More Than a Cup of Cold Water
Jesus made many promises during His ministry. Some of these concerned His own resurrection, others concerned future prophecy, and some were directed toward those who followed Him. In Matthew 10:42, He makes one of the most interesting where He promises a reward even for someone who gives a cup of…
More Than A Sin Monitor
The marketing gurus charged with coming up with commercials have a tough assignment. They are tasked with developing ads that will appeal to the widest possible audience, offend no one, and sell a product or service with something original and fresh, yet low cost and economical. Many fail miserably on…
Foundations Beneath Our Faith
One question that virtually every human has struggled with at one time or another is, “Does God exist?” Any number of life events can prompt us to raise this most important question and ponder its possible responses. Most commonly, our own pain and suffering or that of a close friend…
Strangler Figs and Institutions That Strangle
When Nancy and I were in Florida a few years ago, we visited the Everglades. In addition to an airboat ride, we took a short walk on a wooden trail to observe a little of the wilderness of this dense biosphere. We encountered a variety of birds and plants as…
Last Second Comebacks
The stage is now set for Super Bowl LIII. The New England Patriots will return for yet another appearance in this football finale facing the Los Angeles Rams who haven’t been to the big game since 1979. The best team in the NFL will be decided next Sunday night in…
Child Sacrifice Then and Now
In April of last year, National Geographic Society announced a find in Peru of what appears to be the largest mass child sacrifice in history. According to archaeologists, over 140 children were slain as a part of some ritual by the Chimu Empire 550 years ago. Although research is…
Probing the Depths of God’s World and Word
Here in the Shenandoah Valley, we are blessed with many caves. Our karst limestone topography has yielded numerous underground rooms and passageways that crisscross beneath our feet without our knowledge. Several of these caverns are open to the public and provide tours into the subterranean world of wonders below us. …
Pianos, Soundboards, and Us
A few years back a baby grand piano showed up at a local thrift shop. One of the generous couples in our church with huge hearts offered to buy and donate it to the congregation for use in our worship services. We were all very excited and thankful for this…
What To Drop For New Years
It’s hard to believe another year is nearly in the books. Twelve months ago we were peering into the unknown days of 2018 and now nearly all of them are complete. If you’re going to accomplish a goal or keep last year’s resolution, you’d better get busy for the time…
The Doorway To Jesus
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only a few days away! For those who aren’t fully ready, the hours are limited and the rush is on! Shopping, wrapping, decorating, caroling, visiting, eating, and traveling are now down to their final moments. In all the busyness, don’t forget to meditate…