Writing The True Christian Life, John Calvin said, “Warned by such evidences of their spiritual illness, believers profit by their humiliations. Robbed of their foolish confidence in the flesh, they take refuge in the grace of God. And when they have done so, they experience the nearness of the divine protection which is to them…
I recently came upon this gem from the Book that bears my name. “When they were alone, Jesus explained all things to his disciples” (Mark 4:34). Think on that for a second or two . . . Okay, time’s up. Allow me to expound. The disciples had a front row seat to Jesus’ miracles, healings,…
Relapse is a trickle that becomes a stream that becomes a river. The key is to catch it while it is still just a trickle. Any of us is susceptible to relapse. Take this verse to heart: “Let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). In my book, Life…
Bob Crane played Colonel Hogan in the 1960s comedy series, Hogan’s Heroes. Crane lived the life of a faithful family man. He was married and had five children. But there was more to Crane’s life than his fans, friends, and family knew. He was living the compartmentalized life of a sex addict. On June 29,…
Your past performance is no guarantee of future success. If Jesus was sitting there with you in place of your device, he would say what he has already said: “Take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof” (Matthew 6:34). Translation:…
God loves the worst of us on our worst days just as much as he loved Billy Graham on his best day. Oswald Chambers wrote, “The miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst of the vilest offenders can never exhaust the depths of his love.” The great apostle said it like…
Let’s start today with some financial advice. I’m going to give you one tip for financial planning. If done successfully, it will guarantee your financial security and that of your children and grandchildren. Ready? Here it is. Become Steven Spielberg’s beneficiary. Why? Because Spielberg has the most expensive life insurance policy in the world –…
Ever hear the phrase, “Get out of Dodge?” From whence does that come? In the late 1800s, cowboys often moved their cattle north from Texas into Kansas territory. This took them through a town called Dodge, where legendary lawman Wyatt Earp helped keep the peace. They made a TV show out of it, called Gunsmoke,…
A man was walking across the prairie when he saw a farm in the distance. And on the farm was a man pumping a well. As the traveler got closer, he was amazed at the consistent, effortless work of the man pumping the well. Then, when he got closer, the picture became clear. Beneath the…
A few weeks ago, I was privileged to speak at the memorial service of my lifelong pastor, Dr. Cecil Sewell, Jr., who went to be with the Lord at the age of 84. His pastor was kind enough to invite me to attend his church the morning of the memorial service. What I found in…