Touching Lives With Dr. James Merritt

What if the most important meal you’ll ever eat isn’t about satisfying physical hunger but remembering spiritual salvation? Three thousand years ago in Egypt, Jewish families smeared lamb’s blood on their doorposts so God’s angel of death would “pass over” their homes. One thousand years later, Jesus transformed that ancient Passover meal into something far more personal. He established the Lord’s Supper. In it, He showed that He was the ultimate Passover Lamb and His blood would cover the sins of all who believe. Because of His death and His shed blood, a holy God can pass over your sins. This isn’t a funeral; it’s a celebration of the One who is alive. Every time you take this meal, God invites you to remember and appreciate what happened, examine what’s happening, and anticipate what’s coming.

In the aftermath of any tragedy, we face this reality: Evil is real and rampant. There is no place on this planet that is evilfree. As one author wrote, “I will never understand those who can read the headlines every day and then assert that people are basically good ... Evil is woven into the fabric of humanity.” Throughout our study of Elijah, we’ve seen him facing or fleeing evil, but always returning to fight it, because that’s what it means to live the God life. And it’s not to be confused with the good life. While the good life might avoid evil, ignore it, or let others deal with it, those living the God life don’t have that option.

It is the worst drought in biblical history: 3½ years, 42 months, 1,278 days, 30,660 hours without a single drop of rain. Imagine that for a moment. The stench of death from countless animal carcasses, every day dreading the immense thirst. It’s safe to say if you were in the umbrella business you went out of business. Even to this day with all of our technological advancement, all of our increase in knowledge, and all of our financial resources and education, we know (whether we admit it or not) that only God can get us out of drought. Through one of the most famous prophets in the Old Testament, you see how you, too, can live the God life—a life that is pure, powerful, and prayerful. You can see God work in your family, at work, and in your future because the secret to a powerful life is a prayerful life.

Ever find yourself staring at the ceiling at 3 AM, whispering desperate questions like, “God, where are you?” “Do you even care about me?” “Are my prayers hitting the ceiling and bouncing back?” If so, you’re following in the footsteps of spiritual giants. In 1 Kings 17, the great prophet Elijah barely survived a powerful showdown with false prophets, idolaters, and a wicked king and queen. Alone and desperate at the bank of a small brook, receiving food from scavenging ravens, Elijah looks doubt in the eye. Maybe you’ve followed God and lived according to His Word, but the economy crashes, you lose your job, or the marriage ends. What do you hold on to when doubt feels stronger than belief? Watch how Elijah walks through the valley of despair to the other side of doubt, remembering one timeless truth: If you trust and obey, God clears the way. As you trust God, you discover His promise, provision, providence, and power.

If you say that someone is “living the good life,” you mean they’re living in comfort and luxury with few problems or worries. The good life is what our culture celebrates—financial success, personal comfort, and freedom from hardship. But there’s something far greater, far more fulfilling, and far more enduring than the good life—it’s “The God Life.” God wants you to experience the good life by living the God life. It is a life lived in the intimate presence of God, made possible through the supernatural power of God, all for the magnificent praise of God. The God life ignites when you’re accomplishing the divine purpose God created you for, reflecting His glory in everything you do, and offering His goodness to a broken world that desperately needs it. How do you enter the God life? Learn from a man by the name of Elijah.

One of the most amazing sights in America is the giant Sequoia tree. It towers up to 325 feet tall, weighs over 6,000 tons, and can live more than 3,000 years. The famous General Sherman tree is 275 feet tall and 100 feet wide at its trunk, with roots stretching 80 feet in diameter. But that massive, nearly indestructible tree started from a seed no bigger than a tomato seed. That’s the power of a single seed. And when that tree matures, it produces 400,000 seeds every year, capable of creating entire forests. Jesus understood this power, which is why He told a parable about the most powerful seed of all, God’s Word. Every believer is called to be a seed sower, and Psalm 126 gives us both the promise and the pattern of what that looks like. “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them” (Psalm 126:5–6, NIV). Once you understand what it means to “sow with tears,” you’ll learn why some seeds produc

In 2009, British TV host James May built a full-sized, livable house with LEGO® bricks. The house was complete with a toilet, a shower, and a LEGO® cat. May didn’t use wood, concrete, or steel. He used millions of small plastic bricks that most people consider children’s toys. As a follower of Jesus, you’re just like that LEGO® brick. One LEGO® brick is worthless, but when you put them together, you can build something people actually live in. Every LEGO® brick is designed to connect with other bricks. Without connection, the brick will never be what it could be. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re a building block. Think about the early church. It survived without any political power, military might, or buildings because God used the building block of small groups. When you connect with other believers in a small group, three essential things are built for you, by you, and with you. And what gets built is the difference between surviving and thriving in your faith.

A pastor once called in sick on Sunday morning so he could play golf. Standing on a long par 4, he hit the ball like never before. It soared through the air and dropped right into the cup for a hole-in-one. Peter looked down from heaven and said, “Lord, are you going to let him get away with this?” The Lord smiled and said, “Who’s he going to tell?” That’s funny until you look at what’s actually happening in our churches today. The reality is that if you were born after 1984, there’s less than a 10% chance you’re in church each week. Now think about this. If you have no desire to be with believers one day a week, why would you think you’d enjoy being with believers in eternity? The author of Hebrews writes to believers who had started “… giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing …” (Hebrews 10:25, NIV). Part of growing up in the Lord is showing up for the Lord. Here are the three reasons why that matters more than you might think.

I like stories. Just about the time I feel like I’ve read or seen every story, I come across another one. And this is one of the most fascinating stories I’ve ever come across—a true story about a man named C.D. “Bigboy” Blaylock, a giant of a man, 6 feet 6 inches tall, and a boxer at Louisiana State University in the early 1930s. Facing a stocky opponent from Mississippi State, he let loose with a devastating roundhouse right. But his opponent stepped in, and Bigboy’s arm whipped around in a full circle, connecting with his own chin at full force. He staggered around the ring and fell flat. The only boxer in history to knock himself out with his own punch. That’s exactly what many Christians do in their battle against sin. We keep knocking ourselves out. But the truth is Jesus didn’t die just to deliver you from the penalty of sin; He died so you might defeat the power of sin. Three times in Romans 6, Paul declares these liberating words: “set free from sin.” On the cross, Jesus died for your sin, but at the

When world-renowned author Sir Walter Scott lay on his deathbed, he asked his son-in-law to bring him “the” book from his massive library. “Which book?” his son-in-law asked. Scott replied, “Son, there is only one book!” He meant the Bible, the most-read book in the world, with 100 million copies sold annually. Of its 31,103 verses, one stands above all others, and it’s John 3:16. Atheists, agnostics, Jews, and Christians alike know this verse. It’s only 25 words, with “Son” as the 13th word, dividing it perfectly in half. The first 12 words are about God: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son …” The last 12 are about us: “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV). Short enough to write on a napkin, but long enough to tell anyone how to have a lasting, eternal relationship with God. This one verse can save the universe. Unpack the power of these 25 words and discover God’s love for you afresh.

The Christmas story never grows old. From an angel announcing to teenage Mary that she’d become pregnant with the Son of God to an angel telling Joseph he’d have a son but not by him, you’re hooked. Then myriad angels announce Jesus’ birth to minimum-wage shepherds, while great men travel 715 miles not just to see a baby, but to worship Him. The Gospels show the human perspective, but what about God’s viewpoint? Hebrews 1 gives us exactly that. It was written to Jews who believed intellectually that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but needed final convincing that He wasn’t just the human Messiah, but God Himself. The doctrine of the incarnation, which is a word from Latin meaning “becoming flesh,” teaches this. Jesus Christ is one person with two distinct natures, fully human and fully divine. He’s not two people but one. He’s the same person both before and after the incarnation. The difference is that before, He had one nature (divine); but after, He had two (divine and human). The one who sits on the thron

When “Jesus Christ Superstar” debuted on Broadway in 1971, it became one of the most successful musicals on Broadway, grossing over $240 million since its inception. But Mary Magdalene sings this interesting line: “He’s a man, He’s just a man.” That’s exactly what most Americans believe. A 2020 study found that 52% of U.S. adults say Jesus was just a great teacher and nothing more. But if Jesus was just a man, significant dominoes start to fall. First, Jesus would be a liar, and there would be no New Testament. No Christian faith or early church would exist, and 2.5 billion believers worldwide would be greatly fooled. British pastor John Blanchard said it well, “The deity of Jesus glues the whole of scripture together. Take it away, and the Bible falls apart into meaningless pieces.”2 When Thomas saw the resurrected Jesus, he declared, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28, NIV). What was he seeing? Based on eyewitness accounts of men who lived with, walked with, and followed Jesus, you can be sure that Jesus was

Which birthday is celebrated by more than two billion people in 160 countries, and generates nearly $900 billion in annual revenue? You guessed it—Jesus’! Still, despite the uniqueness of Jesus’ birthday celebration, and though nine out of ten people celebrate Christmas as a cultural holiday, only one-third celebrate it as a spiritual holy day. They don’t yet realize that the real reason we celebrate this baby is because of who He was at His birth. John 1:14 reveals that God from eternity entered into humanity so that humanity could know God for all eternity. The difference between getting through Christmas and truly understanding it comes down to these three things.

What do you think is the one ingredient that can transform an ordinary marriage into an extraordinary one? McDonald’s has its Big Mac sauce, Shake Shack has its Shack sauce, and even What-A-Burger guards its spicy ketchup recipe. These “secret sauces” give each restaurant its competitive edge. But there’s also a secret sauce to marriage that isn’t secret at all. It’s found in the word love. Now, this isn’t Hollywood’s love that evaporates when your spouse gains weight or loses their job. This is the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13, often called “The Love Chapter,” describing the hard work of what real love is and what real love does. As we study it, you can discover the answer to this question: Can two people who fall in love before marriage really stay in love after marriage? The answer depends entirely on what kind of love you’re talking about. The 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love doesn’t quit when your husband forgets your birthday. It doesn’t walk out when your wife criticizes you in front of frie

Ever wondered the secret to marriages that last 60 years? I heard about an elderly couple celebrating their diamond anniversary who shared their story: On their honeymoon at the Grand Canyon, the wife’s mule stumbled, and she said calmly to the animal, “That’s once.” When it stumbled again, she said, “That’s twice.” The third time, she got off and shot the mule right between the eyes. When her husband asked why, she looked him in the eyes and said, “That’s once”—and they never had another major disagreement! While there’s humor in that story, the truth is that God desires for everyone who gets married to truly live happily ever after. When two people get married, it’s God’s will for that marriage to be a happy union instead of a civil war. He wants every marriage to end in celebration, not separation, enjoying marriage, not enduring it. That’s why God’s Word gives us a marriage example through an old love song: It’s King Solomon’s Song of Songs. In this book, you find the four essential keys to building a mar

I heard a story about a daughter who wrote her dad about marrying someone she met online: “We met on eHarmony, became friends on Facebook, had long chats on WhatsApp. He proposed on Zoom.” Her dad replied, “I suggest you two get married on X, have fun on Tango, buy your kids on Amazon, and, when you get fed up with this new husband, just sell him on eBay.” There are lots of views today on what marriage is, but the one opinion that should really matter is that of the One who invented marriage—Jesus. Even though Jesus was single and never married, He knew more about marriage than any marriage counselor because marriage was His idea. When the Pharisees asked Him about divorce, Jesus didn’t answer their question about how to get out of marriage. Instead, He explained why you should stay in marriage. In one simple but unbelievably strong sentence, Jesus taught that in marriage math, 1 + 1 = 1. In this passage, Jesus outlined the three principles you need to guard what God has established and, in doing so, fulfill

What if finding the right person to marry isn’t actually the secret to a happy marriage? Everyone wants a fairy-tale marriage, but it’s a tragedy when fairy tales turn into horror stories because we misplace our expectations. The real problem is this: Every person wanting to get married is looking for the right person, but it will do you no good to find the right person if you are not the right person to be married to. That’s why every marriage should begin with not just a husband and wife, but a godly husband and a godly wife. A marriage made in Heaven begins with a spouse given by Heaven. Learn the three specific things every heavenly-given husband must do for his wife to create a marriage that truly is happily ever after.

You may remember Frank Sinatra’s classic hit about love and marriage going together. Now, that may have been true 70 years ago, but it’s not the same today. In 1960, 59% of adults ages 18 to 29 were married compared to only 20% today. It seems our culture has become one of “hook up, shack up, and break up.” As a result, many think doing a series on marriage is a fool’s errand. But from the very beginning of time, God’s Word says, marriage has mattered, and it always will. It’s not coincidental that God’s Word begins with a wedding between Adam and Eve and ends with a wedding between Christ and the church. We face something unprecedented in our country, with marriages failing and the very institution of marriage being questioned. But God calls you to remember what He says about marriage instead of being conformed to the world’s view of marriage, because healthy homes, communities, and nations depend upon it.

The most nervous I have ever been in my life was the day I was about to say the two words that I knew would change everything. Looking into the eyes of the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, having known her only six months, I said, “I do.” At that moment, the word “marriage” took on a whole different meaning, from the hypothetical to the actual, from the imagined to the real, and from the abstract to the concrete. In this cultural moment, marriage is becoming like a dinosaur, with marriage rates at their lowest since 1867 and 40% of Americans viewing it as obsolete. But it is God’s idea, and though it takes hard work, it is God’s work. Through the first marriage in history, you will learn that when you align yourself with God’s Word on marriage, you experience His freedom and blessing.

What if the most brilliant mind of the 20th century was completely wrong about the most important question in life? Albert Einstein was named “Person of the Century” by Time Magazine, and his influence is everywhere you look today— from the atomic bomb to your smartphone. But as brilliant as he was in scientific theory, he unfortunately missed it when it came to spiritual theology. Even though Einstein believed in a being with “superior reasoning power,” he said, “There is a God, but we could never know Him.” I’m certainly no Einstein when it comes to IQ, but I thankfully and joyfully disagree with what he said. There is a God, and His Word declares that He can be known. The incredible truth is this: You don’t have to be a pastor or have outstanding character to know Him. Anyone can know God. That is the beginning of understanding the truth about yourself and the world. But first, you’ve got to remove the one barrier that keeps most people from ever knowing God, discover the one thing God actually wants you t