The Wizard of Oz remains one of the most popular movies of all time. In the film, we find Dorothy skipping down the yellow brick road to see the great and powerful Oz and ask him to help her get home to Kansas. Ultimately, we discover the Wizard of Oz is a phony, when Dorothy’s…
I love history and I love great success stories. And this is what I know – every great success story in history happened for one reason. Someone refused to give up. Hard work and daily practice reap benefits that cannot be found any other way. Malcolm Gladwell estimated that mastery in any field requires a…
There was an old country church that had a picture of Jesus hanging on the wall behind the pulpit. Worshipers could see the picture above the pastor’s head when he preached on Sundays. But one week, the pastor was out of town, and the man who filled in was quite a bit taller than he…
Archimedes was a mathematician and physicist in the 3rd century, B.C. He famously said, “Give me a place on which to stand and a lever long enough and I will move the world.” From the example of Archimedes we find two qualities that are indispensable for success in any endeavor: Our concern here is recovery…
“As a result of this many of his disciples withdrew, and were not walking with him anymore” (John 6:66). That is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. Men who qualified as “disciples” of our Lord walked away from their commitments and faith. Unfortunately, I see it all the time. I have been in…
In 1900, a survey was conducted. Americans were asked to list their basic needs. The average response consisted of 72 things. In 1950, this survey was repeated. This time, on average, Americans said they needed over 500 things. I can’t imagine how many things would be added to that list today. Here are ten, to…
God heals. As much as he healed in biblical times, God heals. The lame, the blind, and the addicted. God heals them all. The question is not whether God heals, but how God heals. Sometimes, God heals immediately. “Jesus said, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out and it was completely restored” (Matthew…
Recovery can be an emotional journey at times. I cried when I was discovered. I cried when I attended my first SAA meeting. I cried in front of my therapist. I cried throughout my disclosure. I cried when I got my 30-day chip. I cried when I got my one-year chip. I cry – a…
If church attendance only counted those who really want to be there, I suspect attendance wouldn’t be too good on most Sundays. When I was a pastor, I remember one guy who literally told me, “Preacher, just so ya know, I don’t wanna be here!” Contrast that with the plea of the psalmist, who asked,…
Life was never intended to be lived alone. Every great task calls for teamwork, community, and collaboration. We are simply wired for connection. Consider these two examples from history. In 1933, British explorer Frank Smythe attempted to climb Mt. Everest alone. He became so convinced that someone else was with him on the climb that…