A father asked his son, “If three frogs were sitting on a limb that hung over a pond, and one frog decided to jump, how many frogs would be left?”
The little boy grinned and said, “That’s easy, Dad. Two.” Continue reading
Category Archives: Passage To Ponder
Psalm 42–Spiritual Thirst in a Shallow Age
In his book, Water from a Deep Well, Theology Professor Gerald Sittser suggests that many modern Christians suffer from spiritual shallowness because they only draw from contemporary sources. The past, he argues, provides deep nourishment for faith and discipleship.
Sittser then offers this observation and indictment of modern Christianity: Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
Psalm 34:1-3, Five God-Glorifying Words
The word glory and its related forms appear hundreds of times in Scripture. Often, they are connected to the glory of God, the greatness of His name, and the praise He deserves.
In the Old Testament, God’s glory filled the tabernacle, the temple, and even the whole earth. Today, we are His temple — His people — called to glorify Him with our lives and with our words.
The Psalmist declared, “Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day” (Psalm 71:8). Continue reading
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Acts 24:22-25, The Devil’s Dangerous Word: Later
Dr. Clarence Macartney, an early-20th-century minister and author, once related a story about a supposed meeting in hell.
Satan called his four leading demons together and commanded them to think up something that would trap more souls.
“I have it!” one demon said. “I’ll go to earth and tell people there is no God.” Continue reading
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Acts 20:28–The Charge to Spiritual Leaders
“Leadership is influence,” wrote J. Oswald Sanders, “the ability of one person to influence others. One man can lead others only to the extent that he can influence them.” Continue reading
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Acts 5:1-9–The Sin That Looks Like Righteousness
Few sins are more subtle—or more dangerous—than hypocrisy. It hides behind good deeds, dresses itself in righteousness, and fools everyone…except God.
“Half of the misery in the world comes from trying to look, instead of trying to be, what one is not,” once wrote the 19th-century Scottish minister George MacDonald.
This practice can be summed up in one word: hypocrisy. Wearing a mask. Pretending. Acting instead of being. In a twisted way, “Hypocrisy is an homage that vice pays to virtue,” suggested the French writer La Rochefoucauld. Continue reading
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More Than a Song: The Heart of Psalm 146
The late R. J. Stevens and his son Tim have done more to elevate the praise of God’s people than any two men I’ve ever known.
But their greatest contribution wasn’t just teaching music, how to beat time, or how to pitch a song. They reminded us of the why and the Who behind our praise. Continue reading
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Psalm 116:12-19– How Can I Repay the Lord?
How would you feel if you were seconds from death—and someone pulled you back to life?
A man caught in a riptide was certain he was about to drown. Panicked and exhausted, he fought the current in vain.
An alert lifeguard spotted him, plunged into the surf, and battled the waves to bring him safely to shore. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
Luke 14:26,27–No Discounts on Discipleship
We love a good deal.
We wait for sales. Browse garage sales. Scroll online for discounts. From the chaos of Black Friday to after-Christmas markdowns and tax-free weekends, we’re wired to get the most for the least.
That’s the bargain-hunter mindset. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Luke 9: 46-48, The Least is the Greatest
In sports locker rooms, on ESPN, and across social media, debates often rage: Who’s the GOAT? Who’s the greatest of all time?
Names are thrown around, stats are compared, championships are counted, and lists are created.
It’s nothing new. I can remember as a teen in the early 1960s a young, brash Cassius Clay—who later became Muhammad Ali—boldly declaring, “I am the greatest!” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
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