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 […]

“Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:41 NKJV). The phrase going the second mile has found its way into our modern vernacular. Its roots are found all the way back in first-century Palestine. The Romans had conquered most of the Mediterranean world. One of the marvels of their conquest was a vast system of superhighways that they had built for travel to and from their conquered territories. There were more than fifty thousand miles of these Roman roads throughout the Empire. At each single mile was a stone marker. These mile markers pointed directions, […]