On Christmas Eve at a small church, there was a minister who placed a beautiful poinsettia on the altar. And then he made the statement that it was free for anybody who would come and take it now. A lady in the back raised her hand and said, “Well, can I get it after...
Over the years, I’ve heard lots of confessions, but I think it’s time for me to make one to you. Several years back, I was invited to an Ohio State Michigan game – the first one I’d ever been to. We went tailgating, I ate fried turkey for the first time in...
Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday and there’s a lot of stress around Thanksgiving and getting ready. Let’s put some things into perspective. A few years ago, there was a young lady who went off to college as a freshman. She wrote a letter home to her mom and said...
There’s an epidemic of loneliness in our country. We’re told that 25% of Americans are lonely. I encourage people who are going through a lonely time – maybe you’re one of them – to find somebody who is also going through a lonely time, perhaps someone who is...
Past few days, our country has been reeling from the tragedy that took place in Pittsburgh with the Jewish synagogue and the terrible shootings…..which begs the question “Why---why do bad things happen to innocent people?” My answer is that sin came into this world and...
Years ago, there was a woman who was turning 80. She had 3 daughters, and they said, “We’ve gotta do something special for Mom’s 80thbirthday.” The first one said, “I’m buying her a brand new Mercedes, fully loaded.” The other two were impressed...
Sometimes things in life happen that make no sense whatsoever. I had a professor in seminary who taught us that our lives are a lot like a tapestry, but we only get to see the backside of the tapestry. We see dark threads of black and gray, dark green and dark blue, all knotted...
Years ago, there was a young executive and his wife who were invited by the CEO to his home out in the country to spend the weekend. They went to several nice restaurants. On Saturday night they went to one that was very nice. The CEO was walking in front of them in the parking lot...
Not long ago, there was a pastor in a small town – he used to go to a homeless shelter on Friday nights, to the meal center, and offer it to anyone who would like it after dinner. Oftentimes he would have 10 or 12 that would line up by the stage, and he’d go down the line and offer...
Years ago, there was a church bus driver who would drive into the neighborhoods and invite children to come to church on Sunday. He met a little 8-year-old boy and his brother and invited him to church. The little boy said, “We’ve never been to church before.” The bus driver...