Life Is A Gift
When I was 8 years old, a classmate died. At the funeral service I pictured him "safe in the arms of Jesus." This comforted me and made death less fearsome.
Drive The Pipe Deeper
During Bill Leslie's ministry as pastor of LaSalle Street Church in Chicago, there was a difficult period when he felt as if his soul was becoming a desert. His people were making so many demands that he was becoming spiritually drained.
The Wrong Example
In his book Out Of My Mind, Joe Bayly told of a pastor friend who had three sons. When two of them began to stutter, he took them to a speech therapist. After evaluation the counselor spoke to the pastor and bluntly told him that it was his own neglect that was responsible for the speech defect.
Lasting Nourishment
Do you remember what your pastor spoke about 8 weeks ago? Probably not. After all, it's been a while. But does that mean it wasn't a valuable message or that it was a waste of your time to hear God's Word being preached?
Be True To Your Word
Shortly before his death, the Duke of Burgundy was presiding over the Cabinet Council of France. A proposal was made that would violate an existing treaty but would secure important advantages for the country. Many "good" reasons were offered to justify this action. The Duke listened in silence. When all had spoken, he closed the conference without giving approval. Placing his hand on a copy of the original agreement, he said with firmness in his voice, "Gentlemen, we have a treaty!"
Broken Toes, Broken World
Twice in my life I've broken one of my little toes by colliding with furniture. Ouch! For days I limped painfully, my body protecting its tiny injured member. My body was doing exactly what it was designed to do. It supported and sympathized with the part of me that was hurting. Gradually my toe healed, resuming its thankless task.
The Value Of One
When Harvey Penick died at the age of 90, the world of golf lost one of its greatest teachers. Although his books have sold millions of copies, he was remembered most for his direct impact on people.
He Paid The Toll
My daughter Ann and her family were about to cross the Mackinac Bridge into Michigan's Upper Peninsula when a wild storm hit. High winds forced authorities to close the world's longest suspension bridge. When it finally opened, a long string of cars crossed over.
Unable To Sleep
William Booth, the founder and commanding general of the Salvation Army, was unable to sleep one night. His son Bramwell, who lived next door, saw that the light was on in his father's home. Thinking something might be wrong, he went to his parents' house. He found his father pacing back and forth with a wet towel wrapped around his head. "Father," he asked, "shouldn't you be asleep?"
A Profile Of Courage
One of the most tragic, unforgettable nights in the Bible is described in Daniel 5:30, "That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain."
Spiritual Cleansing
Plutonium, a naturally radioactive element, is one of the deadliest substances known to man. Its radiation can make normal cells cancerous. For that reason, it was headline news a number of years ago when two scientists from the University of California announced they had found a substance that could remove plutonium from living tissue.
He Had Never Heard
While explaining the gospel to a young soldier in Kentucky, I referred to Jesus being crucified on the cross. He gave me a puzzled look and said, "I've never heard about that."
Power Up!
While it is still dark, a solitary car drives through the gate to the factory. A lone figure makes his way to a back door, unlocks it, and steps inside. A light goes on, then another. Large machines are fired up, temperature control equipment is engaged, banks of machinery soon begin to hum. By the time 7 a.m. rolls around, the millwright has the plant all powered up and ready for a new day's production.
Jesus Is Greater
All the Ethiopian teenager had to do was tell the men who were beating her that she no longer believed in God, and they would have stopped. Yezeshewall was being detained and beaten because of her faith in Christ. But she told her tormentors, "Jesus is greater than all, . . . greater than Marxism, greater than anything."
Use Your Gift!
God never gives a person a task without also providing him with what's necessary to perform the responsibility.
Better Than Looking Good
In today's society, two popular factors, the "feel-good factor" and the "look-good factor," are being confused with success. Anyone not feeling or looking good is often regarded as mediocre—even a failure.
Loving Relationships
A reporter in USA Today quoted a young woman who said of her baseball superstar father: "I don't know why he never spent any time with us. All we wanted him to do was spend time with us. He never liked us."
From Loss To Gain
The book In His Steps may have earned less money for its author than any other bestseller in history. Charles M. Sheldon wrote it in 1896, and it was first published by a religious weekly magazine. The magazine's publisher failed to meet copyright regulations, so Sheldon lost legal ownership of the book. Scores of publishers then sold millions of copies, and the author couldn't claim any royalties.
Counterfeit Happiness
It's easy to fool people about how we really feel. Simply wear a deceptive smile or hum a cheerful song like this one that was very popular during World War I and many years afterward:
Reach Out And Teach
I met Paul, Steve, and Tom when they were each about 14 years old—just a trio of guys who weren't interested in much except basketball. As their coach and English teacher, I taught them what I could about those two things—and about how to live the Christian life.
