Category Archives: Discipleship

Spiritual Lessons from a Football Coach

Last week, Indiana University completed an improbable journey by winning the national football championship.

When coach Curt Cignetti was hired, IU had the ignoble distinction of losing more games in its 140-year history than any other university. In the past two years, Cignetti and IU are 27–2: Big Ten Champions, Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl winners, and National Champions—culminating in a perfect 16–0 season this year. Continue reading

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Preparation: The Key to Success

A friend of mine from Florida, Pat Weinmann, posted the above photo on my Facebook page. The image, which highlights the unseen work behind visible success, has been shared more than 34,000 times and liked by over 9,000 people. It clearly resonated with many viewers. Continue reading

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Message of Character

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Few quotations in American history are as widely recognized as these words from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered more than half a century ago on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Continue reading

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When Compassion Jumps In

On this day in history, January 13, 1982, America witnessed an ordinary man perform an extraordinary act of compassion. Some of you may remember it. I do.

Air Florida Flight 90, heading to Ft Lauderdale, tried to take off in a blizzard from National Airport. Because of inadequate de-icing, it was unable to gain sufficient altitude on takeoff and crashed into the 14th Street Bridge, then plunged into the Potomac River. Continue reading

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Is Your Identity Borrowed: Who are You when the Scoreboard Changes?

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

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As the Calendar Turns: 10 Questions Every Christian Should Ask

Author and professor Donald S. Whitney relates a story of one of the early explorers to the North Pole. To ensure that he stayed on course, he charted his journey through the white wasteland hourly.

At one point, while checking his instruments, he discovered that he was farther south than he had been the previous hour, even though he was walking north. Continue reading

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This, Too, Shall Pass

(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

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A Heart Check Up

“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

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Weekly Recap: December 8-12

 

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

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Treasures Without End: The Lifelong Journey Into God’s Word

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.

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