Articles that reference the book of Psalms

How long? More than just a question One day, back in 1975, I was driving on a small highway in Kansas with my radio on. I know…what are the odds? And I remember a song started playing, and I liked it before it got past the first couple of measures. Because it started with a simple bass line, added a simple drumbeat, and then added an electric piano. And then, one of my favorite vocalists (di...

Silver words of hope OK, get out your eight stringed harp, or your drums, guitar, keyboard, or other instruments. And let’s sing some silver words of hope today. Who’s with me? You don’t need special talents to sing these silver words. In fact, if you’d rather listen, that’s OK, too. Because the words I’m talking about can maybe give you even more hope if you ju...

Who could use a little Sunday morning inspiration? Show of hands…yeah, there’s a few of you. OK, so here it is. You can do it! Now, go out there and get it done! There. How’s that? Are you pumped and ready to take on sickness, sadness, disease, and disaster? What? No?! What do you mean I just used a cliché ? Wow, way to look some Sunday morning inspiration in the mouth.   The fac...

Fire and brimstone Yeah, we’re already getting close to April. And that means those April showers that bring May flowers. Of course, that leads to Memorial Day and backyard barbecues. Wanna try something a little different this year? How about serving up a nice steaming cup of fire and brimstone? With a side of burning wind? Mm mm good.   What if I told you fire and brimstone won’t be...

Are you ready to sing a song of confidence? Have you heard this quote? “ The truth is still true even if no one believes it. And a lie is still a lie even if everyone believes it .” It makes total sense to someone who’s willing to use logic and reason, instead of feelings, when it comes to decision making. And it’s that kind of thinking that helps me sing a song of confiden...

Music is communication of choice by your friendly neighborhood RhymeTender To say music is communication is a bit like saying water is wet. Of course it is! But it’s not simple yada yada communication. Because music is the way people share words, ideas, and emotions on a deep level. Even if they don’t speak the same language. Name something else that can do that. Music is the preferred...

They shall fall and perish – OK, who are they? There’s a ginormous group of people on planet earth who are not gonna like how things eventually play out. And there’s a verse, in the Bible, that says “they shall fall and perish.” And by perish, it means their fate is permanent from that point on. Wow. Sounds kinda harsh, right? But what’s gonna cause this?   Life...

Your creation explanation tells me a lot about your heart. Yesterday, I listened to another podcast from another podcaster. And he and a guest shared some weird perspectives from a group of people who call themselves “flat earthers.” Now, if you have even a couple of brain cells still sparking, you immediately spit take whatever you’re drinking and say, “What did you say?!...

Allow me to brighten your day with instruments of death I’d better say this under my breath. Because, in this age of grace, it’s just so mean sounding. But it’s true. So, here goes. Did you know God actually prepares instruments of death to use against wicked people? Gasp! Can that be true? Well, it’s in the Bible. Hmm…maybe I read it wrong. Hang on. Let me look at it...

Are you a mess in times of stress? In times of stress do you stop and think about whether God might be mad at you? No? Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. Because I’m sure you’re like almost everybody else. Even Christians don’t tend to think about God’s anger…even during prayer. Or maybe especially during prayer. But a guy named David thought about it. And he wrot...

Pray for Guidance If you’ve ever wanted to pray for guidance, but you felt like your prayer just sounded lame, check out Psalm 5 in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the New King James version, there’s even a subheading labeled “a prayer for guidance.” So, that’s what it must be. Right? Anyway…most of the Psalms were also songs. And they have that feel to them....

Be angry AND do not sin There’s a lot in this world that makes me mad. Does that happen with you, too? Have you noticed how people who hate God have gotten a lot bolder these days? And it makes me mad that there are so many of them. More and more each day. But I gotta remember the Bible says be angry and do not sin. And the key word in that sentence is AND. Here’s why it’s import...

Guess what, big shot… You’re not “all that.” If you start thinking more of yourself than you should, you’re attempting to walk on water. And that won’t go well for you. In fact, God in Heaven laughs at you. What?! I know, I know. It doesn’t sound like the God you’ve heard about…right? But the one, true, living, loving God of all creation laughs...

“From my mother’s womb you have been my God” Several years ago, when I was still the praise and worship music guy for a small Denver area church, our pastor preached a series of sermons from the Psalms. And they connected with me on a deep level. Maybe because King David wrote them, and he was a singer songwriter in addition to being king. One of the messages focused on Psalm 22....

Womb Baby? Huh? What’s a womb baby? I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it’s a baby. Crazy talk, I know. But crazy is one of the least offensive things I’ve been called. Anyway…have you noticed how, in the past few decades (and especially in the past few years), it has gotten increasingly difficult for so many people to know what that is in a mother’s womb. And t...

Your light shines bright – Right? Have you ever known someone who just loves to talk about himself (or herself)? Especially somebody who’s achieved celebrity status and wants us all to know how much they sacrificed to get there. Gimme a break. Sacrifice? Are you kidding me? If you wanna know what true sacrifice looks like, read the New Testament in the Bible. Your Creator gave 100% of...

Here’s a slap in the face from a Heavenly place God is love. Right? But is that all God is? No! He’s infinitely more. I’m confident He’s able to feel so much more than love and so much more than any of us. His different emotions are clearly seen in the Bible. And would you believe it? A couple of the emotions, less stressed in churches today, are hatred and anger. In fact,...

If praising God makes me odd, then I’ll be odd. I don’t mind being called odd for doing something I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is the right thing to do. One of the best indicators of whether what I’m doing is right or not is if most of the other people on the planet aren’t doing it. And you can bet most of the other people on the planet aren’t praising God. Not t...

Are you on the winning team? Or are you hanging with losers? This is bigger than your weekend softball team. Or school sports or even pro sports. If you’ve ever played sports of any kind, I know you remember how much more fun it was to be on the winning team. Right? Of course, it’s good to be a gracious loser, because no team wins 100% of the time. But it’s so much better to be a...

I need mercy on me. How about you? I’ve lived an interesting life so far. I’ve already lived longer than my Dad and his two brothers. And it’s already longer than several other relatives and friends I’ve known. But I don’t know if it would have been this long if it wasn’t for God’s mercy on me. I don’t want to imagine the hopelessness I’d feel...

Your life is important. Your life is valuable. Your life matters. And those are reasons why you shouldn’t wish your life away. Are you doing that? Well, ask yourself if you wish everything was different. Ask yourself if you wish you weren’t living where you are…or doing what you do for a living…or looking like you do…or anything else you might wish to be different. Th...

Do you feel like this world is getting darker and darker? I sure do. In fact, I see evidence of it all around. Skulls and crossbones on cars and clothing and even cake. Vulgar, profane, useless language fills the air…I guess taking over the space where cigarette smoke used to be. Wars break out on almost a daily basis. Violence seems to be the normal way to handle disagreements these days. Y...

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Don’t tell anyone else. It’s just between you and me. OK? Good. The secret is…I haven’t been playing music with all my might for the past few years. I used to practically live for music. It was the way I made a living. Then, things got weird in the venues, and I took a turn. But I decided to get back on the music highway. I read a q...

God is Faithful This world tempts you with all kinds of stuff to get you to take your focus off God. You have toys, video games, TV shows, movies, smartphones, tablets, four-wheelers, clothes and shoes, musical instruments, and I could go on and on. It’s OK to have or do those things. As long as you don’t forget the reason you’re here in the first place. God loves you. He loves y...

I use an app on my iPhone to read the news from around the world. The app divides stories into categories like news, technology, music, photography, business, social media, and a variety of others. I enjoy just about all the categories except for “news”. Almost every story is about the evil mankind commits on a daily basis. If you’ve also found this to be true, maybe you’re...