wanted to reply: “No, you won’t. But thanks.” Does that ever happen for you? Honestly, it doesn’t tak...
FINAL Early Bird Discount on my Holy Land Tour expires December 28, 2015! [Announcement]
FINAL Early Bird Discount on my Holy Land Tour expires December 28, 2015! What a great Christmas gift! Quite a few folks have already taken advantage of the early-bird discount off our upcoming 2016 Holy Land Tour through the life of Christ.
You’ll save $60 when you register by 12/28/2015!
(Photo: Temple Mount and Western Wall. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Keep reading this post. Better still, get my full posts the easy way when you SUBSCRIBE...
December 13, 2015
God Is With You Every Day [Book]
God Is With You Every Day by Max Lucado (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2015) Max Lucado’s new daily devotional offers a great affirmation of the book’s title:
God is With You Every Day
. These 365 readings include a weekly prayer and Scripture, followed by daily devotionals culled from several of Max’s books. Each devotion is brief enough to be read in a couple of minutes, offering an inspirational story or biblical insight written in Max’s inimitable style. Scriptural and to...
December 11, 2015
How Sending a Thank-You Note Empowers You
You have the power of encouragement at your fingertips.
Think about one person who has inspired you, encouraged you, or helped you. Got that person in your mind? Now, let me ask you a question: Have you ever sent a thank-you note to that person?
(Photo: Vivozoom)
Not long ago a client sent a thank-you note to the editors in our department, expressing appreciation for their excellent work. The client told me of the editors’ surprising reply: “No one has ever thanked us before.”
That tragic sta...
December 10, 2015
Live the Promise [Mediaappearance]
Keep reading this post. Better still, get my full posts the easy way when you SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG. When you do, I’ll also send you my FREE e-book!
Event: Live the Promise
December 9, 2015
Ein Kerem—Waiting on God’s Promise a Long Time
God had something special planned for them—and you.
When we think of the Bible’s Christmas couple, of course we picture Joseph and Mary. But there’s another couple in the Christmas narrative. In fact, they appear even before Jesus’ parents do.
(Photo: Tradition places the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth at Ein Kerem. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
God had been silent for 400 years. No additional Scripture. No more prophecy. No visions. Just waiting for the Messiah. 400 year...
December 7, 2015
Why You Should Give Books for Christmas
5 Reasons Your Best Gifts Include Good Books
One of the best gifts you can give someone is a book. (Someone over 17 years old, that is.) I always love getting books, and I’m convinced we should give books for Christmas. Here’s why.
(Photo by Photodune)
I remember when I attended the University of North Texas, I had a professor who assigned us a lot of books to read, the largest of which was A History of Western Music by Donald Grout. (A great book for insomniacs.)
One day a fellow student dar...
December 4, 2015
Free Online Course on the Gospel of John
Learn, get sharpened, and grow to become more effective for God.
Time for an early Christmas gift for you. This one comes wrapped in the inestimable blessing of insight and encouragement. And like all good gifts, it’s totally free.
I’ve written to you recently on why being around smarter people is a good thing. Why? Because it’s important to get sharp and stay sharp as a tool in God’s hand. That only happens as we allow ourselves to be stretched, taught, and challenged by someone farther dow...
