I recently read an interesting note. Apparently, “The average attention span for the notoriously ill-focused goldfish is nine seconds. But according to a new study, from Microsoft Corp., people now generally lose concentration after eight seconds,...

One of my favorite Disney movies is Aladdin (especially the first one). If you know the story, the hero is given the opportunity to ask for three wishes to be granted. His first wish is “make me a prince.” His second wish is more specific, “please...

What would you do in exchange for ten million dollars?  Well, in the book The Day America Told the Truth a survey asked that question and revealed the answers. Apparently 25% would abandon their family or their church. 23% would become a...

Our tongue gets us in trouble. No, I am not talking about those eight muscles that manipulate food for swallowing and help form words for speaking. No, I am talking about the analogies that James gives us in chapter three of his epistle (the bit...

In Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love, there is a section entitled, “When you are in love.” In it, Chan makes the case that folks in love act differently than those who are not in a committed relationship. He says, “When you are truly in love, you go...

In the recently released “Top Gun: Maverick” movie, Maverick is tasked with teaching a select group of young, “hot shot” aviators how to fly an impossible route and blow up an important military target. It is a target that everyone believes is...

There are many interesting stories told about the 16th century Protestant Reformation leader, Martin Luther. Although he was a monk, Luther struggled with many of the theological positions of the Roman Catholic Church. His own salvation came as he...

The writer F.W. Boreham wrote about an old Scottish woman who was very poor and living alone. “But she carefully tithed what little she had and gave to the church. When unable to attend service, she expected a deacon to drop by and collect her...

A student wanted to prove the point that what we believe, really believe in our hearts and minds makes a difference in our behavior. He decided to use a pendulum to prove his case. First, he reminded them that, a “pendulum can never return to a...

The expression “yada, yada, yada” became popular after an episode of Seinfeld back in 1997. Apparently, George’s girlfriend used the expression to fill in predictable, dull, repetitious details of various encounters. Since then, you and I have been...

A few weeks ago, I wrote on the idea of being “useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work” (II Tim. 2:21). That concept of being useful is still rattling around in my mind. The term means to be serviceable, easy to put to good use, even...

The apostle Paul had several younger pastors that he was mentoring. In II Timothy 2:21, Paul told his protégé that if he wanted to be useful for the Master, he needed to be prepared for every good work. Paul was emphasizing the need for...