You probably know the story that is found in Joshua 6. God told Joshua to march his men around the walls of Jericho for six days. On day seven they were to circle the city seven times, with the priests blaring their trumpets. You can read the details in Joshua 6:2-5. The following verses tell…
William Howard wrote, “The future belongs to the man who sets his sights on what is humanly unattainable.” There are several dreams I once found unattainable in my life: Saving my marriage Life after pastoring 2,302 consecutive days of sexual sobriety (as of today) Here’s the good news: we serve a God who turns the…
Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” God doesn’t promise that there will be no storms.…
Life for the believer is a process: Regeneration Sanctification Glorification In regeneration, we are born again. In glorification, we meet God face to face. It’s that middle step we are in now. Paul wrote, “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). J. C. Ryle takes us a little deeper. “The means…
G.K. Chesterton said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” But following Jesus isn’t just hard work. It is daily work. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Catch…
There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. MMA legend Conor McGregor said, “My success isn’t a result of arrogance. It’s the result of belief.” Belief is good. Arrogance is not. Pastor Sam Rainer said it like this: “Arrogance is not a good vehicle for the Gospel.” So what’s the problem with arrogance? From…
A new CEO demanded hard work from his employees. One day, he saw a guy standing by the food table, doing nothing. He yelled, “You’re fired! Get out of here!” Then he turned to one of the other men and said, “Smith, see what happens to slackers? Tell me, in your own words, what just…
Two guys were working for the city. One would dig a hole, and the other would come behind him and fill it back up. A bystander was watching in disbelief. He said to the hole digger, “I am impressed by your hard work, the way you dig each hole. But why does your partner come…
It opened in 1992. It is large enough to hold 32 Boeing 747s. It has a roller coaster and a 74-foot Ferris wheel. Also home to a 1.2 million gallon aquarium, a wedding chapel, and 50 restaurants, it is visited by over 40 million guests each year, making it the most visited place in the…
Who would have known? Cows don’t like the sound of cowbells. The sound increases the cow’s heart rate and creates anxiety. A Swiss study found that the constant sound of cowbells negatively affects the cow’s grazing and dietary habits. Who would have known? In the earliest days of baseball, umpires called balls and strikes from…