Someone once said of the 18th-century evangelist George Whitefield, “Mr. Whitefield was so cheerful he tempted me to become a Christian.” Blessed temptation! May everyone who names the Name of Christ become such a sweet enticement to those who do not know Him. Yet note what it was that made Whitefield whet the appetite of […]
It’s a virus. A small infection-causing agent that’s contagious and moves from person to person like the flu or the common cold. A cough by someone next to you or a touch of a contaminated surface and, voila, the virus—as unwelcome as a mother-in-law on a honeymoon—is yours. It started in China. In a place […]
On Friday, January 20, 1961, the young, charismatic Democrat senator from Massachusetts named John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the Thirty-Fifth President of this Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. Among America’s most eloquent speakers, Kennedy’s inaugural address was full of stirring ideas clothed in splendid words. Many think the most […]
One of Yogi Berra’s choicest Yogi-isms is “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” And crazy as it sounds, we do. Every day, all day long, we come to fork after fork in our road. And we take them. We make choice after choice after choice. Jesus reminds us we make […]
What should we do when a Christian we know goes into the Far Country? A Christian goes into the Far Country when he/she makes a wreck of his/her life. Falling into David-like scandalous sin (2 Samuel 11). Making Lot-like bad choices that end in heartache (Genesis 13:1-13). Engaging in Jonah-like rebellion against the Lord (Jonah […]
In Matthew 17:27 Jesus teaches us 6 lessons on civility in the school of a small fish: However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give […]
Are you a happy Christian? Is your Christianity bringing you as much pleasure as you get from eating a good meal or reading a great book or visiting with your best friend? Don’t brush away these questions as if they’re flies at a picnic. Martin Luther says, “A Christian should and must be a cheerful […]
I’m a congenital pessimist. I came from the womb seeing the glass as half-empty. My temperament makes Charlie Brown seem like Joel Osteen. And I’ve had my share of rainy days and Mondays that have gone on for weeks. But in spite of it all, I’m a Grace-Focused Optimist. Why? Because of a single fact. […]
I don’t know if grace has a theme song but if it does it must be “Bridge over Troubled Water.” Simon and Garfunkle sing, “When you’re weary, feeling small / When tears are in your eyes, I’ll dry them all / I’m on your side, Oh, when times get rough / And friends just can’t […]
You can help your pastor become a more useful preacher. You can help him preach sermons that affect your life like rain and sunshine affect flowers. How? By praying for him. When there’s prayer in the pew there will be power in the pulpit. The Holy Spirit is Given in Answer to Prayer God wants […]
