A Bible class teacher was explaining to the class that we really don’t know what Jesus looked like.
To illustrate, she showed a painting of Jesus, illustrating it was the painter’s rendition. “It’s not really Jesus. It’s just the artist’s conception of Him.”
One little fellow, looking long and hard at the painting finally said, “Well, it sure looks like him.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
In his book, Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World, Richard J. Mouw, relates this account among a gathering of seminary professors.
One professor reported that at his school the most damaging charge one student can lodge against another is that the person is being “judgmental.” He found this pattern very upsetting. “You can’t get a good argument going in class anymore,” he said. “As soon as somebody takes a stand on any important issue, someone else says that the person is being judgmental. And that’s it. End of discussion. Everyone is intimidated!” Continue reading
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This past Sunday we visited the Skyview Church in Pinellas Park, Florida, and heard a wonderful lesson by their preacher, Charles Murray. (Incidentally, I’ll be preaching there this coming Sunday.)
In the beginning, Charles pointed to a study that found the holidays between Thanksgiving and Christmas are the most stressful time of the year.
Apparently, most Americans agree. In a survey conducted by One Poll, 88% of the 2,000 people surveyed said the holidays were the most stressful time of the year. Continue reading
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Have you ever heard someone pray whose passion, feeling, and fervor were so intense that their sincere petitions brought you closer to God than you’d ever felt before?
Such is the prayer of Jesus in John 17 that some writers have called this chapter “The Holy of Holies of John’s Gospel.” It’s the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in the Bible.
In John 17 we gain deeper insight into Jesus’ relationship with the Father and His thoughts and emotions in the shadow of the cross. Continue reading
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“Love Will Keep Us Together” was a popular song in the 1970s written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, and recorded by Sedaka in 1973.
In 1975 pop duo, The Captain & Tennille released their version and it became a #1 song and the best selling single of the year.
Sadly, love didn’t keep “The Captain”, Daryl Dragon, and Toni Tennille together. They divorced in 2014 after nearly 40 years of marriage. Dragon died of renal failure in 2016 in Prescott, Arizona. Continue reading
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Bob Edens, a Columbia, South Carolina, man, lived 51 years without sight. He was born blind.
But through a complicated surgery for a detached retina and a corneal transplant, Bob gradually began to receive sight.
‘I never would have dreamed that yellow was so … so yellow. I don’t have the words. I am amazed by yellow,” Bob said. Continue reading
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“Seek your life’s nourishment in your life’s work,” once wrote the 19th-century author and preacher, Phillips Brooks.
Jesus is the consummate and perfect example of finding substance and sustenance in his mission and ministry on earth.
In response to the disciple’s concern that Jesus was hungry for lack of food, he replied, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”
The context and content of Jesus’ statement contain several layers we need to peel back. Continue reading
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Steve Shepherd tells the story about a fellow leaving worship service one Sunday morning. The preacher was standing at the door shaking hands (You know that’s his job to shake ‘em in, then shake ‘em out).
Well, the preacher grabbed the guy by the hand and said, “Hey, friend, you need to join the Army of the Lord.”
“I’m already in the Army of the Lord,” the man replied.
“Then, why don’t I see you except at Christmas and Easter?” the preacher inquired. Continue reading
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“Waking up to a beautiful sunrise is so promising. The air is quiet. Birds are beginning to stir in their nests. The moon is fading away as the sun’s rays quietly take over the sky”, wrote an unknown devotional writer.
“It’s as if God hit the restart button and we are powering up for a new day, a new beginning. Our batteries are charged, the things of yesterday are gone, and God is unveiling a chance to start anew.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
Yesterday’s online INC magazine headlined an article by Marcel Schwantes with this captivating lead-in:
It Took Warren Buffett 2 Sentences to Offer the Best Advice You Will Hear Today
Timeless wisdom from the Oracle of Omaha.
It caught my attention. What financial insight would Buffett share from his vast wealth of financial acumen? A portfolio change? A stock tip? A retirement strategy? Continue reading
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ThePreachersWord 