There are 1,130 frostbitten miles, mountain ranges, blizzards, hungry beasts, and frozen seas between Anchorage and Nome. This awful trek is the scene of the ultimate endurance test known as the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Failure
He Sees It All
From a distance we in the church often look like beautiful people. We’re well-dressed. We have nice smiles. We look friendly. We appear cultured, under control . . . at peace.
Read MoreA Realistic Appraisal of Serving Others
We Americans like things to be logical and fair. We not only like that, we operate our lives on that basis. Logic and fairness are big guns in our society. Meaning this: if I do what is right, good will come to me.
Read MoreSome Common Misconceptions, Part 1
Does it surprise you that being a servant of God is perilous? To some folks, serving others sounds as safe and harmless as a poached egg on a plate. What could possibly be perilous about it? Plenty.
Read MoreWhen You Are the Offender, Part 1
Matthew 5:23–24 describes in a nutshell the correct response and procedure to follow when we have been in the wrong and have offended someone.
Read MoreManeuvering for Me
I’ll never forget a trip I took with my older son to shoot the rapids at the Rogue River in Oregon. While we were receiving instructions from the guide . . . , I began to study the canoes with my eyes.
Read MoreNo Fear of Failure
When will we ever learn that there are no hopeless situations, only people who have grown hopeless about them? What appears as an unsolvable problem to us is actually a rather exhilarating challenge.
Read MoreStarting Over
Instant replays have become old hat. We now expect them in all televised sports. Whether it’s a tennis pro’s impressive backhand or an NBA center’s slam dunk or a heavyweight boxer’s smashing jab, we never have to worry about missing it the first time around. It’ll be back again and again and, probably, again.
Read MoreFallibility, Part Two
God’s Word is infallible; people are not. Yesterday, we noted that this point is particularly underscored in the realm of leadership. We naturally seek after ministers we can respect and follow. And then—glory!—we come across some whose lives are admirable, whose leadership seems to be blessed of God, and whose instruction is biblical, wise, and dynamic.
Read MoreGood Intentions
Even though we have mentioned various aspects of this subject and have glanced at these sayings on more than one occasion in our study together, we need to give them further attention. Who hasn’t struggled with the daily grind of displeasing the Lord? Is there a grind that brings greater ache to the soul? None of us begins the day thinking about how we might displease God.
Read More