The Conductor

My wife and I recently attended a concert by the Morehead University Symphony Orchestra of which our grandson is a member. Before the concert got underway, the players began “warming up,” each individually testing his/her horn or instrument. No two were on the same key and the “noise” was almost deafening. When the conductor came…

Does Jesus Live At Your House?

The continued knock brought the mother to the door. A child stood there with a Bible in his hand. Without a word of introduction he asked, “Does Jesus live here?” The woman, although a member of the church, was so taken aback by the unexpected question that she did not answer. She didn’t even remember…

Is God Showing Through Your Life?

A little girl, on the way home from church, turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, the preacher’s sermon this morning confused me.” The mother said, “Oh! Why is that?” The girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?” “Yes, that’s true,” the mother replied. “He also said…

The Vase

There was once a rather rough, uncultured man who for some reason fell in love with a beautiful vase he found in an antique shop. He purchased the vase and put it on the mantel in his living room. The piece became a kind of judgment on his surroundings. The curtains looked dingy beside it.…

16 Things That Cannot be Done

It is helpful to know our boundaries, so that we do not spend our efforts in attempting things that cannot be accomplished. 1. God’s eternal purpose cannot be overthrown (Acts 5:39). 2. One cannot bear good fruit without Christ (John 15:5). 3. No person can keep his sins hidden forever (1 Timothy 5:24). 4. No…

The Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hand trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky  hands and failing eyesight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When…

Compromise: Some Things Aren’t Negotiable

A hunter raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear. When the man was about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soothing voice, “Isn’t it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let’s negotiate the matter.” Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, “I want a fur…

Can We Really Live For Jesus?

There are those who teach that it is not possible for human beings to live up to the standard of godliness that Christianity demands. The devil would like for us to accept that heresy so as to discourage us from even trying to live for God. Do we have certain propensities within us that prohibit…

Your Choice

In the Canadian Rockies is a stream called Divide Creek. At a point in its course the creek divides around a large boulder. Waters which flow to the left of the boulder rush on into Kicking Horse River and finally into the Pacific Ocean. Waters which travel to the right flow into the Bow River…

The Tree

[Jesus] bore our sins in His own body on the tree… (1 Peter 2:24). The corkscrew willow tree stood vigil over our backyard for more than 20 years. It shaded all four of our children as they played in the yard, and it provided shelter for the neighborhood squirrels. But when springtime came and the…

There’s a Purpose. Have You Looked for It?

Jesus said we’d have problems (John 16:33). Nobody gets a free pass. Solve one problem and another’s waiting to take its place. They’re not all big, but they’re all necessary to your spiritual growth. How do you measure the strength of anything? By testing it! Listen: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful…

10 Rules for Happy Living

1. Give something away (no strings attached). 2. Do a kindness (and forget it). 3. Spend a few minutes with the aged (their experience is priceless guidance). 4. Look intently into the face of a baby (and marvel). 5. Laugh often (it’s life’s lubricant). 6. Give thanks (a thousand time a day is not enough).…