Paul W. Powell Legacy Library

10 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Introduction Some time ago a man just dropped in my office who obviously was despairing of life. It did not take long for me to know that he had virtually come to the end of his rope. He had no meaning, no purpose in existence. I had just been teaching to our church the Roman road o...

32 And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, 33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shal...

1 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other...

God’s purpose for our lives involves more than our physical ease. It also involves our spiritual development. His aim is not primarily that we be comfortable on earth but that we be conformed to the image of his dear Son in heaven (Romans 8:29). To this end God uses even the troubles of life for our good. What are some of the good things that can come out of th...

  5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.” Introduction Kim Linehan was one of the greatest long-distance swimmers in the world. She held the world record in the 1,500-meter freestyle competition from 1979 to 1987. According to her coach...

There are storms in life that come in the form of trials and tragedy, suffering and sorrow. When these storms strike, the first question we want to ask is, "Why, Lord?" Some storms are the result of human evil or human error. Others are sent or allowed from God and are intended to teach us things we would never learn otherwise. Still others come from Satan and are des...

Anyone who has tried to understand human suffering knows that suffering will be a mystery to humankind for as long as people live on this earth. In the face of unexplainable suffering, here are a few suggestions to help you. Believe that God has an answer as to why we suffer and that in his own time he will give it to you. Faith, after all, is assurance of things hop...

Someone has said, “Given a strong hub, a person can take a surprising number of shocks and bumps on the outer rim without sustaining permanent damage.” Jesus Christ is the only hub sufficient for the rough and rocky road of life. For three years Martin Niemöller survived the horrors of Dachau: the smells of burning flesh and the sights of walking dea...

Sam Shoemaker, the great Episcopalian preacher and evangelist, used to say, “Every man is like an island and if you will row around him several times you will find a place to put in.” In every person’s life there is a problem or a need or they live near one. If you can identify that need and begin to talk to them about that need and how God and Chris...