Paul and Barbabas set out on their first missionary journey. Then we read this: “They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul…
Do you remember Wimpy, a character from the popular Popeye cartoon? Wimpy always wanted a hamburger. In one cartoon, he said, “I’ll gladly pay you for a hamburger tomorrow if I can have it today.” That is the voice of an addict. We want deferred payment. “I’ll take a little pleasure today, as long as…
“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret” (Matthew 6:6). When you watch a championship football team, you might say, “Boy, they won that game today!” But they didn’t. They won the game in the days leading up…
William Gladstone said, “Selfishness is the greatest curse of the human race.” Consider yourself cursed. I’d say addicts are selfish, but I’d be repeating myself. We are the definition of selfishness. I have a friend who has been sober for over 20 years. I observed as a newcomer to recovery asked him, “Why do you…
“The Lord did not hesitate to bring disaster on us” (Daniel 9:14). I’m guessing that is not your favorite memory verse, one you stick on the mirror at home. But it’s true. God will not hesitate to bring disaster – for a greater purpose. One of my Recovery Rules: God loves you more than he…
We all have something to overcome. That’s why the Bible commands, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Karyn Hall is the author of The Emotionally Sensitive Person. In writing about…
There is a ministry in Oyugis, Kenya, called the Ripple Effects Center. The center offers programs that share the love of Christ, rooted in the principle that when we affect one person with our testimony, they will then become a blessing to someone else. It’s called the “ripple effect.” The Ripple Effects Center maintains that…
It happened on this date in 1955. Rocky Marciano knocked out former champion Archie Moore in the ninth round at Yankee Stadium, to extend his record to 49-0, with 43 knockouts. And then he walked away. Marciano retired at the age of 32, and remains the only undefeated heavyweight champion in boxing history. But here’s…
There are a few things in life you can count on: taxes, slow drivers in the fast lane, another season of Law & Order, and comedians who aren’t funny. And temptation. “There is no temptation that has overtaken you except what is common to man. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted…
In a recent period of stress and anxiety, I reached out to a friend. Not just any friend. I’m talking about the kind of friend Solomon described: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). I’ve known this guy since high school, but we have only reconnected in…