What a man needs to know

One writer recently compiled a list of “100 skills every man should know.” It’s an interesting list. The first 10 items on the list are: Tie a Necktie Build a Campfire Hang a Picture Shine Your Shoes Treat a Snakebite Read a Book Survive a Bear Attack Wet Shave Parallel Park Paddle a Canoe The […]

The value of godliness

“Paul, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness…” (Titus 1:1; NASB) In this simple introduction to his letter to Titus, Paul provides the reader with several foundations of ministry. Ministry is an expression […]

Reading Titus

In our “Bible book of the month” reading plan, we are reading the book of Titus in September. As we begin reading the book this morning, perhaps some background might be helpful. Who was Titus? Titus a protegé of the apostle Paul and was installed by Paul as something like an interim pastor over the […]

Living in uncertain times

This morning I glanced at the headlines of the newspaper and commented to my wife, “The Lord must certainly be coming back soon.” It wasn’t just the headline about China’s financial troubles and the resulting uncertainties in our stock market that triggered that comment. It was also the moral chaos that we have seen unfolding […]

Reading Habakkuk (redux)

This is a repost of a blog from last year; since our Bible book of the month is Habakkuk, I thought it would be helpful to post this again. One of the most repeated sentences by young children is, “it’s not fair…” As in, It’s not fair that my brother can stay up later than […]

My first visit to the principal’s office

It was my first time in the principal’s office (that I remember, anyway). I wasn’t there for a good reason. A friend and I had a disagreement and decided to settle it in a “manly” fashion — with our fists. It may have been a long walk to the office, but the conversation behind the […]

Fanning spiritual flames

When we awoke one early spring Saturday morning, the temperature was cooler than anticipated, the wind was blowing and the skies were cloudy. It all added up to one more day to build a fire in the fireplace before the spring weather arrived for good. All day we enjoyed the warmth and coziness of the […]

The tongue is a fire

Paul, a friend in seminary, once told of a remarkable junior high adventure. It seems that one summer afternoon he and a friend went prowling through the attic in Paul’s house. There they found a trunk with a few mementos from his father’s career in the military — helmets, hats, uniforms, papers, hand grenades.…Yes, hand […]

Read your Bible in 2015

The goal of every follower of Jesus Christ is to become like Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:28-29; Col. 1:18, 28). And one of the primary means God uses to transform the believer is the Word of God (Ps. 1; 1 Pt. 2:1-3; 2 Pt. 1:3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). The believer will not grow spiritually if he […]