Category: Life Issues
Upheld in the Depths
Things are different at the lowest point on earth: swimming is floating, water brings death and salty mud becomes a cosmetic phenomenon. This is what it is like in the Dead Sea basin at about 1,400 feet below sea level. It looks beautiful, but it is—as...
The Ramp
“It is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life” (Herman Melville, Moby Dick). It was a beautiful set up. At least it looked beautiful to the two little boys who had made the...
The Sufficiency of Daily Grace
Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)Most of my trouble is tomorrow. I don’t have enough money tomorrow. I have to have a tough conversation tomorrow. I’ve got too much...
The Tamed Tongue
Your tongue may be the most dangerous weapon you possess. When unleashed (or unsheathed) without restraint, it can cut more deeply than a sword (Ps. 52:2; Ps. 57:4; Ps. 64:3; Prov. 12:18). But the tongue can also be used for encouragement and healing—for blessing rather than...
The Tongue and What It Tells Us
The tongue is perhaps your most powerful tool of influence. James tells us that it is “a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things” (James 3:5). It is like the tiny rudder that steers a great ship, or the small spark...
The Usefulness of Failure
Considering the failures of others can promote your success. For example, do you not tend to slow down when you see the flashing red and blue lights of a police officer issuing a speeding ticket? Would you not walk more carefully if someone walking ahead of...
The Value of Physical Fitness for the Christian
In any discussion about Christians and physical fitness, we should begin with Paul’s comparison in 1 Timothy 4:7-8—“On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds...
The Price, and Reward, of Faithfulness
Three young men were faced with the ultimate choice: deny God by worshiping a graven image, or be burned alive. This was the decree and threat from the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar recorded in Daniel 3, and it compelled the following response from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego:...
The Knife on the Table: A Brockton Dialogue
James, always questioning: Mr. Brockton, how do Satan or his demons interplay with our lives? Is there such a thing? The wiser Mr. Brockton: The battle rages quite fiercely for believers in Christ who walk as they should. He opposes by distractions, obstructions, confusion and fear....
The Key to Christian Contentment
I once heard a comedian tell a joke about a pastor’s sermon series on contentment in the Christian life. His punch line was the title of the series: “Content or Discontent: Which Tent Do You Live In?” Everyone enjoys a good laugh, but contentment in the...
