Has discipleship become something of a grind instead of a gratifying spiritual pursuit?
Has living the Christian life become more of a burden than a blessing?
Do I obey God more out of love and gratitude—or out of fear, guilt, or duty? Continue reading
“I would not be here without the path that my Lord, Jesus Christ, has put me on today. And so that’s why I always try to give Him the glory and always give Him the thanks, as I know He has a plan for me.”
This quote is from Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, quarterback for Indiana University, before their victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Following the game, Mendoza also stated,” I give all the glory to God.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
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
Filed under Discipleship
Through the years, Christians have developed various slogans that define who we are. Our distinctiveness. Our aim. Our rallying cry.
“We speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent.” Continue reading
Filed under Love More. Give More
Facebook Friday is a weekly column we began in October 2022. In it, we share articles, posts, and thoughts from various sources on Facebook. Sometimes the posts spur additional insights and simply serve as a springboard for further examination of a topic. Other times, we publish without additional comment. Continue reading
Filed under facebook friday, New Year
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
Filed under Discipleship, New Year
(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
Filed under Discipleship
(Note: As we’re winding down reblogging the top 10 most read posts of 2025, this 2018 post, written from Athens, Greece, ranked #2. In fact, it has been ranked in the top 10 every year since it was published and ranks #2 all-time in terms of reader hits.)
Yesterday, as Norma Jean and I toured the National Museum of Archaeology in Athens and viewed the artifacts of the great thinkers and philosophers of Greece and Rome, it occurred to me that, despite their intellectual acumen, most did not truly know Jehovah God.
Yesterday’s post discussed Paul’s sermon, revealing to the Epicureans and Stoics “The Unknown God” as Jehovah God. Many mocked the apostle’s message. Regardless, God has revealed Himself to us. Continue reading
Filed under 2025 Top Posts
(Note: We are down to the final 3 of our top 10 most-read posts of 2025. This post, coming in at #3, was first published 10 years ago. It ranks in the top 10 of over 4,100 posts in the past 13 years. When you read it, you will see why this post resonates with so many people and continues to be read and shared.)
I watched them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town.
With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.
I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled,
The men you’d hire if you had to build?” Continue reading
Filed under 2025 Top Posts
(Note: This post from March 2013 received the 4th most hits in 2025. In the past 12 years, there have been many changes in the lives of the two men mentioned. In culture. In politics. In law. In morals and in marriage. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the Bible. On this Lord’s Day, remember that fact as you go to worship.)
Two men. Two views of the Bible. One man is known worldwide. The other man is unknown, except for a small circle of friends. One man is bombastic and outspoken. The other man is plainspoken and unpretentious. One man is on TV. The other man watches TV.
Two men. Bill O’Reilly. Nathan Eve. Continue reading
Filed under 2025 Top Posts
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