Part 1 When we think about the word “missions” what naturally comes to our mind are specific works (primarily in other countries) in which the church participates by either contributing funds or sending individuals to be involved. The Latin root behind the English word “mission” simply meant “to send.” In the secular sense, the word […]

The Proverb writer tells us that gossip is like “tasty trifles” (Proverbs 26:22). We like to hear gossip and share it with others because it “tastes” good. Gossip is rooted in our need to feel good about ourselves.

Actress Julia Roberts was once asked what object she valued most. She replied, “I have a letter from my daddy, the only letter that I managed not to lose as a child. If anyone ever took that letter away from me, I would just be destroyed. It doesn’t mean anything to anybody else, yet I

In many colleges around the country, students engage in an interesting annual rite — a tug-of-war. Two teams train and prepare to pull together on their end of a rope to win the competition,

The story is told of a man who entered an elaborate church edifice desirous of worshipping God. While observing the religious activities of the congregation, he was moved to tears by the beautiful harmony of the choir and his soul felt borne to heavenly heights as the organ breathed

In growing older, one of the things this writer has learned is not to expect too much from people. For example, many folks will say they are going to do something, and they disappoint us when

In the Old Testament, Job and Daniel had much in common because both went through serious trials and challenges. Both had great success because of the blessing of God’s

The story is told of a Russian Christian living under the communist regime, who learned that a friend had acquired a Bible. Since he didn’t own one, he asked his friend if he could borrow it. His friend told him that he read his Bible every evening until 10 p.m. So each night for 8 […]

The story is told of a successful Christian businessman who was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over his business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company

From all over the world, long lines of visitors wait patiently day after day to visit Lenin’s Tomb and view his embalmed body. Although he died in 1924, the corpse of this Communist leader has relatively suffered no decomposition. In fact, it looks deceptively lifelike. And its

Recently, I read where a city employee in one California city, sued the city for damages after he backed a dump truck into his own parked car. The man’s argument was that

After the death of Moses, Joshua was commissioned by God not only to be the leader of Israel, but given the daunting task of conquering the land of Caanan as well (Joshua 1:1-6).

Compared to women, some folks say that all men are at least a little colorblind. This may be true, because in the hazy light of early morning, it’s a struggle to distinguish my black socks from my navy

On the morning of July 4th, 1776, the founding fathers signed the declaration of independence. Later on that same day, a British armada carrying some 34,000 British soldiers began landing on Staten Island where Lt. Gen. Sir William Howe made his headquarters. On August 22nd, the British began preparing to cross from Staten Island to […]

The story is told of a father whose young daughter was killed in a car accident. Recalling the terrible tragedy, he told a close friend, “I cried easily before my daughter’s accident — Now I find myself crying all of

The story is told of a driving instructor who was stopped by police after a minor accident with a truck. When asked for his driver’s license, he couldn’t provide one. He had been

In the book of Judges, we read an account of God’s people descending into spiritual indifference and rebellion. After the death of Joshua and his peers, we read that the next generation “forsook the Lord God of their fathers …. and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all […]

The evening is my favorite part of the day. It’s a time to look back, take stock, and reflect on the events of the day, no matter whether they’re good or bad. As I study God’s word,

Have we ever taken a vacation where we knew we would have a great time, but on the way we had so many traveling difficulties that we wondered if the journey was worth it?

The story is told of an eccentric old man who carried an oil can with him everywhere he went. If he passed through a squeaky door or a stiff gate, he applied oil to the hinges. His