By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.01/03/2022“For God has not given us a spirit of fear...” (2 Tim 1:7)One of my all-time favorite children’s movies is the Disney/Pixar movie Monsters, Inc. Every time we watch it as a family I laugh all the way through it. Similar to the Toy Story movies, this movie takes you back to your childhood days and invokes warm memories of what it was like to be a kid.The premise of Mo...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D. 01/07/2020“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.” (Isaiah 51:1)Someone has said, “When your past calls, don’t answer.  It has nothing new to say!”  There is a lot of truth in that adage.  Indeed, the maxim “never look back” is a frequent refrain of...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.02/03/2020"For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)Several years ago, my wife Wendy was dispensing a dropper full of medicine to one of our daughters, who was an infant at the time and had a fever.  While mom was administering the medicine, our two-year-old son snatched the medicine bottle and tried to play pharmaci...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.02/11/2020“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.09/01/2022“So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” (Luke 10:36) On July 3, 1988, the navy cruiser USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian jetliner with 290 civilians aboard. There were no survivors. It was a tragic mistake. The ship's captain mistakenly thought they were under attack by an F-14 Iranian fighter jet. Following the inciden...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.07/18/2022“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ. . .” (Philippians 1:27)Children usually believe whatever you tell them. They can be quite gullible. Moreover, because their faith is so simple and straightforward, they tend to act on what they believe. Adults, by contrast, do not always act in a manner that is consistent with what they believe.A humorous anec...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.03/08/2022“Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, ‘You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ And the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.” (John 18:17-18)The story of Peter's three denials the night Christ was ...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.07/13/2022So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)Death. The word itself is conclusive, leaving no room for ambiguity. It invokes feelings of final...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.01/18/2022“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:16)This just in from Reuters News Service: Doctrine died today. The news of Doctrine’s demise, while tragic, was not entirely unanticipated. It had been battling a terminal illness for many years. Doctrine’s storied history...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness overtake us; we look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; we stumble at noonday as at twilight; we are as dead men in desolate places. (Isaiah 59:9-10)These are turbulent times. It seems like the world is getti...  Read More

By: J. B. Hixson, Ph.D.03/23/2022Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:19-20)Perhaps you have heard the story about the kindly old gentleman and his dog Sam. Now Sam was not the most attractive little mutt. In fa...  Read More

By: J. B. Hixson, Ph.D.03/12/2022“A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)Have you ever had the feeling that you are going the right direction, but you just do not know where you are going to end up? You are not really scared because you are kind of enjoying the scenery along the way. But you just do not have a clear picture of exactly where you are headed.Seve...  Read More

By: J. B. Hixson, Ph.D.04/20/2022“I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You…. I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:2–6)Many people see life through the lens of retribution. When something bad happens, they ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” They assu...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.04/24/2022One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad, very bad, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad.” (Jeremiah 24:2–3)Have you ever had an argument with a ch...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.06/21/2022“Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.” (Proverbs 26:27)When my children were younger, I used to plan an occasional “date with dad” for my girls. I remember one occasion when I took the two oldest bowling. The joy on their faces as they watched their bowling balls make their way down the alley toward the pins wa...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.05/16/2022Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Co...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.05/04/2022“Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” (Acts 2:43)Have you ever thought about how easily amazed we are? Just this morning, when I stepped outside and felt the crisp, cool, mountain air I thought to myself, “This is amazing! What a beautiful morning.” During family game night the other night, it was amazing when on...  Read More

By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.04/11/2022“Therefore, we do not lose heart.  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen ar...  Read More