Eugene Land was a self-made millionaire who was asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth graders at a school in Harlem. Based on historical trends, ten percent of those students would never graduate from high school. That would be six students. Land’s message to the students was simple. “If you stay in school…
When I was about seven years old, I woke up one Christmas morning to find the bicycle of my dreams under the Christmas tree. I was shocked, because I was under the impression that such gifts were reserved for boys and girls who had been especially good that year, which I had not been. I…
Martin Luther said, “When you wash your face, remember your baptism.” Translation: Never forget from whence you came. Remember your past and learn from it. We should take time to reflect on what got us into recovery and cherish the lessons we have learned along the journey. This will keep us on track and focused.…
My wife works with spouses who are married to sex addicts, leading them through their own recovery programs. Regarding their relationships with their addict husbands, Beth often tells them, “Believe their behaviors, not their words.” Jesus said it like this: “A tree is recognized by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). When a person works a serious…
In 1956, Billy Graham held a crusade in London that resulted in thousands of people coming to Christ. The London Times, seeking to discredit the tremendous response and success of the revival, published this headline: “Billy Graham Has Sent England Back to the 1800s.” When asked what he thought of the headline, Graham responded, “Well,…
No one disputes God’s directive to do the right thing. The prophet was clear when he said, “Maintain justice and do what is right” (Isaiah 56:1). That leads to an obvious question. Why should we do the right thing? Psychologist Jordan Scotti has an answer: “There is psychological research that suggests that engaging in prosocial…
Have you ever felt as if your shame, your sins, and your shortcomings have taken you beyond the grasp of God’s grace? I’ve been there. We all have. So let the words of Jesus sink in. Other than blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “Every kind of sin can be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31). That…
Purity matters – a lot. The psalmists spoke to this when he answered his own question. “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9). Any ministry that is committed to leading men and women to freedom from unwanted sexual behaviors will have a lot…
I have a theory. When you put recovery ahead of God, you find neither. But when you put God ahead of recovery, you find both. That is because all recovery is spiritual recovery. Henry Ward Beecher said it well: “Heaven will be inherited by every man who has heaven in his soul.” Paul said it…
Jesus quoted from Lincoln’s 1858 speech when he said, “A house divided cannot stand” (Matthew 12:25). Nothing matters more than unity. That is why Jesus prayed, in what really was the Lord’s Prayer (a prayer he prayed himself, not a model prayer for us), “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the…