I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1 Throughout history, there have been many acts of heroism in war. Perhaps the greatest examples came during World War II because it was such a massive conflict, but heroic acts continue today. Inevitably, when a soldier stands before his superiors, or even in front of the President of the United Stat

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 Edward Kimball was nothing special in the eyes of most men. He was not a pastor, missionary, business-owner, or CEO of a large company. He

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22 Since my dad is from Minnesota and since most of his family still lives there, I have been there many times for family reunions. On one occasion, he took us kids to an old train

Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Psalm 105:4 It is no secret that I like to run. As I am getting older, I do run less often than I used to, but I still enjoy it. After running several marathons, and many races in between, I can honestly say that, each time, I prepare myself for running before I go out to run. I put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I lace up a pair of running shoes, and I go run. Not once in all my years of running have

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2:19 Think for a moment about what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross. After one of his own men betrayed Him, He was forced to spend a long, torturous night being repeatedly questioned and be

And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. Mark 14:6 In any poll on college football, George Gipp easily ranks in the top twenty-five college football players of all time. He was on

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. Luke 22:31-32 The gladiators were a very rough bunch of men. They had what could quite easily be considered the worst job in the world. Their one task every time they went to work was to stay alive. The Romans got great thrill and enjoyment out of watching two gladiators fight each other to the death. Could yo

But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. 1 Corinthians 7:17 I pulled into the turn lane to get onto the highway that leads to our church, just like I do on many days during the week. But that day I noticed something different. There, in the concrete median, with asphalt on either side of it, was a zinnia flower in full

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16 Have you ever seen a squirrel trying to cross the road when a car is coming? I was reminded of just how indecisive they are as I was driving down the road the other day. The squirrel was meande

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. Luke 14:18 Though we don’t often admit it, we like to make excuses for our sin and for why we cannot serve God. It happened for the first time with the very first man and woman ever created. When God came to confront Adam about his sin in the Garden, he blamed Eve. She then immediately pointed her finger at the serpent. We are good at coming up with excuses, but most of them are fed to us by the devil himself

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1 Throughout history, there have been many acts of heroism in war. Perhaps the greatest examples came

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 I got to thinking the other day about just how many best-selling books, amazing songs, or artistic masterpieces are out there that have never been read, heard, or seen by the public because someone is too scared that the work they have produced just isn’t good enough. They are afraid either that someone will laugh at them or that their work will be a failure. Maybe they are afraid that they don’t have enou

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James 4:14 I have always enjoyed visiting the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. To see the old farms, the wil

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24 Dribbling a basketball is pretty easy, isn’t it? I mean, that is exactly what a basketball is designed for – bouncing. I have seen some people who were very adep

And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. Mark 1:17-18 Though America tried to remain neutral, she faced big problems on the high seas with the British during the few years leading up to the War of 1812. Britain and France were at war with each other, so they each attacked American merchant ships headed to the other country. Dealing with France was bad enoug

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1 Arlington National Cemetery is one of the most solemn and humbling places I have visited. Row upon row of headstones mark the graves of men who gave their all in service of their country. I even grew up with a soldier who is buried there – killed in Iraq when his convoy was ambushed. In Arlington res

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6 A few years ago I had the opportunity to go on a missions trip to Haiti to work with one of our missionaries there. It was amazing to see the dedication of the Haitian Christians, but, stepping aside from the spiritual aspect of it, something happened that most of us in the group were not prepared for. Haiti is much closer to the equator, and therefore, much closer to the sun than i

And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. Jeremiah 24:7 One of the biggest events that takes place in your life behind the day you get your kindergarten diploma is the day you get your driver’s license. That is also the day that one of the biggest controversies takes shape before your eyes. When they put your information on your license, they always

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Revelation 2:4 Often, on cool fall nights, I light a campfire in the back corner of my yard where I have a fire pit. My kids love to sit there and watch the flames, roast hot dogs and marshmallows, and drink hot chocolate. I have plenty of wood, so I keep the fire stoked, especially since my wife likes the heat. However, we start talking, joking around, and playing games, and the fire gets negle