Archives

Whom Shall I Send?

By Bill Crowder on
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As a young pastor, I served a fledgling new congregation that included my parents. My father was very active in the church’s “people ministries”—evangelism, hospital and nursing-home visitation, bus ministry, relief for the poor, and more. Although he had never been formally trained in ministry, Dad had a natural ability to connect with people who were in the midst of hard times. That was his passion—the downtrodden people who are often overlooked. In fact, on the day he died, my last conversation with him was about someone he had promised to call on. He was concerned that his promise be kept.

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Small Spark, Big Fire

By David C. McCasland on
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In June 2002, the Hayman fire destroyed more than 137,000 acres of beautiful mountain forest in Colorado. Smoke darkened the skies, choking residents of cities 40 miles away. Thousands of people evacuated their homes, and millions of dollars were spent fighting a blaze that began with a single match.

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Serving Without Distraction

By Joanie Yoder on
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While Martha served Jesus unsparingly, her sister Mary sat at His feet, listening and learning. Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) believed that Martha’s mistake wasn’t her serving, but rather that she allowed it to distract her attention from Jesus. Spurgeon believed that we should be Martha and Mary in one. He wrote, “We should do much service, and have much communion at the same time. For this we need great grace. It is easier to serve than to commune.”

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"We Cut The Coal"

By David C. Egner on
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Winston Churchill knew that people who work behind the scenes don’t always get the credit they deserve. During World War II, many of England’s coal miners wanted to enlist and fight on the front lines. Churchill acknowledged their patriotism but reminded them of how valuable their work was to the cause of the war. “Some must stay in the pits,” he said, “and others must stay in the army. Both are equally needed, and for both there is equal credit.”

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Never A Quitter

By Richard De Haan on
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A preacher who was growing weary in the ministry had a dream. He saw himself pounding away at a huge chunk of granite with a pick-axe. It was his job to break it into small pieces. But hard as he tried, he couldn’t chip off even a tiny piece. At last, tired and disappointed, he decided to give up.

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What Motivates Us?

By Albert Lee on
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My wife and I received a notice that we had won a prize of either $1,000 dollars in cash or $250 in vouchers. When we arrived at the collection site, we were told that to be eligible, we would have to sit through a 90-minute presentation.
As we listened, we learned that we could receive vacation accommodations for 25 years at today’s prices, which would amount to about $15,000 in savings. But to enjoy this privilege, we had to pay a membership fee of $5,200. We declined the offer but were given some discount vouchers, which we realized we’d probably never use.

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