God

Glow Stick Saints

Throughout the summer months there seems to be one party after another for our youngest children to go to. The other day, our youngest child, the one we call “The Tank” returned from one of those parties with a huge bag full of typical party gifts, which included one of those glow sticks. As he was waving it around, I thought, “Now there’s a great idea for a word of encouragement!” Let’s see if I was right . . . If you are not familiar with a glow stick, it is a self-contained, short-term light source that, once activated, cannot […]

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Faith in the Face of Fire

It’s something to be a person of integrity with good moral standing, a law-abiding citizen, respected by your family members, coworkers and peers. “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1) Some men would die to maintain their name, reputation or family reputation. In some ways it’s like branding, being set apart. It’s so important for companies to maintain their brand. It keeps their customers happy and confident. There are some brands I stick with because I know they never disappoint. This goes for restaurants, food in the […]

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Faith at Work

Are Christians justified by faith or by works? Is salvation received by faith alone or by good deeds, or both? The theological debate over the question of whether salvation is by faith or by works has caused Christian denominations to disagree for centuries. Differences of opinion are still common among Christians today. Some even say the Bible contradicts itself on the matter of faith and works.   Faith alone? Justified by faith alone? These are just two of many Bible verses from the Apostle Paul stating clearly that man is justified not by the law, or works, but solely by […]

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Can The Olympics Strengthen Our Faith

Every four years thousands of athletes from over 200 nations gather in a pre-determined city to compete in the modern summer Olympic Games. Since 1896 with the first modern games held in Athens, the Olympics have caught the wonder and inspiration of billions around the globe. The quintessence of human speed, strength and skill will once again be displayed this coming August 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro with the much anticipated Games of the XXXI Olympiad. But with all the hype, hubbub and hullabaloo, is there anything more meaningful that we as Christians can take from this worldwide spectacle? The […]

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Are You Hiding Your Faith

One of the best compliments I received was a co-worker refusing my help on her injury-on- duty report. How is this a compliment? She refused my help based on me being a Christian and assuming I would not lie in the report. She was right — I wouldn’t have lied. She chose to have other co-workers give an eye witness report (that they didn’t see) to make her case stronger. This may have been the first time since I was “born again” that someone acknowledged that my moral code is of high standards based on being a Christian. I have […]

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The Art of Encouragement

It’s easy to become discouraged in life. When the car breaks down again, when you’re worn out from work and its only Tuesday, when you’re struggling with the same sin, when people are difficult to work with, when your health is failing, when you continually hear of tragic events in the news, it seems like discouragement is just a normal part of life. But it’s not meant to be. Discouragement does not come from God. After all, he is called “the God of encouragement” (Romans 15:5). God does not want you to live discouraged because discouragement steals your joy, zaps […]

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We Don’t Meet God Halfway

  I’m not the handiest guy in the world. I worked in construction for a few years as a teenager and the guys I worked with called my hammer the “quarter pounder” because I hit the nail 1 in 4 swings. I’ll be here all week, folks. One thing that I never enjoyed was climbing ladders. They just seemed like death traps to me. I know there are manly men who will grow a full-blown beard in the time it takes to read this blog who laugh in the face of tall ladders, but I’m not that guy. I avoided […]

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Shortest Verse . . .  Deepest Meaning!

As I’ve trained student athletes over the years, I have enjoyed asking them for their favorite memory verse. Invariably, the majority of them would be quick to recite from memory the shortest verse in all of sacred Scripture, John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” Why is it the Shortest Verse? I find it quite remarkable that our Lord Jesus Christ wept. However, it’s really not extraordinary that He did weep — remember that He was not only fully God, but He was also fully man — but it is the context in which He wept that is so remarkably striking as to […]

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A Picture of Love

  Whether it’s Fathers Day, Mothers Day or any other major holiday, one of the most popular gifts to give to your loved ones is a picture. Kids often draw pictures and others print and frame pictures because pictures have a way of capturing moments of love and communicating deep feelings of love. As people say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, in the end of John’s Gospel (see John 19:25-27), he gives his readers a beautiful picture of love between Jesus and his mother. Taken at the cross, painted with words and framed in Scripture, it’s a […]

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The Lost Art of Bible Meditation

We have lost the great art of Bible meditation today, and we are the poorer for it. In 1987, newsman Ted Koppel gave a classic commencement speech at Duke, in which he famously said that Moses didn’t come down from Mt. Sinai carrying the “Ten Suggestions.” Note what Koppel then said about television and our ability to concentrate: “Look at MTV or Good Morning America and watch the images and ideas flash past in a blur of impressionistic appetizers. No, there is not much room on TV for complexity.” We have been losing concentration power through the constant stimulation of […]

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