“With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation.’ – Isaiah 12:3 Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. – Matthew 25:21 C. S. Lewis recognized the […]
“For we are labourers together with God.’ 1 Corinthians 3:9 The Bible says we must love, honour, and work together. So, why don’t we? Answer is Ego! We like to think we can do everything ourselves – but that’s not reality! There are no supermen or superwomen. So, the question […]
“Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” – Genesis 11:4 In his highly insightful work, “Inside Job”, Stephen W. […]
“They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.” – 1 Timothy 3:10 Psychologists have a test for selfishness – it’s called the narcissism test! Narcissism is a personality trait with excessive self-love. In Greek mythology Narcissus was a man who […]
‘Whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle.’ Hebrews 11:34 The writer of Hebrews said: ‘I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets … whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful […]
“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Judges 6:12 Judges 6 begins with an angel talking to Gideon saying, “thou mighty man of valor!” However, in this passage Gideon isn’t feeling very valiant, rather, […]
‘For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.’ Proverbs 23:7 What separates the best from the rest? Have you ever given that some thought? What separates a gold medallist from a silver medallist in the Olympics? What separates a successful entrepreneur from someone who doesn’t make it? What […]
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” 1 Timothy 1:12 In an article titled “The Hands of Jason Bateman and the Hands of Christ,” Matthew Eldridge, who was a body double for actor Jason Bateman, compares […]
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” 1 Timothy 2:1 There is the story by Anthony Bloom, of an elderly woman who had been working at prayer with all her might but without ever sensing God’s presence. Wisely, the archbishop encouraged […]
“Wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.” Ecclesiastes 2:13 The most important skill you can acquire is learning to learn. Gifted people can sometimes act like they know it all, which makes it hard for them to keep growing. Teachability isn’t so much about competence and mental capacity as it […]
‘There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’ Proverbs 18:24 Ancient Roman writer Marcus Tullus Cicero said, ‘Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.’ The fact is, it’s impossible to have more than a few close friends […]
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.” – 1 Timothy 1:15 Growing up in the projects of St. Louis, Marcus Gray never felt safe. Even his own family couldn’t protect him. 1His father […]
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.” Revelation 2:11 You can read the same Scripture on different occasions, and it will speak to you in totally different ways. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is attributed with saying, ‘You never step into the same river twice.’ And […]
“The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” – 1 Timothy 1:5 On May 2, 1962, a dramatic advertisement appeared in the San Francisco Examiner: “I don’t want my husband to die in the gas chamber for […]
‘My son, pay attention to my wisdom.’ Proverbs 5:1 Solomon told his son: ‘Pay attention to my wisdom … the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end, she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as […]