There are a lot of phobias out there. The five most common phobias are the fear of darkness, heights, flying, confined spaces, and driving. Other common phobias include the fear of public speaking, the sight of blood, drowning, crowds, and spiders. Add this one to the list – the fear of open doors. It’s a…
“I appointed two large thanksgiving choirs” (Nehemiah 12:31). Nehemiah was the great wall builder of the Old Testament. He prayerfully led God’s people to rebuild the wall around the city of Jerusalem. He stepped in during a time of great danger, despondency, and discouragement. But in addition to the wall, Nehemiah built something else. Thanksgiving…
Tony Campolo had a famous sermon called “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming.” His point was that while we often must endure the pain and heartache represented by Good Friday (crucifixion), better days are coming, represented by Sunday (resurrection). We have all heard a lot of sermons about the crucifixion and the resurrection. Friday and Sunday.…
Running back Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman Trophy in 1994, as the best player in college football. But in his rookie season with the Chicago Bears, Salaam fumbled the ball nine times. To prevent future fumbles, the coaches fixed a tether to the football during practice. When he ran with the ball, someone ran behind…
God didn’t call you to be successful, but he did call you to be fruitful. And if you are already fruitful, God’s plan for your life is that you become more fruitful. Jesus was pretty clear: “Every branch that bears fruit he prunes so it will be more fruitful” (John 15:2). How, exactly, do we…
On July 8, I rode out a hurricane with a hurricane buddy I’ve known for nearly 40 years. We’ve done this many times. This time, it was Hurricane Beryl, which slammed into the Texas coast with gusts over 100 miles per hour. We had the forethought to drive 100 miles from his home near Houston…
The choice to engage an addiction is a decision that is centered in the executive portion of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex. Once we indulge, the experience delivers a powerful stimulus to the nucleus accumbens, a cluster of nerve cells below the cerebral cortex, which releases a flood of dopamine. The neurotransmitter dopamine…
Fear makes false assumptions. Remember the night when the disciples were in the boat with Jesus during a major storm? Some of them were professional fishermen, accustomed to the challenges of the open water, yet they were all scared out of their minds. Finding Jesus asleep, they awoke him with these words: “Teacher, don’t you…
It happens a lot. Your wife has left town. Or you left town. In either case, you find yourself alone. Just you and your phone. What could possibly go wrong? If you find yourself alone for a few days, you need a plan. The Bible says, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself from…
At the end of World War II, a submarine came back to dock at Newport News, Virginia. As it came into port, something terrible happened, and the submarine began to sink. The Coast Guard was immediately dispatched to save the crew, and divers swam down to the submarine. As they approached it, they heard a…