Because Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I thought this would be a good time to sharpen our focus on living a life marked by thanksgiving to God, a life grounded in these words from the apostle Paul to the church at Thessalonica and all believers everywhere: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). On the surface, this seems far easier said (or written) than done. So, let’s go below the surface to see exactly what Paul is actually saying. There are two very important things to notice in […]

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Don’t just stand there; do something!” Surely many of the Israelites who embarked on the great exodus out of Egypt felt that way when they found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s chariots. They would have looked anxiously at Moses, who had led them into what appeared to be an utterly hopeless situation, expecting him to be racing back and forth, barking orders, and setting up defensive fortifications. “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?” they snarled. Moses did nothing; he stood […]

In the early 1980’s as I was beginning what would become a lifelong study of the martial arts, I went to see what has become one of my favorite movies of all time, “The Karate Kid.” Much like Daniel in the movie, I too had a Mr. Miyagi, who was teaching me the mysteries of karate through many different aspects of training that I did not understand at the time but grew to greatly appreciate.    Mr. Miyagi’s methods Most readers will remember the plot of the movie; Mr. Miyagi agrees to train Daniel in karate, but he begins by […]