The Critic
When I was a teenager, a family joined our congregation. The wife was quiet, but the husband was loud, critical, and overbearing. I was standing nearby one Sunday morning when he stormed up to the pastor and verbally attacked him for something he had said in the sermon. The man's voice was loud, his tone disrespectful.
New Clothes
Two men were talking not long after they had become Christians. One was a poor man from a godless background; the other was from an affluent religious environment. After each man told of his conversion, the man with the religious background asked the other, "Why do you suppose you responded the first time you heard the gospel, while so many years passed before I did?"
Good Intentions
Have you ever had one of those "I was just trying to help" moments? Maybe you offered to carry the cake to the table and you dropped it. Or perhaps you offered to dog-sit your neighbor's pooch and the little guy ran away.
Discover The Treasures
Profitable Bible study involves more than just opening to a chapter and reading what's there. Here are six guidelines to help you make the most of your study of the Bible.
The Advantage Of Weakness
I always enjoy talking with my old college friend Tom and getting caught up on what the Lord has been teaching us since we last met.
Who Owns Your Home?
My wife and I bought our first home when we moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. During my years in the pastorate, a parsonage had always been provided. I remember the feeling when I signed a 30-year mortgage. It seemed that I was committing myself to a lifetime of debt.
Legacy
Erma Bombeck wrote a column about the conflicts that sometimes occur as siblings divide family items after a parent has died. Whether it's the mixing bowls, grandma's quilts, or the Christmas ornaments, people are often convinced that they alone should have a certain item. Bombeck said she never wanted a TV set or a tote bag to remember her parents, because their true legacy to her was the way they lived, not what they left behind.
Wise Counsel
I'll never forget Jake. His legs seemed too thin and spindly to hold him against the current of the river. His patched and discolored waders looked older than he was. His fishing vest was tattered and held together with safety pins; his ancient hat was battered and sweat-stained; his antiquated fly rod was scarred and taped.
