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...
Several years ago, I had to make a car trip from northern Indiana to Indianapolis in the center of the state. As I drove down, I was listening to some teaching tapes that ended just about the time I reached the city. When I ejected the tapes, the car radio came on...
We can approach many of the motivational ideas in life -- such as setting goals, making or setting standards, and accomplishing things for the kingdom of God -- in somewhat of an academic attitude. We can say, “Yea, that’s the way it ought to be done. Somebody ought...
Let’s take a new look at the parable of the unjust steward that we find recorded in Luke 16:1-13. And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him,...
In recent times, the parable of the sower has become almost exclusively associated with the principle of financial giving and receiving; however, I’d like to revisit that basic passage long enough to rethink some of its foundational truths. First of all, let’s notice...
We often say that there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. We are reminded of taxes not only on April 15, but on every payday and every time we make a purchase. However, human mortality is one of those inevitable truths we wish to sweep under the...
I suggested earlier that the crucifixion ordeal actually began the prior night as Jesus agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. Let’s take one further step backwards so that we can more fully comprehend what really transpired at the cross. I hate to commit to paper and...