apathetic
In December 2011, USA Today ran an article that analyzed a group of Americans called the “spiritually apathetic.” Their attitude could be summed up as: “So what?” The article presented the following sad statistics:
honesty is required
Their sin ruined the moment. Like a brawl at a wedding or a bitter argument during an office party, their selfish act brought the party to a halt. The new church had been an exhilarating community of love. “All the believers were united in heart and mind” and they “shared everything they had.” “Those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need” (Acts 4:32-35).
shea butter promises
Pastor Kofi has helped to plant 25 churches in Ghana and Burkina Faso, as well as a home for orphans and a school with 1,000 students. But he doesn’t have much money to manage all this.
dishing dirt
Recently, I read about one woman’s struggle to stop gossiping. As the mother of a preschooler, Sandy confessed to dishing the dirt about other parents, and even spreading information about her son’s playmates. She knew it was wrong, so she tried to go “cold turkey.” When that didn’t work, she attempted to put a positive spin on other people’s business. Ultimately, she admitted that gossip’s grip would probably win out over time; she just couldn’t resist sharing one more juicy tidbit about a dad on the playground . . .
“but wait, there’s more!”
Ever watched an infomercial—a 30-minute commercial disguised as a TV program? I have! In fact, I know all about the Veg-O-Matic and the Pocket Fisherman. And who could forget the Ginsu Steak Knives? I’ve yet to be coaxed into calling and placing an order for items like these, but on occasion I’ve found watching infomercials to be the right “entertainment”…
tweaked
One Web-based company creates and sells personalized lies. For a few hundred dollars, this company helps job-seekers create phony references for résumés, and then provides telephone operators to verify the bogus information. While most of us would never dream of lying so brazenly, statistics show that approximately 30 percent of job-seekers exaggerate or embellish aspects of their résumés. This makes…
promises promises
Genesis 3:2-5: “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied…
the truth
The innocence of our 8-year-old son recently took a serious hit. He has begun to pay more attention to television commercials. As he’s viewed the ads, he has slowly begun to realize that not everything they claim is true. Toys are never as exhilarating as the commercials portray. Tennis shoes never provide the excitement and cool-factor the advertising suggests. Recently,…
fish on!
Fish on!” I’ve heard those words shouted many times while trolling for salmon on Lake Michigan. It’s the traditional way anglers announce that a fish has been hooked and the fight has begun.
On one occasion, the angler who grabbed the pole that was dancing wildly in the rod holder was my buddy’s teenage son, Jake. For 20 minutes, Jake…
