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The Marvelous Men Who Give Me Hope That You Too Can Be Marvelous

Wanna Be Marvelous? It doesn’t always have to happen by the world’s standards, but it can happen nonetheless… Luke wrote about a couple of guys who prove that point: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 KJV) Have you ever been marveled…

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Testimonies Count: Get the Whole Truth and Nothing But

In a court of law, we make decisions based on evidence and eyewitnesses. In fact, there are trials going on in America right now that will influence our elections and our democracy, so consider the power of testimonies. They matter. In 2023 there was an ongoing revival at Asbury College that was characterized by singing, praying, and yes, testimonies. Whether you know it or not, you are…

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Why Legalism is Bad: The First Part of Self-righteousness is Still SELF

For many people, religion is mainly a form of legalism that embraces holiness and righteousness, but that is the opposite of Christianity. Rather than spiritual transformation, many religions emphasize following a set of laws or rules to achieve perfection. Unfortunately, such religions are usually reduced to bunch of do’s and don’ts, the kind of oversight that kills rather than quickens the…

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Pain is Usually a Bad Thing; But Is It Possible We Couldn't Grow Without it?

Pain is a bad thing, and certainly isn’t something we enjoy or want to experience. But, is it always bad? What can it possibly be good for? Jesus offers us some insight: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he taketh away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:1-2 KJV) We often…

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If the Best Things in Life are Free, Why Do We Spend so Much on Mere STUFF?

We are a nation of consumers. We buy and spend like no other nation on earth. Even Christmas in America is really about economics, isn’t it? And if you’re like me, you are watching the economic news with at least some degree of interest. Are prices still going up? Does it matter if Congress raises the debt ceiling? We all say the best things in life are FREE, but as consumers we don’t really live…

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When You Get a Call From God, Answer the Phone!

A Call for Drastic Change Have you ever gotten “that call”? The one which required an answer from you that could change your whole future? I once received a phone call about a job offer in Chicago, which I decided not to take. Moving to Chicago from Texas would have been a major change that affected my entire family. I often thought, in later years, that the simple “no” answer I gave to the…

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The Bonfire of Vanity: Advice From the Wisest Man Who Ever Lived

Tom Wolfe (who wrote, “The Bonfire of the Vanities”) said, “The surest cure for vanity is loneliness.” Another person who understood vanity was (an older and somewhat jaded) King Solomon. After living a life of wealth and achievement, and after marrying hundreds of wives and keeping dozens of concubines, he wrote this: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and…

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We Should Pray As If Our Relationship With God Depended Upon It

When you pray, do you sometimes mail it in? Just throw up the quick request and fall asleep? When it comes to praying, do you ever wonder if it matters, or if it is even necessary? Then here’s some food for thought… The Lifeline “Jesus said, “When you have seen me, you have seen the Father”, and “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30; 14:9) You might suppose that, as the Son of God, Jesus had…

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Gratitude: It's Nice to Receive It; It's Also Great to GIVE It

Why do some people show gratitude, while others don’t? We’ve probably all been thankful for something, and we’ve probably all experienced a lack of thankfulness, even when it was merited. There’s no formula for appropriate gratitude, but A.A. Milne was pretty close when he said, “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” Perhaps…

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Forever is a Long, Long Time... How Will YOU Spend It?

Are things going to last forever? In a world full of nuclear warheads, a culture war, and REAL wars going on in the Ukraine, Gaza, and about 27 OTHER places in the world, it can be a fearful thing to think about how everything will end someday… Yet, in the midst of a sobering prediction, the Bible says this: “Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will…

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An Astounding Claim That's Worth Investigating

Tucked within the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus makes an astounding claim. “The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:25-26 NASB) Not One of the Seven While there are 7 great “I am” statements that Jesus…

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An Astounding Conversation That Was Full of Surprises

The disciples thought they knew Jesus pretty well, but they sure didn’t see this conversation coming! While walking somewhat uneasily through Samaria, they left Jesus by a well to go find some lunch. When they came back, they were utterly surprised to find him talking to a woman (and it wasn’t just any woman, as you will see!). But then, Jesus wasn’t just ANY Rabbi… There’s Much More to This…

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We Don't Do Idolatry! So, Why Are We Worshipping the Wrong Things?

An Accusation You May not Like Most of us would scoff at the idea that we would practice idolatry. We are sophisticated church-goers who live in the twenty-first century! And yet, most of us engage in it without even feeling guilty about it… Webster’s defines idolatry as “immoderate attachment or devotion to something”. Since that “something” could be ANYTHING, it’s not limited to pagan deities…

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Doing Good: The Absolute Best Way to Silence All of Your Critics

You can know God’s will and stand above reproach from all of your critics by adhering to this ONE simple sentence: “For this is the will of God, that by doing good * you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (I Peter 2:15, NKJV) I think sometimes that Christianity is losing the debate out there… Our world seems to be changing around us, and when Christians try to stand for conservative…

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Evil Days Require Wise Living. Would You Say You Live Wisely?

If you didn’t know any better, you could say we live in evil days. It all started back in 2020, with the appearance of Covid and all of its restrictions. 2021 was full of bad news and dire predictions, and 2022 was a mixed bag, with inflation and recession making the news on top of continued pandemic fears. In 2023 there were mass shootings, the war in Ukraine and zombie viruses. 2024 brought us…

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Treasure Can Be Measured; But it is Not the Heart of the Matter

Events this past week have been about treasure of one kind or another. You may have bought flowers for your Valentine or spent money on a restaurant or gift. One estimate says that $29.5 BILLION is spent on Valentine’s each year in the US. And of course, billions of dollars were invested in football teams, players and coaches to try to get to the Super Bowl. Billions more are wagered on the game…

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The "Son of Man". Who do YOU Think He Is?

Jesus often referred to himself as the “Son of Man”. Have you ever wondered why? He used the term many times in the Gospels, not the least of which is found here:“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But…