CONTROL The motion picture Kung Fu Panda offers a unique snapshot of the one part of life that troubles most people, the illusion of control. A panda named Po comes from a family of noodle merchants. Though his family hopes that he will sell many noodles, Po dreams of becoming a Kung Fu Master. Through…

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep the streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, "Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."…

Introduction I just want to say today, God is good. We are a blessed people. No matter how we look at it God has been good to all of us even when we did not deserve it. God did not have ot but He allowed us to labor in His field these many years. As we look around and see how far God has brought us we…

Clint Eastwood says, “They say marriages are made in heaven. But so is thunder and lightning.” -- Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell Some marriages have more thunder and lightning than others. We should work to follow Biblical advice on how to have a peaceful family. The Week, April 10, 2015, p. 15; Colossians…

In Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash A Revolution In Your Life in Christ, Peter Scazzero writes, “We're afraid of God's will being done because we can't control what he will do, when he will do it, how he will do it, and what the outcome might be. God's will requires surrender and trust, and…

CONTROL The fast pace of today's world may not be all it's cracked up to be. A new survey suggests many people feel their lives are out of control. The study by WingspanBank.com found 61% of Americans feel at least one aspect of their lives is out of control. The top three priorities among respondents…

In The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, “. . . only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.” —Jim L. Wilson Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, 63. John 14:23 (HCSB) Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We…

If you have ever watched sea otters sleep, you will notice something unique about them. They sleep holding hands. It may seem strange, but there is a legitimate reason as to why they do. They sleep holding hands so that they do not drift apart. While they are sleeping, the current in the sea can cause…

Steve Saint is no stranger to difficult times. His father was killed while trying to bring the Gospel to the Waodani people of Ecuador in 1956. Since then, Saint founded a ministry called I-Tec which is based on the idea of using the latest technological advances to bring the news of Jesus to untouched…

In his book, Practicing Basic Spiritual Disciplines, Charles Stanley writes “When the Holy Spirit speaks to an obedient person’s heart, that person doesn’t even stop to consider whether he will act. He responds instantly.” -- Practicing Basic Spiritual Disciplines, 17. Deuteronomy 11:1 (NASB77) "You…

In his autobiography, Vignettes of a Wonderful Life, Ralph Palmer lists four mottos that guide his life. 1. “Remember always to talk to and obey the Lord each day. 2. Thank God for the ability to see and enjoy beauty in all things. 3. Have an adventure a day to add spice to life and keep boredom away.…

In his book Teaching the Elephant to Dance, James Belasco describes how trainers shackle young elephants with heavy chains to deeply embedded stakes. In that way the elephant learns to stay in its place. Older, powerful elephants never try to leave—even though they have the strength to pull the stake…

In “A Portrait of the Christian Life,” Stephen Brucker writes, “The Beatitudes create a portrait of the Christian man and woman. They are to read like a mirror, gazing at the Spirit’s work in a Christian’s life. Starting with the heart, bowing to God in humble submission and sorrowful contrition leads…

I read of one man who read a book entitled, Man of the House, while he was riding the train to and from work. On the evening he finished the book, this newly “enlightened” husband stormed into his home and confronted his wife. Pointing his finger in her face, he said, "From now on, I want you to know…

In his book, Interpreting Gospel Narratives, Timothy Wiarda writes, “But whether our prized methods relate to exegesis and exposition (as I obviously hope they do) or other areas of ministry practice. Jesus’ words in John 15:26-27 remind us that kingdom impact always depends on a work of the Holy Spirit.…

The knuckleball is a difficult pitch to master. Most pitchers want to control it like they do their fastball, curve, slider, or change up. According to knuckleballer R.A. Dickey the only way to master it is to surrender to it. He was responding to a question from World Magazine interviewer Marvin Olasky…

Submission is the key to victory... Roger Staubach, who led the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl victory in 1971, admitted that his position as a quarterback who didn't call his own signals was a source of trial for him. Coach Landry sent in every play. He told Roger when to pass, when to run, and only…

It was a small adjustment that could make a big difference. Sure, it was against NASCAR rules, but almost everyone else was doing it. So crew chief Tim Shutt crawled under the No. 20 car of Mike McLaughlin, who races on the NASCAR Busch circuit. "Joe [Gibbs, team owner] is adamant that we don't cheat,"…

Doug Tilley is a North Carolina pastor suffering the beginning stages of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Known officially as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis the disease with no cure slowly eats away at healthy bodies, eventually leaving them unable to survive. A few years ago, Tilley was looking at a large, beautiful…

Authorities arrested Tatiana Kudinova, a Russian businessperson, for arranging a hit on her daughter-in-law who had irritated her by making nonstop mother-in-law jokes. The feud began over who should pick up the tab for a family party. But Roxanne, the daughter-in-law, didn’t let it rest and continued…

SURRENDER Campus Crusade has seen great accomplishments over the years. The organization has 25,000 full time staff and more than 553,000 volunteers in 196 countries. Their “Jesus” film has been translated into more than 700 languages and seen by 4.5 billion people. It is the most widely viewed film…

SUBMISSION An unemployed New York man pretending to be a millionaire filed an income tax return claiming he was owed a refund of $1.5 million. Quick thinking on the part of his bank kept him from getting away with the scheme. Forty-seven year-old Benjamin Harris of Brooklyn, New York was arrested April…

AUTHORITY A Massachusetts landlord has discovered a unique way to get his tenants to pay their rent on time. He is awarding prizes to tenants who pay on time. Douglas Rau has about 100 tenants and says he has tried just about everything to get people to pay their rent on time. In the first ever give-away,…

A 12-year-old Tennessee girl touched the lives of those she left behind, and many more around the world because of a letter she had written to her future self. Taylor Smith died due to complications of pneumonia in early January, 2014. At her memorial service, her friends shared the ways Taylor had encouraged…