“To err is human; to forgive, divine” penned the British poet, Alexander Pope.
The apostle Peter probably thought he was being deeply divine when he asked, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Peter undoubtedly thought he was being excessively generous and magnanimous. After all the Rabbinic teaching as expressed by Rabbi Jose ben Hanina said, “He who begs forgiveness from his neighbor must not do so more than three times.” Continue reading
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You’ve probably never heard of Ryan Hrelgac from Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. But he’s an incredible young man.
When Ryan was only 6 years old, he learned in school of children in African villages who didn’t have access to clean drinking water. So, he began raising money to help by doing household chores. In a period of 4 months, he raised $70.
Encouraged by his attitude and actions, others began to join Ryan and during the next 12 months, he raised $2,000. Within two years Ryan had raised $61,000. Continue reading
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“Let your life reflect the faith you have in God,” wrote American journalist Germany Kent. “Fear nothing and pray about everything. Be strong, trust God’s word, and trust the process.”
Faith and trust go together. Both by definition and application. You can’t have one without the other. Continue reading
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If you google “something is wrong with the church” you’ll get 216 million results in .55 seconds.
Quickly perusing the articles, the answers carry a similar theme.
“5 stupid things the church needs to quit doing.”
“Anatomy of a sick church:10 Symptoms to watch.”
“7 Things We Get Wrong About Worship.”
“12 Reasons Millennials are Over Church.” Continue reading
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This week I’m preaching in a meeting at Wellandport, Ontario, Canada. Last night a lady walked out of the building, shook my hand and wistfully commented, “I wish more people could have been here to have heard that sermon.”
The building was almost full. But I believe she was commenting more on the importance of the message preached than the messenger who delivered it. Or the number who attended. Continue reading
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A mother took her young son shopping. At the end of the day, a clerk handed the little boy a lollipop.
“What do you say?” the mother said to her son.
With a big smile on his face and great confidence, he exuded, “Charge it!” Continue reading
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In the first century, there were basically two views of the human body. One was that it should be worshiped for its beauty and idolized for its strength. The body was something to be proud of and to flaunt.
On the other hand, some believed that the body was inherently sinful. That the body didn’t matter. Only the spirit mattered. In fact, the body was just a shackle and a prison house. It was something to be despised and ashamed of. Continue reading
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There was a cartoon which showed two friends standing before a Preacher and one asks, “Why is it that opportunity only knocks once but temptation beats on my door every day?!”
Can you relate to that to that feeling?
Oscar Wilde, the celebrated playwright and poet of the early 20th Century, known for his self-indulgent life once quipped, “I can resist everything but temptation.”
Maybe you feel the way that Wilde did? Continue reading
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Some folks are like the fellow who was talking to his preacher and said he wasn’t much use in the church or the world because he had only one talent.
“Oh, that shouldn’t discourage you,” said the preacher. “What is your talent?”
“The talent of judging others.” Continue reading
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In his Daily Bible Study series, William Barclay tells a compelling story about an evangelist named Brownlow North. Apparently, in his younger days, he had lived a wild life.
“Once, just before he was to enter the pulpit in a church in Aberdeen, he received a letter. This letter informed him that its writer had evidence of some disgraceful thing which Brownlow North had done before he became a Christian, and it went on to say that the writer proposed to interrupt the service and to tell the whole congregation of that sin if he preached.” Continue reading
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