David – Page 2 – Household Words:

What About Those Alpha Males?

Some are born leaders—their voice and raw physical traits always land them on top. There are those of whom it can be truly said, “he never took a back seat to anyone.” Perhaps such raw leadership works best in more physical fields: battle or sports or law enforcement. George Washington, Billy Graham, and Robert E.Continue reading “What About Those Alpha Males?”

Not Just Any Songwriter.

Everyone should learn to write songs. Teachers make children write poetry, stories, and essays. But songs? Perhaps songs are too difficult. It’s not just the music—it’s the HEART. A good song touches the heart of not only the writer but the singer and the audience. David Allen Coe has the ghost of Hank Williams singContinue reading “Not Just Any Songwriter.”

War.

Nothing is more intense than war. A soldier’s entire life may seem dull when he reflects on three or four days spent fighting for his life and the lives of his brothers-in-arms. War is INTENSE. Men die on your left and right. Near misses make you wonder how you survived. You may not eat someContinue reading “War.”

The Lifeguard.

My dad spoke often of the years he spent as a lifeguard at Ridgecrest in North Carolina. He remembered pulling some 75 people from the depths, most of them poor swimmers who had no business in the murky waters of a deep lake. Then one day I saw my father in action. When my brotherContinue reading “The Lifeguard.”

Sexual Abuse in the Church.

Though Saul had been trying to capture and kill David for years, David twice refused to lay a hand on him when he had the chance. But when Nabal repaid David’s protection with a refusal to feed David’s men, David gathered 400 soldiers and swore to kill Nabal by morning. Why the difference? David respectedContinue reading “Sexual Abuse in the Church.”

The Moment in the Cave.

This morning as I considered spraying washer fluid on my windshield to “encourage” a tailgater to back off, it came to me: HERE’S THE GREATEST RULE IN ETHICS: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” Luke 6:31. Are we following that standard? Some politicians follow a different ethic: “Attack your enemiesContinue reading “The Moment in the Cave.”

The Spirit of the Lord Will Control You.

I wrote recently of Samson, Gideon, David, Noah, Moses, and Elijah—men whose achievements followed a deep indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The phrase the Holman translation uses is “the Spirit of the Lord took control,” as in this passage about King Saul: “The Spirit of the Lord will control you; you will prophecy with [theContinue reading “The Spirit of the Lord Will Control You.”

The Spirit of the Lord Took Control of Gideon.

Do you ever feel amazed by the incredible feats in the Bible? How did Samson kill 1,000 men with a piece of bone? How did little David, a teenager at best, face Goliath with such boldness? How did Gideon and 300 men take on over 100,000 Midianites—an enemy who filled the land “like a greatContinue reading “The Spirit of the Lord Took Control of Gideon.”