Category Archives: Be Zealous. 2025 Theme

Spiritual zeal does not sustain itself automatically. Left unattended, even the brightest flame will fade. John Chrysostom warned long ago that “nothing so chills the warmth of faith as the love of ease.”

Comfort, routine, and distraction quietly sap our spiritual intensity unless we actively tend the fire God has kindled within us. Continue reading →

Leadership guru John Maxwell often cites the importance of being teachable as a necessary quality for Leadership. In one of his seminars, Maxwell offered this observation:

“Teachability is not so much about competence and mental capacity as it is about attitude. It is the desire to listen, learn, and apply. It is the hunger to discover and grow. It is the willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Continue reading →

“Great zeal is often quiet zeal,” opined my favorite author, anonymous. Or to paraphrase John Wesley, “It’s not the noise of zeal that God values, but the sincerity of it.”

The word “zeal” conjures up images of dramatic actions, fiery sermons, and courageous confrontations against the enemy. We think of David slaying the giant Goliath. Elijah challenged the false prophets of Baal, calling down fire from heaven. Or Peter, Paul, and the other apostles preaching the Word despite fierce opposition “with all boldness.” Continue reading →

“I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty,” the prophet Elijah proclaimed to God (1 Kings 19:10).

While Elijah towers tall as one of the most passionate of God’s greats, a man of courage, conviction, and commitment, the irony of his statement is contrasted with his now cowering in a cave.

Why? Continue reading →

In his classic poem “A Psalm of Life,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned these inspiring lines:

“Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.”

The poet’s words echo a spiritual truth that ought to resonate with all Bible Believers. They speak to the power of a noble purpose, a deep faith, and a steadfast hope. Continue reading →

“Passion turns duty into delight, and obligation into opportunity”

This quote, attributed to an unknown author, reminds us of the power of passion. And pronounces it as one of the most potent antidotes to weariness in doing good. Continue reading →

Roger Staubach, who led the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl championships, 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 in emergency situations could he change the play (and he had better be right!). Even though Roger considered Coach Landry to have a “genius mind” when it came to football strategy, pride told him that he should be able to run his own team. Continue reading →

In an article in the New York Times, Robert D. McFadden writes about “Charles Feeney, Who Made a Fortune and Then Gave It Away,” and died at age 92.

Feeney was raised by working-class parents who struggled during the Depression to pay a $32 monthly mortgage. Continue reading →

Lord, help me to live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayer will be for–Others.

You may recognize these words as the first stanza from the hymn “Others” written by Charles D. Meigs. According to some research by Jeff Mowery, Meigs’ inspiration for the hymn came from General Ballington Booth. Continue reading →

Many of you likely have a can of WD-40 in your home. My Dad used it often to penetrate tight bolts and squeaky hinges, as well as for lubrication.

But, do you know what WD-40 stands for? Continue reading →