know-it-all

Know-It-All

Isaac Asimov said, “People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” As one who knows everything, I can relate. For the rest of you who don’t yet know it all, let me tell you where to start. Better yet, let Solomon tell you where to start. He…

seeds

Watermelon Seeds

In 1925, William Jennings Bryan played the role of prosecutor in the infamous Scopes trial. He was a former congressman and secretary of state who ran for president three times. Later in life, Bryan wrote a Bible study and other religious books. Then, somewhere along the line, his curiosity was piqued by the mystery of…

news

Today’s News

There are about 6,000 daily newspapers in the United States today. (That number is dropping all the time.) Each of those newspapers has one thing in common. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has figured it out.  Seinfeld muses, “It’s amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world each day always fits the newspaper exactly.”…

worst

Your Worst Enemy

If you want to know what your worst enemy looks like, buy a mirror. Theodore Roosevelt said, “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit down for a month.” Solomon’s words still ring true: “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does…

prayer

The Prayer of a King

Following his horrific sin, David turned to his God with a profound request. “God, create in me a new heart” (Psalm 51:10) What does the Bible mean by a “new heart”? Ezekiel’s word for “new heart” means “an undivided heart” (Ezekiel 11:19). In the New Testament, the term generally refers to the inner man (2…

teacher

The Purrfect Teacher

We tend to overemphasize outward appearance. Especially sex addicts.  This is a powerful verse: “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the…

grumblers

Grumblers

Let’s start with a really hard question. Do you like grumblers? Of course, no one does. In fact, one of the shortest books of the Bible made room to criticize the grumblers and mumblers among us. Jude criticized “grumblers and faultfinders” (verse 16). Joni Eareckson Tada knows more about suffering than just about anyone else…

crazy

Crazy Train

Most of us spend money we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like. And it never satisfies. It may give us a false sense of pride, but it never satisfies. Our incessant drive to outperform, outspend, and outdo the next guy is a ride on a crazy train.…

singing

Singing

Let’s talk about the power of singing. We find this fascinating passage in the Old Testament.  “Joshua said to Moses, ‘There is the sound of war in the camp.’ Moses replied, ‘It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear’” (Exodus…

connection

The Real Connection

In her new book, The New Loneliness, Cindi McMenamin identifies several ways in which social media promotes loneliness rather than connection.  Paul’s words from 2,000 years ago resonate today. “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thessalonians…