Jacob’s Ladder,” was a 1980’s hit written by Bruce Hornsby and performed by Huey Lewis and the News. Remember them?
The song was set in Birmingham, Alabama, and married the Biblical image of Jacob’s ladder with someone who rejects a proselytizing evangelist, preferring to struggle through life one day at the time. In part the lyrics go like this. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
In Perry Hall’s book “Grace Does That?” he relates a neat story about Charles Bradlaugh and Hugh Price Hughes.
Bradlaugh was the most prominent atheist in 19th century Britain. On one occasion he challenged the evangelist Hughes to a debate on the validity of Christianity. Continue reading
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(Note: We’re taking an extended holiday blogging break from writing new posts. But I will reblog some past posts that you will enjoy. See you with a new post next Monday)
One day a small boy was trying to lift a heavy rock. He strained with all his might, but he couldn’t budge it.
His father, passing by, stopped to watch his futile efforts.
Finally he said to his son: “Are you using all your strength?’
“Yes, I am!” the boy cried, exasperated. Continue reading
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Will everyone go to heaven when they die?
Universalism says, “yes.” That is the belief of the Unitarian Universalist Church. Several of the so called “church fathers” of the second century believed in Universalism including Clement of Alexandria and his student, Origen. Continue reading
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John Piper once wrote that sin (lust for example) “gets its power by persuading me to believe that I will be more happy if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier.”
Piper’s observation reminds me of a true story that occurred several years ago. To protect the innocent, as well as the guilty, I will refer to the two married couples as Jason and Judy and Matt and Jen. Continue reading
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Yesterday’s lesson at the Temple Terrace VBS was instructive, exciting, challenging, and inspiring. And not just for the kids
My good friend and preaching colleague, Ralph Walker, presented an engaging lesson that paralleled the children study of the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who along with Daniel were in Babylonian captivity.
While there is no way we can capture the power of Ralph’s lesson in this short blog post, take a minute to read the text and consider these thoughts. Continue reading
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Missouri minister William Hooper tells a story about a mother working in the kitchen and hearing her 7 year-old son screaming at the top of lungs.
When she ran into the next room to see what was wrong, she discovered her 2 year-old daughter was pulling her brother’s hair.
After unclenching the baby’s hand she says to her son who’s very angry, “You have to overlook this. Your sister doesn’t know what it feels like to have her hair pulled.” Continue reading
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The late Erskine “Erk” Russell was an American football, basketball, track and baseball player and coach.
For 17 years Russell served as the defensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs (1964-1981). As the first head coach of the Georgia Southern Eagles (1981-1989), he revived the program from a “40 year dormancy” and “established a standard of excellent during his tenure.”
Known for his creative but unorthodox methods Russell once pulled this stunt at Georgia Southern to discourage his players from getting involved in drugs. Continue reading
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“In the deep recesses of man’s soul lies an overwhelming yearning toward the Creator,” penned A. W. Tozer in the beginning lines of his book “Experiencing the Presence of God.”
That yearning has been described and depicted in various ways by a variety of authors over the years.
Mike Cope calls it a “holy hunger.”
Martin De Hann refers to it as a “radical reliance.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
Jesus, the prophets, and Bible preachers often used parables, allegories, or stories to illustrate and illuminate Truth and teach a moral lesson. Such is the case with Nathan the prophet in today’s text.
King David had lusted after Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of Israel’s elite warriors who was away fighting the Philistines. David committed adultery with her. Then when he learned she was pregnant with his child, tried to cover his sin by bringing Uriah home, getting him drunk, and going home to his wife. But Uriah refused. Continue reading
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