One Thanksgiving Day, a single man with nowhere to celebrate the holiday was invited to eat with Debbie’s family. During the meal, the Holy Spirit spoke to him: This is the woman you are going to marry. Mark barely knew Debbie—they had never dated. The voice he heard stunned him, like a lightning bolt outContinue reading “Don’t Jump the Gun. Genesis 23:16.”
Category Archives: Goals
Be NUMBER ONE! … at Prayer. 2 Chronicles 35:3.
Image: New York City’s famous Chess Tables in Washington Square Park–one of many pastimes available to the recently retired. We raise children under constant talk of college and career: You need to read more so you can get into a good college. You need to practice your lacrosse so you can get a scholarship. YouContinue reading “Be NUMBER ONE! … at Prayer. 2 Chronicles 35:3.”
Humiliation Stories. Isaiah 2:11-17.
The tales are legendary. Ford rejected the minivan, arrogantly believing Americans would buy what Ford told them to buy—more station wagons. Struggling Chrysler, led by former Ford executive Lee Iacocca, said yes to minivans and saved its business (sinking the station wagon forever). Hitler paid his architect, Albert Speer, to design a new Berlin—a capitolContinue reading “Humiliation Stories. Isaiah 2:11-17.”
Manly Exploits and the Manly Heart. 2 Samuel 23:8.
Pictured: Yellowfin tuna from this fishing guide’s website: https://alphonsefishingco.com/fly-fishing/species/yellowfin-tuna/ Once, after a day of deep-sea fishing, I joined my friend Doug at a stainless steel cleaning table. Ours was one of four tables, each surrounded by men cleaning fish and swapping stories. It was amazing to see the huge redfish and yellow-fin tuna and amberjackContinue reading “Manly Exploits and the Manly Heart. 2 Samuel 23:8.”
HOW’S YOUR CHRISTIAN RESUME? Philippians 3:4-6; 2 Corinthians 11:22-27.
What if you had a Christian Resume? Could you fill up a page with things you have done for God, ways you have served the church, scripture you have read, verses memorized? People you counseled or comforted? Money you donated? What about sacrifices made—you held your tongue when you wanted to say something cruel? YouContinue reading “HOW’S YOUR CHRISTIAN RESUME? Philippians 3:4-6; 2 Corinthians 11:22-27.”
HOW TO BE OUTSTANDING. Galatians 1:15; Acts 9:20-22.
You know who is outstanding? The Apostle Paul. He wrote more books of the Bible than anyone. His understanding of law and grace is unmatched. He is the intellectual of intellectuals, a genius who used his gifts with total dedication. His secret? Two things. First, his passion was unrivaled. “I advanced in Judaism beyond myContinue reading “HOW TO BE OUTSTANDING. Galatians 1:15; Acts 9:20-22.”
GOALS & MISSION STATEMENTS. Luke 4:18-21.
A preacher asked, “Is there anyone here with goals?,” everyone nodded, then he followed-up: “Raise your hand if you have your goals written down in your pocket right now!” No one raised a hand. The point? You only achieve things you are deeply committed to. If you don’t write down your goals, you will notContinue reading “GOALS & MISSION STATEMENTS. Luke 4:18-21.”
Resolutions and Uphill Battles. Ezra 4:5 and 5:5.
Change is hard. New Year’s Resolutions are hard. Turning around old habits is hard. Starting new habits is hard. It is hard to study more or to become a reader. It is hard to begin eating right. Or to begin an exercise program. All new goals are hard to reach. First, you must overcome yourContinue reading “Resolutions and Uphill Battles. Ezra 4:5 and 5:5.”
DON’T LET YOUR GOAL BECOME YOUR IDOL: Enjoy the Process & Trust God With the Results.
Are you goal-oriented? Motivated by achievements? I am. Absolutely. I’m not sure I’m motivated by anything else. I often think about my goals, tallying up whether I have accomplished them—even the meaningless goals. For example, I have written 475 book reviews (reviews, not ratings) on Goodreads[dot]com. My goal is to write 1,000. I have aContinue reading “DON’T LET YOUR GOAL BECOME YOUR IDOL: Enjoy the Process & Trust God With the Results.”
Bucket List.
In 2007, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson starred in THE BUCKET LIST, a film about two old men with cancer who decide to travel the world together, scratching items off their bucket list. The film made the term “bucket list” famous. What if you don’t complete your list? Is that a fail? No. Dreams giveContinue reading “Bucket List.”
Household Words: 