Author John Ortberg notes that there are two main words that the Bible uses to describe people’s response to suffering: groaning and grumbling. As an example of the former, we read in Exodus 2 how… “The Israelites groaned in their slavery
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The late Bob Benson is one of my favorite storytellers. In one of his most familiar stories, he recalls a time when as an unmarried young man, he went to an old-fashioned church picnic. Benson was running late and when he got ready to pack his food, all he could find in the refrigerator was a piece of baloney and two slices of stale bread.
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You’ve probably never heard of him before. All we learn about Shamgar is encapsulated in one verse in the book of Judges. Unlike the detailed account of other figures in the book – Gideon, Samson, and Deborah – Shamgar’s story seems to be a biblical footnote.
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An old Chinese legend is told about how, many years ago, there lived an old man along with his son and a horse. Back in those days, having a horse would be like owning a car in our day – very valuable.
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As the story goes, there was once an officer in the navy who always dreamed of commanding a battleship. He finally achieved that dream and was given command of the newest and proudest ship in the fleet. One stormy night…
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We’ve all faced moments in life (far too many) when we’re tempted to stand down, walk away, give up. Circumstances seem to call to us to cash in our chips or wave the white flag.
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My wife is a “puzzler.” During the months of sheltering in, she must have put together at least a half-dozen jigsaw puzzles. Some were relatively easy, but others were real toughies. Fortunately, she was able to look at the box and see the big picture.
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Lee Strobel writes of a woman named Maggie who began to attend to his church. For a long time she sat in the back, fearful of being exposed, ashamed of her lifestyle, yet strangely drawn to the place.
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One of the most gripping texts in the entire Old Testament is recorded in Genesis 22. In that account we read: Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son…
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Several decades ago, a popular anger management therapy arose called ventilationism. The approach boiled down to this: When you get angry, let it out. Discharge your feelings, get it off your chest, blow off steam, hit something, throw something, scream something.
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There’s a very interesting little account at the end of the gospel of John (20:22) where it describes how fearful the disciples were after Jesus’ death. They’re cowering behind locked doors and we’re told that, suddenly, Jesus appears in their midst and says, “Peace be with you.”
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It’s not surprising that down through the years, religious hypocrisy has been one of the greatest barriers to faith. Why become a Christian when the church is filled with so many hypocrites who act as living contradictions to their confession?
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Have you ever heard the story of long-distance American swimmer Florence Chadwick? In 1950, she swam 21 miles across the English Channel from France to England in13 hours and 20 minutes, breaking the women’s world record for traversing that body of water.
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Life is full of turning points. Those occasions when you stand at a crossroads. Moments when you have to make a decision, and that decision that will forever change your trajectory.
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I don’t know how familiar you are with the book of Esther, but it’s one of the most exciting accounts in the entire Old Testament. It’s filled with heroes and villains…with intrigue and suspense…and it concludes with an exciting climax.
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In 1936, during the Great Depression, famed photographer Dorothea Lange was given permission to snap a series of photos of 32-year-old Florence Owens Thompson and her children. Little did she know that one of those pictures would become iconic for that devastating era of history.
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Have you ever heard of an omakase restaurant? It’s a unique Japanese tradition where the customer leaves it up to the chef to choose his/her meal. Omakase is a Japanese word that translates, “I’ll leave it up to you.” It comes from the root, “to entrust.”
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This week is very significant to the nation of Israel. 72 years ago - May 15, 1948, to be exact - Israel once again became a nation. And it happened against all odds.
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When I first came across the story, I found it hard to believe. It reported how a pride of African lions had rescued a young girl. Yes, you read it correctly. A group of lions rescued a young girl.
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As a fisherman, I’m drawn to the accounts recorded in the gospels where Jesus is out on the water. Interestingly, when it comes to having a successful catch, He always tips the scales. Not so for me.
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