Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time… (Jonah 3:1) To my way of thinking, this is arguably the most remarkable verse in the entire book of Jonah. That phrase, of course, alludes to the fact that there had been “a first time.”
Read MoreA wonderful story is often told about an incident in the life of Poland's famous concert pianist, Ignacy Paderewski. A mother took her small child to a concert by Paderewski to expose him to the talent of the great pianist. She hoped as she did to encourage her son in his piano lessons, which he had just begun and was struggling to continue.
Read MoreWhenever I cast the vision to those I’m coaching that they need to live with an outward focus, the issue often boils down to the challenge of finding time. “I get it,” they say. “I know I should be more intentional about this, but I’m simply swamped. I can’t imagine having any space in my schedule to engage lost people.”
Read MoreAs I write this, F-16 fighter planes are screaming over our house. No, we’re not under attack! The Air Force Thunderbirds are in town for an air show and we’re privileged to live near the airport.
Read MoreDoctor Jim Clark was fighting for his patient’s life. Little Liz had a rare disease and urgently needed a blood transfusion in order to survive. The only hope for the five-year-old was to receive a blood donation from her twin brother
Read MoreIn his book, When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough, Rabbi Harold Kusher tells a great story about the value of friends.
I was sitting on a beach one summer day, watching two children, a girl and a boy, playing in the sand. They were hard at work building an elaborate sand castle by the water’s edge,
Read MoreOne of the more popular television shows in past years has been “Dancing with the Stars.” Famous people are paired with professional dancers in a series of competitions for a shot for glory.
Read MoreWhile studying in Israel some time back, my wife and I were privileged to take a “day trip” to the Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem, located in the city of Jerusalem. I can’t tell you how moving it was to walk through this heart-breaking display of mankind’s depravity.
Read MoreHere’s a phrase often batted around Christendom that you never read in the Bible. Ready? Be prepared for a surprise. Here it is: “Where do you go to church?”
Read MoreJesus loved to tell stories. Many of these “parables” were offered to correct notions about what God was like and who God loved. One of these stories is known as the Parable of the Great Banquet. It speaks of a lavish love that went beyond all expectation.
Read MoreDo you know what the earliest Christian symbol was? You might guess the cross. That would certainly be the most popular answer. Yet that’s not case. Early on, believers were hesitant to display it publicly lest they be persecuted for their faith, so the cross was downplayed.
Read MoreI have this odd pattern inside of me. When somebody is speaking into my life, if they compliment me, I'm quite ready to hear that. I love hearing in graphic detail how well I’m doing and where I’m growing. It makes me feel so good. But if they're going to say something that is confrontational about my character, about my need for growth, such “bad news” isn’t nearly as welcome.
Read MoreAuthor Mark Batterson makes an interesting observation: “There is a pattern I see throughout Scripture: Sometimes God won’t intervene until something is humanly impossible.” I think he’s right.
Read MoreThe coed had two problems common to many college students: low grades and no money. She was forced to communicate both to her parents, whom she knew would have a problem understanding. After considerable thought she decided to use a creative approach to soften the blows of reality. Here’s what she wrote in her letter home:
Read MoreThe story is told about how a little girl was late walking home from school. Her worried mother, while relieved to finally hear the girl come into the house, spoke sharply to her about her tardiness. “Where have you been? I told you to come home immediately after school,” the mother said.
Read MoreI read this story online.
A guy was being tailgated by a stressed out, angry woman on a busy street. Suddenly, the light turned yellow just in front of him. He did the right thing. He stopped at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
Read MoreI read a phrase recently that stopped me in my tracks. “We have a tendency to freeze people in time.”
The context of the phrase was a discussion about the challenge of forgiveness and the difficulty reconciliation. The point being that, when someone fails, disappoints, or hurts us we let that memory of what they did then define who they are now.
Read MoreBuried deep in the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel is an obscure passage of Scripture that, I’m guessing, very few of us have ever reflected on. “There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel..."
Read MoreThe writer of Proverbs is right. “The right word at the right time in the right tone to the right person is pure gold.” My guess is you can remember getting a word like that from somebody. And that word you received was powerful. It not only warmed your heart. It boosted your spirit.
Read MoreIn their never-ending quest to increase market share, advertisers will go to great efforts to get your business. One thing they have concluded is that the most attention-grabbing word potential customers and clients react to is their own name.
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