Since people are so weak, sinful, and foolish, we wonder how God could love us. Even the most mature Christian often has thoughts in his head that make him feel ashamed in the Lord’s presence. We have the assurance, of course, that Jesus has walked in our sandals. The Bible explains that “we have not…

Once I watched an episode of “Russian Roulette,” a game show that ran for two seasons (2002-03). The winning contestant earned $10,000 by correctly answering some easy questions. The host told the man he could turn his cash into $100,000 by taking a gamble. There was a five-in-six chance that he would lose everything and,…

Amassing wealth is within the grasp of average Americans. Some years ago a former Wal-Mart employee was interviewed on a national news program. The woman had retired with more than $1 million after working only 20 years. She had managed this by living on a shoestring and investing every possible cent in the company’s profit-sharing…

June 16, 2007. It was a Saturday night in Selmer, a small Tennessee town about 30 minutes from Freed-Hardeman University. Hundreds of spectators lined the street to watch a show sponsored by the charity Cars for Kids. But the event turned into a nightmare. At 6:30 p.m. professional driver Troy Warren Critchley did a controlled…

T. G. Downer, a resident of Moorhead, Mississippi, was immersed into Christ in 1979. He was 79 at the time. He had been studying the Bible and struggling in prayer for 16 years. T. G.’s first words after his baptism made an indelible impression on his daughter, my friend Madelyn Gibson. He said, “I have…

The guest speaker presents an outstanding message. It’s well-organized, skillfully delivered, and short. The elders of the church promptly offer him the open pulpit position. But then, to everyone’s dismay, the man’s first sermon as the new minister lasts two hours. Children cry. Roasts burn. Calling an emergency meeting, the elders demand an explanation. “Your…

Gossip is a serious offense. Paul lists it with sins such as murder and hating God (Rom. 1:29-30). But is it accurate to define gossip as “saying bad things about other people”? No. Sometimes, saying bad things about others is necessary. Consider a few examples. Revealing bad things about others is necessary if silence would…

It sometimes seems that God’s word is failing to prove true. If the Lord has threatened to bring calamity on the wicked and promised to stand by his people in adversity, why do the evil prosper while the righteous suffer? Although such questions are troubling, the reality is that in his own time God always…

Some years ago I heard an amusing news story about the escape of 31 Ugandan prisoners charged with illegal gun possession. Five guards were watching the men as they worked in the prison garden. When a bunny suddenly bounded out of nearby bushes, all five guards raced away in hot pursuit. All 31 inmates raced…

If my neighbors next door are struggling financially, is it biblically acceptable for me to give my contribution money to them instead of the church? Excluding family responsibilities, financial giving includes two important obligations. First, I must offer a regular donation to the work of the local church. “On the first day of every week,”…