Posts from May 2023

  By the age of 5, Beethoven was playing the violin under the tutelage of his father—also an accomplished musician. By the time he was 13, he was a concert organist. During his lifetime, he wrote nine majestic symphonies and five concertos for piano, not to mention numerous pieces of chamber music. Beethoven was not, however, a stranger to difficulties. During his twenties, he began to lose his hearing. His fingers “became thick,” he said on one occasion. He couldn’t…

    Another lesson we can learn from duct tape is that although we can use it to fix things, it will never be in and of itself a permanent solution. As Christians, we can be the duct tape in peoples’ lives by sticking to them when they are having some struggles, but we alone cannot be their solution. We cannot be everything to everyone; it is just our job to point people to Jesus. Although we know we are…

  If you were allowed to have only one tool, one piece of equipment in your toolbox, what would it be? I know…that is a no brainer…duct tape! Yes, it is called duct tape, but it originally was called “Duck Tape” when it was created for the military during WW2 (look it up..cool stuff.) You can use duct tape to fix just about anything. In fact, the astronauts used duct tape to help them get home on the Apollo 13…

  I grew up in a house where it was common to hear “can’t never could.” That simply means if you think you cannot do something, you will not be able to do it. Moses told God over and over that he couldn’t. He gave excuse after excuse. God did not let him off the hook that easy. God had a plan and Moses was a part of that plan. Moses becomes a leader we read about doing amazing things.…

    Luke 20. 45-46 says, “And in the hearing of all the people he said to the disciples, Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at the feasts.” No one knew the law as well as the scribes, but they would much rather be seen as important to men, than obey the law that they studied. We…

    My grandfather spent 3 and a half years fighting in WWII. He was one of many men who stormed the beaches in the South Pacific. He was wounded in the leg and had malaria seven times during the war. He had little to eat and drink and he thought about death every day. He told me that the worst thing that happened to him was getting a letter that his younger brother had been captured during the war…

  Have you ever put yourself in the place of John standing at the foot of the cross, watching Jesus, your friend and your Savior, die. He looks down at you and asks you to take care of His mother. What a responsibility! You do not want to let Jesus Christ down. You want Him to be proud of you. Why is it any different for John than it is for us? Jesus left us with a challenge to spread…

    God is very clear concerning His Word. In this gift we have called the Bible, He has given us everything that pertains to “life and godliness” (II Peter 1.3). Paul further alludes to this fact by saying that “All Scripture is inspired by God (God breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (I Timothy 3.16). In II Timothy…

    As a kid I can remember playing the game follow the leader. The object of the game was simple. You won by following the leader, and you lost by not following the leader. Who would have ever thought that such an elementary game would play such a significant role in our salvation? Paul says in I Corinthians 11.1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ Jesus”. The word “imitator” simply means “follower.” Paul just tells us…

  Matthew was a tax collector. Can you imagine how poorly received he was to the people he was trying to convert? He may have cheated these people out of their money or he may have lied to them about what they owed. Now he wants to bring them to Christ! Paul was guilty of putting Christians in prison. He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen. After Paul was baptized, he came back to Jerusalem and could have…

  Matthew 7.7 reads, “Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find: knock and the door will be opened to you.” We do not do a very good job of seeking God. We want God to find us. We sing “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” What does seek mean to us? When a child is lost in the mall, we as parents seek. We cover that mall till the child is found. When…

  In our kitchen, my wife has three words hanging, “Dream”, “Believe” and “Love”. To be successful in the world we need big “Dreams.” We have to push ourselves to become the men or women God intends us to be. We need to use all of our talents. Never let anyone shoot down your dreams. “Believe” is a word we struggle with at times. To become a solid Christian, we must believe. We are told in scripture that believing will…