I read about an off-duty police officer in Newark, NJ. He had a pistol-shaped cigarette lighter, which he had been using all night while drinking at a local tavern. After hours of drinking, he apparently mistook his .32 caliber revolver for the lighter. When he went to light his cigarette, he shot and killed John…
Don’t be defeated by your defeats. Defeats are inevitable, but being defeated by defeats is a choice you don’t have to make. Tom Landry said, “Something constructive comes from every defeat.” Zig Ziglar said it like this: “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.” Here’s the lesson – You can’t rewrite history, but you…
Here’s an interesting John Piper quote to start your day: “Missions exist because worship doesn’t.” My initial response to that: Huh? Let’s unpack that. What I think Piper is saying is that when I fully engage God in worship, the result will be a changed life, one which will be used to impact the lives…
The date was April 3, 1973. Martin Cooper stood on the streets of New York City, from where he made the world’s first cellular call. Martin’s first words were reportedly, “Can you hear me now?” The phone was a device called the DynaTAC, which was 11 inches long and weighed 2.5 pounds. When not used…
We all know people who are very generous – with their time, talents, and treasure. We often credit them for having a “generous heart.” But put this quote in your pipe and smoke it. Giving does not begin with a generous heart, but with a generous God. We love God because he first loved us.…
God has given you all the tools necessary to secure your recovery. Paul said it like this: “God supplies seed to the sower” (2 Corinthians 9:10). The Holy Spirit has planted within you all that you need to begin the journey. God has supplied you with the seed, but it’s up to you to do…
A friend was driving his car when the unthinkable happened. A wheel literally fell off his car. Predictably, the car came to an immediate stop. So how did this happen? It was simple, really. The signs were all there – wobbly wheels, funny sounds, etc. But the problem sounded expensive to the driver, so he…
It is good to gather – in 12-Step meetings, church fellowships, and other groups. But is it possible that we have become what Francis Chan calls “professional gatherers”? Read the following quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In Life Together, he wrote, “Whoever cannot be alone should beware of community. Such people will only do harm to…
At the conclusion of the morning service, the congregation filed out of the building. As he passed by the pastor, one attendee told him, “Pastor, you must be smarter than Albert Einstein!” The pastor thanked the man for his praise, but for the next seven days, he wondered what the comment meant. So the next…
Brene Brown said, “Perfection is the enemy of good.” Our task is not to find perfection, but progress. After all, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Even the great apostle Paul admitted, “Not that I have already attained this or am already perfect, but I…