On August 21, 2011, a Category 3 hurricane formed in the Atlantic. The storm killed 49 people and caused major property damage ($14.2 billion). And the World Meteorological Organization named the hurricane Irene? Irene is a Greek name meaning “peace.” This makes me think of the name Christian. The Bible says that “in Antioch the…

I like the joke about the man who got stuck in a muddy hole. In exchange for $50, a farmer offered to tow out the car with his tractor. The traveler gratefully accepted. “You know,” said the farmer, “you’re the tenth fella I have pulled out today.” The driver was shocked: “Really? When do you…

In his commentary on the book of James, George Stulac tells the following story: My wife’s father was in Europe for the first two years of her childhood. There were long stretches of those two years during which my mother-in-law had no word from her husband and did not know anything of his safety. When…

Nick Saban, the head coach at Alabama since 2007, has won six national championships in his college coaching career. For that reason, he is paid handsomely — $8.6 million a year. And people listen when he talks football. In an interview with Fox Sports Radio some years ago, he said that “we are trying to…

Feelings don’t readily submit to marching orders. A familiar hymn says, “Sing and be happy.” I’ve always liked that song — its pep and positive message. Everyone doesn’t see it in the same way, though. We certainly can choose to sing, but deciding to be happy is a real challenge, especially for people struggling with…

Little Jaren was playing in the family’s swimming pool. His inflated raft flipped over. He kicked free – and then sank. My friend Clint, Jaren’s father, is a big guy, but he can move quickly if necessary. He raced to the pool and jumped in, rescuing the child before any harm was done. This rescue…

On our 25th wedding anniversary, Carolyn and I spent the weekend in a quaint Indiana town near Bloomington. On Sunday morning, we visited a friendly church there. The brother presenting the Lord’s Supper comment said an insightful thing: We tend to be quick to condemn, but God is quick to forgive.” Being quick to condemn…

Are you interested in having a more stimulating private prayer life? If so the five biblical suggestions described below should help: Pray in Unusual Places. Jesus went up into the hills to pray (Matt. 14:23), and Paul knelt in prayer on the beach (Acts 21:5). Praying in an unusual place is spiritually invigorating, and the…

One Saturday I tuned the radio station to ESPN, hoping to hear some talk about a game to be played later in the day. That morning the host of the program was irate over an email from a listener offended by the show’s affiliation with a liquor company. “Don’t write us again,” the host snarled.…

Daily life in the church reminds us that suffering touches one family after another. Some families are struggling with serious health problems – cancer, injuries, chronic pain, age-related disabilities. Others feel overwhelmed by emotional pain. They have lost a spouse or child. They are broken by a divorce. Or they grieve over a defiant child’s…