As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. — Proverbs 27:17 NIV Have you ever tried rubbing the edges of two table knives together? The edges won’t sharpen. What’s...
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I once heard a story about twin sons of a drunken bum. One became a highly successful businessman, an elder in the church, admired by all who knew him. The...
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Before I started kindergarten, I was taught how to use a knife. While my friends were using blunt-nose scissors, I had a sharp pocket knife that could whittle a stick...
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Years ago, I led a writer’s group that met in a Christian bookstore. When I drove up for the meeting, I felt lucky to find a place to park. Store...
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Our High Priest is easily touched with the feeling of our infirmities, because he was tested in every area just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, we can boldly...
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Those who believe seem ignorant to those who don't believe. Why do we think the world is round? What a stupid question. Since kindergarten, we’ve seen globes and pictures proving...
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The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty...
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Graduating high school seniors remember very few events earlier than ten years ago. They can’t imagine what life would be like without cell phones and video games. I’m old enough...
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I sometimes hear a person say, “Iron sharpens iron,” to encourage men to get together more often. Supposedly, we can improve our character just by rubbing elbows. Is that true?...
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Make good on your commitment to the Lord by preparing to share your experiences with those who might not understand how you have survived your struggles. Always be ready to...
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He went about a stone's throw away, knelt, and prayed. “My Father, if you are willing, let me escape this suffering. Nevertheless, I want your will, not mine.” — Luke...
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I will always be with you, even until the end of the world. — Matthew 28:20 All the rungs of a ladder are important if you want to get to...
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“Because evil will flourish, most people's love will grow cold. But those who remain faithful until the end will be saved.” — Matthew 24:12–13 Most Christians see a few Scripture...
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“Woman, where are your accusers? Is there no one here to condemn you?” “No one, sir.” “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” — John 8:10–11 If...
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“Do not store up treasure for yourselves on Earth, where moths and rust can eat it up and thieves break in and steal. Instead, store your treasure in Heaven, where...
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“If you forgive others for the wrongs they have done, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive them, he will not forgive you.” — Matthew...
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“If anyone publicly acknowledges me before men, I will publicly acknowledge him before my Father in Heaven. But anyone who denies me before men I will deny before my Father...
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“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” — Matthew 4:19 Right after John the Baptizer identified the Messiah, Simon Peter met Jesus for the...
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“But the second commandment is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:39 Everything Jesus said is important, but which words are most important? Based on his story...
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You must love God with your whole heart, with all your being and all your strength. — Matthew 22:37 As I consider some of Jesus’ more popular and not-so-popular sayings,...
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I praise you, Lord, because of the awesome, unique way that you created me. You did wonderfully well, and my whole being knows and declares this truth. — Psalm 139:14...
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When I was in the third grade, I had a best friend at church. We ran and played together. Not inside the church, of course. Back then, we had no...
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“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” That saying has been around for a long time, dating back to at least the late 1800s. It says that beauty varies...
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In an evening Bible study, the topic turned to faith and prayer and what we can do to gain God’s favor. The leader said, “Doesn’t God help those who help...
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If I paused long enough to think about what God has given to me, I should be overwhelmed with gratitude. Unfortunately, my focus on what I don’t have can easily...
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Maya Angelou, bestselling author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, says, “By the time we are three or four years old, someone has knocked creativity out of us.”...
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When I was a kid, Santa came to our house, which was the most fun when my grandparents were there. After I was married, gifts were piled around the tree...
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In late November, usually a weekend just before Thanksgiving, I get to hang Christmas lights on the roof line. At my age, why do I do that? Maybe I want...
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When I was in the third grade, my dad was among the preachers who didn’t make much money. With Christmas approaching, he often said I’d be getting a bundle of...
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As It Might Have Happened in the Old West By Frank Ball For many families, reading the nativity story at Christmas is a family tradition. Here’s how it might be...
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Every morning, I spend an hour with the Lord, but not for any religious reason. That is, it’s not a liturgy. I just enjoy the time spent one-on-one, and I...
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Since the Thanksgiving holiday is only a week away, it’s past time to plan where you will be and what you will do. Airplane will be packed with people leaving...
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In the 1960s, we loved the Peanuts characters. Charlie Brown had a memorable Christmas, Lucy played on Charlie’s baseball team, and Linus always had his blanket. As a pilot, Snoopy had numerous airfield battles with the Red Baron. But other important people have been named Charlie Brown.
“Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey. Along came a spider who sat down beside her and frightened Miss Muffet away.”
Have you ever watched a football game and seen someone hold up a sign in the end zone that said: JOHN 3:16?
If you’ve ever shopped at Aldi, you know that to get a cart, you put a quarter in the slot and get it back when the cart is returned. After just a few trips, I learned how to make the math work in my favor.
If you’ve ever shopped at Aldi, you know that to get a cart, you put a quarter in the slot and get it back when the cart is returned. After just a few trips, I learned how to make the math work in my favor.
Fables are told so often, I’m sure you’ve heard this story. But in the process of retelling it countless times, the details aren’t always the same. You may have heard...
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Sam sat straight up in bed. What could the old man want at this time of night? Strange, but it was not the role of a servant to question his master when called.
Since Paul said he didn’t build on another person’s foundation (Romans 15:20), we might think he would leave Rome to others. Something must have made that area an important exception to the rule.
The scary thing for me is assuming that God wants what I want. Is it possible that he has a plan for the struggles I endure?
We can believe whatever we want. It doesn’t have to be true. To believe a lie, all we have to do is reject all evidence that conflicts with what we want to believe.
What we do know for sure is that he took whatever amount of time was needed for each stage of creation to perfectly suit his purpose, since each “day” was judged to be “good.”
If you’ve ever shopped at Aldi, you know that to get a cart, you put a quarter in the slot and get it back when the cart is returned. After just a few trips, I learned how to make the math work in my favor.
The most important thing I learned in school was to think and ask questions even if it got me into trouble.
If my thinking wasn’t weird, it was at least unusual, different from the other kids.
As a kid, I wondered about the sign hanging on my wall: Prayer Changes Things. I understood that promise to mean my prayers would always produce results.
How people respond to our thoughts and questions tell us a lot about what they’re thinking. With a little practice using this “sixth sense,” we might have others believing we are clairvoyant or psychic—even divinely prophetic.
Apart from microscopic inspection, cubic zirconia gems look just like diamonds, but they aren’t worth nearly as much. Why? Because perception of value determines the amount people are willing to pay.