I just received my new phone. It was a late Christmas gift from my wife. It’s interesting how changing phones has changed over the years. At one time all the information you had on your old phone was lost, and you had to manually put everything in. Now, you just take a picture of a funky looking box, and everything goes to the new phone.  more

Job 9:32-33: "God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together." (New Living Translation) more

In Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus says, “Therefore, anyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” more

How long can you hold your breath? As I prepared to write today’s column, I took three deep breaths, closed my eyes and held my breath for one minute and six seconds. The average healthy person can hold their breath between one and two minutes. However, the person most famous for holding their breath is magician David Blaine, who set a world record on the Oprah Winfrey show, by holding his breath a remarkable 17 minutes, four seconds. more

If you have ever left the salt out of your mashed potatoes, you know that salt is an important seasoning. more

I love to fish. There is something about standing on a creek bank, or waist deep water, trying to get a bass or perch to take the bait. The challenge for me is to hit the right place at the right time with the right lure. Of course, I catch and release. I love the taste of fish, but I am a bit lazy when it comes to cleaning and preparing the fish. (Come to think of it, it is time to renew my license). more

Revelation 10:6: “The angel swore that time shall be no longer.” more

Ezekiel 38:2-4: “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen." more

Every person faces a challenging situation at some point in life. Some challenges are merely day-to-day frustrations, some are overwhelming and a few are life changing. As a pastor, I have helped many face challenges that threatened to overwhelm them. Here are a few I have helped with or heard about over the years: more

Every morning we choose clothes for the day, and we ask ourselves, “What tasks do I need to do today? What will the weather be like? How should I dress today?” more

I love reading the Bible. It has poetry and history. It offers philosophy and advice on living. Every day new archeological discoveries are being made that support and prove the truth of the Bible. But most of all I love reading the Bible because God wrote it for you and me.  more

King David told the people, “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually” (I Chronicles 16:11). more

2 Timothy 3:1: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” more

Have you ever failed? I know the answer because of my own failures and because I have worked with thousands of people who have failed during my 43 years as a pastor. To the casual observer, many seem to have their act together but when you get behind their public face, you discover every person is a bit of a mess. more

Bill Brodherst had not run in a race since he was a high school student in 1980. Years later, he decided to train for a mini-marathon known as the Pepsi Challenge 10K. He was motivated because the great Bill Rodgers, a winner of many nationally-known marathons, was competing, and he wanted to say he had competed against the legendary runner. more

Jesus taught us to persist in prayer. His parable about the widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8) emphasized our “need to pray always and not to lose heart.” more

1 John 2:18: “Dear children, the last hour is here….” more