remember
My wife and I recently checked out the Titanic exhibit at our local museum. As we walked among the artifacts, watched videos, and viewed photos, the events of April 15, 1912—the day the Titanic sank—became real to us. One particularly moving account involved an older woman and her husband. When Ida Straus was asked to board a lifeboat with other women, leaving her husband behind, she refused. “I will not be separated from my husband. As we have lived, so will we die—together,” she said. They were last seen standing on deck arm in arm, awaiting the ship’s descent into the deep.
0 Taste and See!
You may not believe this, but I have never tasted sushi in my life! I was once at an Asian restaurant and being the picky eater I was, I ordered my usual fare. My sister, however, had some sushi and encouraged me to try. I immediately refused. There was no way […]
Load Line
In the 19th century, ships were often recklessly overloaded, resulting in those ships going down and the crews being lost at sea. In 1875, to remedy this negligent practice, British politician Samuel Plimsoll led the charge for legislation to create a line on the side of a ship to show if it was carrying too much cargo. That “load line” became known as the Plimsoll Line, and it continues to mark the hulls of ships today.
How to make the good news of God’s grace our own
The gospel of Jesus is good news indeed. But until it becomes your personal story, it remains simply a bold headline!
true salvation
What must one do to be saved? For the answer, turn to the book of Galatians. The problem that arose in the churches in Galatia remains a question that many Christians battle with today. Are we truly saved by our belief in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for us, or is something more necessary on our part?
Bricks Without Straw
Many of us face the challenge of working with limited resources. Equipped with less money, less time, dwindling energy, and fewer helpers, our workload may remain the same. Sometimes, it even increases. There’s a saying that sums up this predicament: “More bricks, less straw.”
Let’s dig deeper into the gospel of Jesus, and the grace and forgiveness we find there
Well, here’s the bad news, we’re all sinners. Everyone has broken God’s law and deserves the appropriate consequences! But hang on, ’cause there’s good news as well!
harvest of generosity
In East Africa, I’ve found that a little goes a long way. For example, my colleagues and I are able to help feed 20 children in Uganda for far less than it would cost to feed 20 children in the US.
A Philosophy of Pleasure
I’ve been reading a book recently that has a main character who follows the views of the Greek philosopher Epicurus. Epicurus founded Epicurean thought, which advocates that you should live your life for pleasure and avoid pain as much as possible. When the main character in my book explains this, he […]
In Harmony
I love playing the 5-string banjo. But it has one drawback. The fifth string will harmonize with only a limited number of simple chords. When other musicians want to play more complicated music, the banjoist has to adapt. He can lend marvelous melodic tones to a jam session only by making the right adjustments.
Why we all need the grace and healing of the Savior
If your nose doesn’t run and your throat doesn’t itch, there’s no reason to see a doctor. It’s only when you know that you’re sick that you look for a remedy!
sacrifices—good and bad
Jess likes money. In her brief 4½ years on the planet, she has already learned that she can play her aunts and uncles for spare change. Cuteness and intelligence comprise a formidably lucrative combination. Her parents, quite naturally, are concerned over this. “Don’t ask for money,” they tell her. “You should earn it by doing chores.”
True Greatness
Some people feel like a small pebble lost in the immensity of a canyon. But no matter how insignificant we judge ourselves to be, we can be greatly used by God.
In a sermon early in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. quoted Jesus’ words from Mark 10 about servanthood. Then he said, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.
Discover the need for a Savior
According to the world’s standards, we may seem like decent people. But if we gauge ourselves according to Jesus’ standards, we’ll find we badly miss the mark! take a hard look at Jesus’ criteria for righteousness in the Sermon on the Mount.
unaffected
Not all influence is the same. A piece of coal and a diamond vastly differ in their make-up and value, though both contain carbon. Coal’s stubborn, black residue marks anything it touches. A diamond, though stronger and more costly, doesn’t transfer its brilliance. Carry a bag of coal or a bag of diamonds, and the lesson is visible—only one influences by proximity.
