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Most of us have been asked the question, “Can you do me a favor?” We commonly reply, “Sure,” right before being confronted with a task we are not able or, frankly, willing to do. In today’s society, we often do not give such an exchange a second thought, even though in that moment we have given our word and broken it.
For many school-age children, there comes a time of accountability. Teachers and parents (not to mention children) know it well: the moment when, standing tall before their children, Mom or Dad asks, “Have you done your homework?” This is a big question and one that has far-reaching implications outside the classroom and into the adult world.
"Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died." This is what the Apostle John saw in vision and recorded in Revelation 16:3. Many noted the eerie sight of past oil spills, like those in the Gulf of Mexico and Dailan, China, appearing as blood upon the sea. What will really...
One way we learn is by imitating someone. Children, especially, are imitators. But adults also learn by imitating others, particularly those they admire. Who do you imitate?
What of the false doctrines of heaven, hell, and purgatory? And what of the scriptures that supposedly support these fabrications of human reasoning?
We usually applaud those who take initiative and “go above and beyond.” But sometimes “going beyond” is not a good idea. For example, why are there many differing Christian denominations? Did they go “beyond what is written”?
When I was a Boy Scout, many years ago, going to Summer Camp was a great adventure. Living in a tent with other boys, hiking forest trails, and learning new skills were memorable experiences. One class that was useful then—and which I still find useful today—was how to safely handle a hatchet or small axe. These hand tools are essential in camping and being a...
Looking down the road is a good idea. Taken literally, it makes you a safer driver. Using the phrase "looking down the road" as a metaphor for having vision and foresight can help you anticipate dangers and avoid other kinds of accidents and problems. It can also make you a better employee, a better parent, a better student—and a better Christian.
You have probably heard the rather snarky phrase, “You can’t fix stupid!” It’s usually used as a put-down of a person or group that does something particularly inept, ridiculous, or doomed to failure. Of course, stupidity has existed since the dawn of humanity. Foolish thoughts bring foolish actions, and sometimes people spend a lifetime dealing with the...
The word “pestilence” immediately evokes a threatening and ominous picture of a fatal epidemic. We may think of the bubonic plague—the infamous “Black Death”—along with pandemic influenzas or other contagions. Some may also think of dire biblical warnings regarding the “last days.” Can we find protection from pestilence?