Category Archives: Discipleship

Last week’s Rose Bowl thrashing of Alabama by Indiana was shocking to many of the sports pundits, depressing for Crimson Tide fans, but incredibly thrilling for long-time Hoosier supporters.

While I’ve been an IU fan for all of my adult life, my focus has been basketball, especially during IU’s glory years when we won 3 National Championships. Football? Not so much. Basically, because IU was awful and no fun to watch. Of course, it’s well documented that everything changed last year with the hiring of Curt Cignetti. Continue reading →

(Today, as we end the year and our holiday blogging break, we conclude the countdown of the top 10 posts of 2025 based on reader views. Incredibly, all 10 have been from past years. This May 2018 post has consistently been rated in the top 10 since it was published.  This year, it’s #1.

This morning, from our Bible reading in Acts 27, I was reminded of this commonly quoted phrase, “This, too, shall pass.”

It is a paraphrase taken from the King James Bible, “and it came to pass.” It occurs 477 times in the KJV and 177 times in the NKJV. In more modern translations, it is used far less often.

It is an expression used by folks working through difficult circumstances. There is no definitive answer to the exact origin of this popular saying, but some believe it stems from a fable written by Persian Sufi poets. Others suggest it was a part of Jewish folklore and credit King Solomon, although it is not recorded in the Bible. Continue reading →

“How’s your heart?

You’ve probably seen the TV commercial with a spokesman asking this question to regular people “off the street.” Most people are not sure.

So, the ad then introduces KardiaMobile, a portable ECG device that connects to a smartphone and can deliver a medical-grade heart reading in about 30 seconds. Continue reading →

Greetings from Beverly Hills, FL

Who says it doesn’t get cold in Florida?  Yesterday we woke up to 36 degrees.  That’s brrrr for us down here.  This morning is a bit better at 42 degrees.  The good news for us is that we will hit a high of 75 today here on the Nature Coast.  I imagine our South Florida friends will enjoy even warmer weather. Continue reading →

A few months ago, a friend and preaching colleague, Steve Wolfgang, posted a quote from Augustine of Hippo (354-430), the theologian and philosopher, viewed as one of the most important “Church Fathers” of the Patristic Period.

Reflect on the depth of its meaning, then consider a few short observations.

Continue reading →

On this day in history, December 11, 1917, a little-known and/or forgotten event occurred. At the time, it was said to be one of the most remarkable scenes of World War I.

After centuries of conflict, conquests, and shifting empires, British General Edmund Allenby entered the ancient city of Jerusalem. But he did so in an unexpected way. Instead of riding in triumph on horseback or rolling in with military vehicles—symbols of dominance and human pride—Allenby dismounted and walked through the Jaffa Gate on foot. Continue reading →

A passenger once boarded a transatlantic ship during the early 1900s. On the second night, a violent storm struck. Waves slammed the ship, dishes crashed, and terrified passengers clung to anything nailed down. One woman, convinced the vessel was doomed, scrambled out of her cabin, determined to find help. Continue reading →

Norma Jean and I are trying to finish up our Christmas shopping. You want to give something that is really wanted, but it seems increasingly difficult to do so. Apparently, we’re not alone.

I read this morning a survey that more than half of Americans (53%) will receive a gift they don’t want. Furthermore, the survey says that unwanted presents will reach an all-time high, with an estimated $10.1 billion being spent on unwanted gifts. Continue reading →

The Thanksgiving Holiday is over. Christmas is fast approaching. And we’ll soon replace the calendar with 2026.

It’s customary to think about New Year’s Resolutions and turn the page, both literally and spiritually, to begin fresh and improve our lives.

But why wait? Continue reading →