Several years ago, some congregations of the Lord’s church began to explore why they were losing so many of their young people. One congregation discovered a correlation
The story is told of a coffee shop that once advertised this special offer: “Buy one of our coffee mugs for $4.49 and fill up your cup for a dime each time you visit.” However, the
When Abraham was 75 years old, God called him to leave the land of his father. And being advanced in years, he departed for the land of Canaan. He
The story is told of two farmers who were riding home in a wagon one day. The wagon was being drawn by a mule and the mule was notorious for being stubborn and balking. Once he balked, it took several hours of pulling, tugging and beating to convince him to be on his way – […]
We all know the feeling. We’ve said or done something hurtful to someone we love dearly. The words come back echoing in our mind — we would do
The story is told of a woman who purchased a birthday card containing the following verse:
A synagogue official by the name of Jairus had an extremely sick daughter at the point of death. Jesus was on His way to Jairus’ home when great multitudes thronged about Him.
As humans, we tend to follow the patterns of others (Isaiah 9:16; cf. Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). The Corinthian brethren followed this tendency, but they shifted their focus away from Christ and onto individual personalities. Rather than emulating the Christ-like qualities of these
Among the inspired writings of the apostle Paul, are his relationships with other Christians. Of Paul”™s thirteen letters, four are personal letters to fellow laborers in the faith. Of his nine epistles
The story is told of a Christian soldier who was home on furlough from serving in the Army overseas. As he ran to catch his plane to fly back to his unit, he ran into a apple
If we’re Christians, we’ve probably heard the story about the 85-year-old man who was arrested for praying. Who was he you ask?
In September 2006, people around the world reacted with shock when the news media reported that Steve Irwin, the “Crocodile Hunter,” had died. His enthusiasm for life and for God’s creatures was contagious,
In our prison system, the most dangerous inmates endure solitary confinement in small concrete cells. They have virtually no contact with the outside world. One inmate commented that the most difficult part of such isolation was “not being able to see
Not long ago, I overheard an exchange between two brethren who were arguing whether gospel meetings still have an effective place in the work of the church. One brother
A lack of dependability pervades every kind of relationship in today’s society. Forty to fifty years ago, we used to routinely hear phrases like: “You have my word on it.” “A promise is a promise.” “You can count on me.” “My word is my bond.” And for the most part, folks meant
There existed in Jerusalem an elaborate temple constructed by Solomon. David had wanted to build God a house but God would not allow him to do so, because he was a man of blood (1 Chronicles 28:3), so Solomon was given the privilege. Its construction
How do we feel about someone who starts a sentence but never finishes it? How about someone who starts a job but never gets around to completing it? How about a man who is contracted for a job, but does
In Ezekiel 16:20-21, the Lord accused the Israelites of having sacrificed their children to idols. This is only one of many references to this abominable practice recorded in the Old Testament
Sir Francis Bacon once said, “I do not believe that any man fears to be dead, but only the stroke of death.” Woody Allen was heard to say, “I’m not afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
On January 10, 2008, the Associated Press reported that Sir Edmond Hillary, the New Zealander who achieved worldwide acclaim by successfully climbing Mount Everest in