The Salt of the Earth, Part 1

Ever smelled old, rotten meat? Remember forgetting for several weeks something you put in the refrigerator? There is an odor that accompanies decay that’s like nothing else.

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The Influence of a Servant

Ours is a tough, rugged, wicked world. Aggression, rebellion, violence, cutthroat competition, and retaliation abound. . . . What is true in the secret council chambers of nations is also true behind closed doors of homes.

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The Keeper of the Spring

The late Peter Marshall, an eloquent speaker and for several years the chaplain of the United States Senate, used to love to tell the story of “The Keeper of the Spring,”1 a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village.

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Jesus’ Portrait of a Servant

Shortly before her death in February 1971, my mother did an oil painting for me. It has become a silent “friend” of mine, a mute yet eloquent expression of my calling. It is a picture of a shepherd with his sheep.

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I Know a Peacemaker

A man I have admired for decades, the man who taught me Hebrew in seminary many years ago, is Dr. Bruce Waltke. He is not only a Semitic scholar par-excellence, he is a gracious servant of our Lord.

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Mercy Is More Than Words

Shocking stories make headlines today with remarkable regularity. A young woman was brutally attacked as she returned to her apartment late one night. She screamed and shrieked as she fought for her life.

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A Promise for ”The Gentle”

What comes to mind as you read Jesus’s words, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5)? Truth be told, we may get a false first impression. We may think, Blessed are the weak for they shall become doormats.

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When You Are the Offender, Part 2

Let’s say you’ve mustered the courage to approach someone you’ve offended. You’ve confessed what you did with sincerity. You’ve asked for forgiveness. But he or she refuses to forgive you. Now what?

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Three Basic Ingredients of Servanthood

The Word of God lays a solid, biblical foundation for what it means to have a servant mentality. But let’s get some handles on what’s involved in pulling it off. For starters, let me suggest three basic ingredients of servanthood.

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