I had the privilege of visiting the African nation of Zambia during the time that it was rewriting its constitution. One of the issues on the table was the question as to whether the constitution should declare the country to be a Christian nation. Although several...
When I was growing up, I would often hear the pastor preach about salvation, using terms like, “If I you die without Christ, you will split hell wide open,” or “Come to Jesus before it is everlasting too late.” With that kind of cohesion and very descriptive images of...
My sister and I were enjoying a “fun day” in Atlanta when we decided to have lunch at a spot from our childhoods. We knew almost exactly where this particular drive-in was located, so we headed out to find it. Unfortunately, the city of Atlanta has grown a lot in the...
We have learned that David’s key and the key we need to open the door for us to reach our world is to have a perfect heart. Of course, we’ve all heard the expression, “Have a heart,” but today let’s consider exactly what that means. To get started, let’s take a short...
My sister and I were enjoying a “fun day” in Atlanta when we decided to have lunch at a spot from our childhoods. We knew almost exactly where this particular drive-in was located, so we headed out to find it. Unfortunately, the city of Atlanta has grown a lot in the...
The Colossus of Rhodes towered more than one hundred feet tall above the harbor of the Greek island of Rhodes, making it one of the tallest statues of the ancient world. This gigantic statue of the Greek god Helios was erected about three hundred years before the...
When the little boy’s mom put her finger to her lips and blew out a little “shh” to remind him to be quiet in church, the lad looked quizzically back at his mother and whispered, “How come do we have to be quiet in church? Are there people trying to sleep?” Yes,...
While I was ministering in Belfast, Ireland, my host took me around the city to become acquainted a bit with its history and traditions. We, of course, made a stop at the shipyard where the ill-fated Titanic was built and made an extensive tour of sites where the...
A number years ago, my family and I excitedly set sail on a weekend cruise. It was the first cruise experience for all of us, and we all recalled scenes from the movie Titanic as we participated in the initial activity on board the ship -- an emergency evacuation...
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are politically incorrect and out of vogue by today’s standards. In fact, Huck Finn is the fourth most banned books in schools today because the word “nigger” appears in it over two hundred times....
In Proverbs chapter twenty-three, we find an oft-quoted passage that I have frequently ministered and taught on -- and even wrote a whole book about. Yet, I have always been rather perplexed concerning the context in which this passage appears. Verse seven begins...
We often hear messages about faith that make us feel that having faith is the end to which we as Christians are to strive. On the contrary, the Peter admonished us to that faith should be considered as simply the starting point--the launching pad--for our Christian...
I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one….I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If...
Our safari guide knew exactly what we wanted, and he was determined that we would not be disappointed. With his keen eye continually surveying the terrain, we crisscrossed the wildlife preserve until he finally gave us a hushed indication that he had spotted...
This present message is one of my favorite sermons to preach when I’m invited to speak to high school students. The title, “How to Succeed with Straight ‘F’s,” always gets their attention because they think that I’m going to tell them that they can still be successful...
In Joshua chapter seven, we read the interesting story of Joshua’s second conquest as he entered the Promised Land -- his attack on the city of Ai, a city whose size is characterized by its tiny, little name. The surprising turn of events in this story is that the...
Certainly, we have all marveled in amazement at magicians who made things appear from nowhere and made other things disappear into thin air. Is it demonic power (?), illusion (?), a trick (?), sleight of hand (?), science (?), what (?). The best answer is that these...
Milepost One: Right Motivation In the second chapter of I John, the beloved apostle wrote to the young men because they had overcome the wicked one. He warned them that even though they had overcome the wicked one, they still needed to be careful that they...
Before our influence successfully laps into further circles of society, our first attention must be given to our primary circle of influence -- ourselves. One way that many of us have determined to control our personal influence is to ask ourselves that...
At some point or another in our lives, we have all stood on the bank of a pond, dropping in pebbles and watching the ripples race across the surface of the pond in ever-increasing circles until they disappear at the far shore. I’m certain that you are as amazed as I...