Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother” (Matt. 18:15). Obviously, a brother gained is a brother forgiven. He sins against you, listens to your complaint, and repents. You acknowledge his change of heart…

After my son graduated from college, he decided to sell his Toyota Tacoma. So, we posted it on Craigslist. A man named Steve called almost immediately and offered to buy it over the phone. I told him that I’d prefer not to do business that way. After he came and looked at the truck, we…

In his 2009 book “Have a Little Faith,” Mitch Albom says that “religion is built on ritual” (p. 25). I understand how he could think that. Growing up in a Jewish family, Mitch participated in endless rituals – lighting candles, chanting prayers and scriptures, observing the sabbath and other holy days. But even in the…

The apostle Paul says that a Christian has been “buried with [Christ] in baptism” (Col. 2:12). In immersion, a believing sinner unites with the Lord in his death. Jesus died on a cross and was buried in a tomb of stone; our sinful flesh is crucified with him, and we are buried in a tomb…

My older sister Sue and I were in high school at the same time. One afternoon she shared something learned in sociology class. The teacher had said that the most foolish kind of argument was the one in which both parties repeatedly contradicted each other: Yes, it is. No, it isn’t. Secretly, I agreed with…

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…