Several years Sports Illustrated reported that approximately 60% of NBA players go broke within 5 years of retirement. A more recent survey shows that figure hasn’t changed much in the past decade.
How do you blow tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars so quickly?
Why haven’t current players learned from past players’ mistakes?
What causes these gifted athletes to be so reckless, irresponsible, and foolhardy? Continue reading
Filed under Grace
A construction crew had been on the job site for about a week when one of their men was hurt and a new guy, named Jason, was hired. He was a broad-shouldered, powerful young man and a really good worker. But he was also very annoying.
Jason was always bragging that he was stronger than anyone else at the worksite and he especially made fun of Ralph, one of the older workmen. Finally, the old fella had enough. Continue reading
In reading Acts 12, I remembered an old sermon preached 50 years ago by the late Robert Jackson who raised the question, “Did Peter deny the grace of God?”
I remember it well, because I “borrowed” it and preached it several times in my early days of ministry.
The chapter records that Herod Antipas was harassing the church. He killed James with the sword. And then imprisoned Peter. Probably, Herod had in mind the same fate for Peter.
Luke records several divine acts that Peter experienced. Continue reading
This week Norma Jean and I are attending the Florida College Lectures. The theme is “The Works No One Else Did,” subtitled “The Miracles of Jesus.”
Monday night, in his keynote address, Phil Robertson pointed out that Jesus’ “miracles were a message,” and “the signs were a sermon.” More than just supernatural events, they visually and dramatically proclaimed to all who saw them something deeper than the sign, a lesson that Jesus was teaching.
Perhaps there is no greater miracle message than when Jesus healed the 10 lepers. In his Tuesday morning lecture, my friend, Brownie Reeves, delivered a lesson based on this account from Luke 17:11-19. Continue reading
Filed under Florida College Lectures
“You have become a man ruled by selfish and perverted desires, a man defined by his daily choices repeatedly to feed that selfishness and perversion. You chose to pursue your wickedness no matter what it cost others,” calmly and deliberately spoke Rachael Denhollander as she addressed former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar in court yesterday. Continue reading
Filed under Gospel
In The Gift of Forgiveness, Dr. Charles Stanley relates an unforgettable story of his college professor who illustrated the concept of grace in a very practical and memorable way.
“At the end of his evangelism course he would distribute the exam, and caution the class to read it all the way through before beginning to answer it. As we read the test, it became unquestionably clear to each of us that we had not studied nearly enough.”
“The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard throughout the lecture hall. On the last page, however, was a note that read:” Continue reading
Filed under Grace, Great Bible Verses
The New York Times editorial headlined it as “A Moment of Grace.” The article began with this observation:
“In an age whose crabbed sense of justice finds expression in dismal phrases like “zero tolerance” and “three strikes and you’re out,” the events in a Long Island courtroom on Monday came as an undeserved gift, something startling and luminous.”
It all began when Ryan Cushing and 5 other teens went out “for a night of joy riding and crime.” After stealing a credit card, they bought some DVD’s, video games and then some food at the grocery store. Continue reading
Filed under Word of the Week
I’m reading Perry Hall’s book “Grace Does That?” In it he tells the story of 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
Filed under Cross, Grace, It's Friday. But Sunday's Coming!
Yesterday I was reading a story about the owner of an estate that was hiring workers. He went out and very early in the morning and found several qualified for the job. They agreed on $75 for a full day’s work. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
Robert Jeffress wrote in his fine book “Choose your Attitudes, Change your Life” “Guilt is one of the most debilitating of human emotions. It wreaks destruction in our relationships and our spiritual lives. It is also a major cause of depression”
Jeffress is right. Guilt accuses. Guilt condemns. Guilt convicts. Guilt is mentally draining. Physically demanding. And spiritually disastrous. Continue reading
Filed under Forgiveness, Guilt
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