Practical Application

Dealing with Death’s Reality

American culture does not deal well with the reality of death. Most people live in denial of it. We pretend it will never happen to us or to someone we love. When death touches our life in some way, most of us don’t know how to act, what to say or how to grieve. In other cultures death is accepted and confronted in all its reality. It used to be more so in our recent past. People would be cared for at home and often die there. The body would be viewed and the wake held at home over perhaps […]

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Some Obstacles Are Not To Be Overcome

As a coach for decades, I was in the business of teaching and training athletes to overcome every obstacle that stood in the way of peak performance. This is a wise approach to training athletes. However, this is not always God’s approach in training us, and only wisdom makes us sensitive to understanding this truth. Now if you are a regular reader of the Good News, you are probably familiar with Paul’s “thorn” or obstacle that he prayed for God to take away three times, and God did not remove it. But this month, I want to share a lesser […]

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Recognizing the Truth

Over the last sixteen years the Good News has strived to present the truth and open reader’s eyes. We can so blindly go through our day taking in a false reality that is presented to us through nightly news, radio, TV, advertising and movies.   A manufactured reality Christof, portrayed by Ed Harris in The Truman Show, said it all when he remarked, “We accept the reality of the world we’re presented.” In the movie, Truman played by Jim Carey, lived in a fake world where everything was a giant set. All of his friends were actors, his job was […]

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Palm Sunday On Monday

Many Christians from around the world celebrate Palm Sunday, otherwise known as Jesus’ triumphal entry. Yet, what was the significance of this day in Jesus’ life? Why were the people waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna”? Why did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt? What did it all mean, and how does it relate to your life today? In other words, how does Palm Sunday connect to your Monday?   The Significance From Robin Hood to The Man in the Iron Mask from Lancelot to The Lord of the Rings, so many of the legends in literature are […]

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Think Like an Egyptian

Our God can beat up your gods! That’s a bold statement, right? Make it into, “Our God created your gods,” and it’s a little less schoolyard bully-ish, but it becomes even more bold. This is a serious claim. You may not have seen it, but that bold statement is right there in the beginning of Genesis. Genesis is God’s word to the Hebrews through Moses, a people fleeing slavery and headed for the Promised Land. When Moses describes the creation of the world, he isn’t just telling a story about a bunch of things He made. If we can think […]

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Live Intentionally

Life is a wonderful gift from God. It is valuable, fragile, fleeting and constantly changing. It is full of contrasts: joy and sorrow, life and death, war and peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says it best: “For everything there is a season…” Every negative of life has a positive, and because of the negative, we are able to enjoy and appreciate the positive. How do we live life with the respect it deserves? One thought comes to mind: maximize your God-given design.   Identity – find it Early in life we think we are part of mom. Then we are part of […]

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Love is Not Blind

  I remember the first time I knew that I loved the woman that would be my future wife. I remember the day she told me that she was pregnant for the first time. I remember holding my son just seconds after he took his first breath. I remember this one moment in time when my two little girls hugged me on Easter morning, in their matching dresses, and mommy snapped a photo. I remember all these and many more, through love’s eyes. Relationship experts speak of our ability to view any particular situation differently and because of this ability […]

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Making A New Years Dissolution

Instead of coming up with yet one more resolution, maybe this year it’s time to add a “dissolution” to our New Year’s list? This is where we make a conscious effort to “dissolve” our own efforts towards ridding that stubborn thorn in our lives that simply will not change. Certainly change is good when appropriate, but not all things are going to change. Maybe the first order of business in the New Year is to consider the difference. There is an old saying worth looking at that goes like this: “God, grant me the serenity To accept the things I […]

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Resolve of the Redeemed

If you are like most of us, you have prayerfully considered some things you would like to be different about 2015 compared to last year. This may have led you down “The Road of Resolve.” Perhaps you resolve to. . . The Road of Resolve – get in better shape – earn better grades – spend more wisely – be more organized – be more patient – serve more – save more – give more – forgive quickly – love unconditionally – pray unceasingly Did I miss one of your resolutions?   Biblical resolutions The Scriptures make it crystal clear […]

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The Cradle and The Cross

How do you know that God really loves you? What makes you so sure of it? The first thought may be to count up all the blessings in your life, to consider all the good things that are happening around you. However, if that were the only basis for an assurance of God’s love, then people would doubt his love every time something was lost or seemed to go wrong. God’s love would be called into question every time a job was lost, a loved one died or a terminally ill disease was discovered. So how do you live with […]

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