Be wise about who you tell your story to, how much of it you tell, and when to stop talking. Henri Nouwen wrote, “There is a false form of honesty that suggests that nothing should remain hidden and that everything should be said.” He then talked about “protecting your inner sanctuary.” There is often a…
Let’s talk about the Holy Spirit. Oswald Chambers once said, “The Holy Spirit is the first practical power we come to experience. But he’s the last power that we come to understand in the Christian life.” Benny Tate, in his groundbreaking book, Unlimited, writes, “Many times, we’re seeking something rather than somebody. There are fruits…
“And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Sometimes, change is gradual. Rick Warren writes, “The Holy Spirit works within us to make us gradually more and more like him.” Paul said we become different people…
November 22, 1963, is a date most of you will recognize. It was on that Friday that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as his presidential limousine made its way through downtown Dallas, bringing an end to the innocence of America. But I would argue that May 29, 1917, was an even more important date.…
Dr. Mark Griffiths is a psychologist and professor at Nottingham Trent University. He has done extensive research on the causes of addiction. His conclusion: “There is no personality trait that predicts addiction and addiction alone.” Griffiths writes about what he calls “the myth of the addictive personality.” With two colleagues, Dr. Griffiths did extensive research.…
Charles Spurgeon was a prolific author and speaker. Born in 1834, he produced over 3,600 sermons and dozens of books before his death in 1892. Spurgeon came to the Lord as a teenager, apparently by “accident.” En route to an appointment, he was sidetracked by a snowstorm and took refuge in a chapel, where he…
Are you familiar with the Prayer of Jabez? “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep…
Words matter, but not as much as the meaning behind those words. A duel with three people isn’t actually called a duel. It’s a truel. Three-way duels have been described since at least the nineteenth century, but the word “truel” was not introduced until the 1960s, in books about game theory and gambling. In recovery,…
“Chase your dreams!” That sounds like good advice, and sometimes it is. But not always. It depends on the dream. Eighteenth-century composer Giuseppe Tartini once had a dream that he handed the devil his violin to see what he could do with it. The Prince of Darkness played the most amazing piece Tartini had ever…
It was another long night for the Uber driver. Over 12 hours, he drove countless people from restaurants and bars to their homes. The driver’s work wasn’t done until the dawning of the next day. Just another Friday night in a string of Friday nights over a period of two or three years. Drunks, profanity,…