threethrowing
If you don’t know how to “threethrow,” don’t worry—it’s easy. You hold up your hand and pin down your pinky finger with your thumb. The three remaining fingers represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You can use this gesture to connect with other Christians “when verbal fellowship can’t occur,” says Mark Mitchum, who originated threethrowing. He hopes that this hand signal will “connect [Christians] for a few seconds and allow fellowship and encouragement [to occur].”
thanks, but no thanks
A Christian school for autistic children received a donation from a corporation. After making sure that there were no strings attached, the school accepted the money. Later, the corporation requested to have representation on the school’s board of directors. The head of the school returned the money. She refused to mix school governance with secular values. She said, “It’s more important to do God’s work in God’s way.”
love hurts
Olivia Wilde is a film star who divorced her Italian prince because their marriage was requiring more effort and returning less fun. “I don’t think love should be work,” the actress told an interviewer, “My parents have been married for 35 years. They said, ‘You have to work at it. That’s what it takes.’ But we tried, and it wasn’t…
casualty hookups
According to Dannah Gresh, casual hookups can lead to casualties. In an article for CNN titled Nothing Brief about a Hookup, the author presents a compelling scientific case for the bonding process that occurs between two people who have sex—a process of special chemicals being released during the encounter. She explains that “there’s nothing biologically brief about a hookup,” and that…
growing from faith into love
Mark 12:30: You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.
Recently, I was called on to deliver the eulogy at my brother-in-law's memorial service. As I was seeking the Lord for wisdom that would be a source of strength and comfort to the family, the Holy Spirit taught…
only one thing
I shared this prayer with some people last week. Based on the feedback I’ve received, it has touched a raw nerve. It makes me suspect that there are more people out there who feel the same way. Taken from my review copy of Jesus Calling Devotional Bible, the prayer is from a person named Wanda:
All of life seems foggy…
i need God
The other night in my Bible study group we talked about something that touched me. My sweet sister asked how many times throughout the day we say, "I need a drink," "I am craving this food," or "I need this or that." Probably often. Now, how many times in the day do we say, "I need God"?
I need God…
spotless
I accidentally dropped my cell phone into the garbage can. It slid straight to the bottom, and when I pulled it out, it was covered with some kind of disgusting mystery goo. Horrified, I set to work spraying, scrubbing, and disinfecting. I didn’t stop until the phone was spotless.
God called the people of Israel to “sanitize” themselves. They’d been…
seeking and following
In Mark 10, we follow the lives of two men. Financially they couldn’t be more different. Spiritually they have much in common. Their stories teach us much.
One is a rich man who has all his physical needs met (Mark 10:22); the other is a blind man who must beg for his food (Mark 10:46). The rich man approaches Jesus…
jonathan's example
When Matt Damon hit it big in Hollywood, he bought two Jeep Grand Cherokees—one for him, and one for his best buddy, Ben Affleck. In an interview with People magazine, he said, “That was our dream car. We flipped a coin on the color. We both wanted hunter green and I won; he got black.” I had to smile when I…
we will serve the Lord
"As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).
—submitted by Ruth, Indonesia
company you keep
One of the highlights of living in East Africa is meeting men and women from around the world who come through the region to participate in short or long-term missions. Today, for example, while sitting in a Kampala, Uganda, coffee shop, I met a young married couple from Charleston, South Carolina. Amanda and Michael recently moved to Uganda to help…
turning losses into gain
One of the tremendous privileges I’ve had as a believer in Jesus was serving as an official chaplain for athletes competing in the Olympic Games. Ministering inside the Olympic Village was exciting, but it presented unique challenges. Many times I struggled to find the right words to say as I sat with medal contenders who—away from the glare of spectators…
zealous for Jesus
All of us are capable of being zealous, regardless of our personality type. Even the most phlegmatic person can be passionate about something. Some people are into soccer, for others it’s food. So the issue isn’t whether or not one can be zealous, but where a person’s devotion lies.
In Romans 12, the apostle Paul provides some instruction that includes…
Your kingdom come
When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13), the Jews were under Roman rule. God had promised them a deliverer—the Messiah. A Jew praying, “May Your kingdom come soon” (v.10) would have had in mind the end of Roman rule, for the Messiah was to come and establish a new kingdom (Luke 19:11), and for David’s descendant to…
