“Father Knows Best” was a popular sitcom with a six-season run (1954-60). The show portrayed the life of the middle class Anderson family. Jim was in the insurance business. He and Margaret had three children—Betty, Bud, and Kathy. Human fathers don’t always know best, though. But our Father in heaven always does. Hezekiah’s experience is…
Rebekah’s Personal Favoritism By David Wright Introduction Anna smiled whenever she remembered playing with her favorite childhood doll. Marcie had golden curls and a soft, fun-to-hug body. Anna had pretended that the doll was her daughter. After dressing her each morning and putting colorful ribbons in her hair, Anna gently laid Marcie in a tiny…
Peter invites us to come to Jesus and be built up like living stones “as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God” (1 Pet. 2:5). This appeal presents the church as the reality anticipated by the old covenant temple and priesthood. What does this word picture imply?…
Deborah’s Weak Leader By David Wright Introduction Franklin Delano Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover in the 1932 presidential election. The United States was in the grip of the Great Depression at that time, and the majority of Americans saw Roosevelt as a savior. He retained their confidence for the rest of his life, winning re-election…
Mark 11:25 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Searching for someone who preaches the truth is like looking for an icicle in August. Most false prophets rattle on for 30 minutes or so without ever opening the Bible. Determining that such men are merely expressing human opinion is fairly easy. But other false teachers tell Bible stories and cite numerous scriptures. This preaching…
Abigail’s Impossible Husband By David Wright Introduction Marrying Brad was a terrible mistake. When Tia was dating him, she relished his striking looks, intelligence, and sense of humor. She found him exciting. But sometimes he almost frightened her. Brad grew up in a home plagued by drunkenness and physical abuse. He told Tia that he…
A hermit may be able to live for years without ever saying an unkind word to anyone. Of course, no one is around to test his patience. It’s fairly easy to be nice to myself. But the Bible knows of no hermit Christians. We are called to live in relationships with other people, which means…
society encourages us to obey our own impulses. There’s no truth, nothing absolutely right or wrong for everyone, everywhere, all the time. What is right for me may not be right for you. If I’m wrestling with a moral decision, I should follow the feelings produced by my personal experiences. a great flaw in this…
Tom Reynolds started a parts manufacturing company in Detroit. Five years later the business employed more than 500 people. But one day Tom’s own human resources department sent him the following email: “Mr. Reynolds, according to our records you have never submitted letters of recommendation, something required of everyone in the company. Please verify that…