John Brown on the Christian Race
“The whole of the Christian duty is represented as a race – a race set before them, which they must run, and “run with patience.” The principal ideas suggested by this figurative view of Christian duty are the following: It…
Four Steps to Appreciating the Psalms
The Psalms have not always been my favorite book of the Bible. There was once a time when, like many others, I could recite Psalm 23 (‘The Lord is my shepherd…’), and I knew that Psalm 119 was the longest…
Four Reasons to Use Pen and Paper
As a writer, I spend as much time as anyone in front of a screen, researching, writing, and designing. I’m probably destined for early arthritis in my hands, since my keyboard is constantly clicking. This doesn’t mean that I’ve given…
The Earth is Full of Thy Mercy
When I think of the modern world, it is easy to be pessimistic. Outside the western world – and even within it – there is trouble, poverty, and chaos. Trouble in the World The third world, and much of the…
My Journey to Minimalism
The first job I ever worked was in security. I wasn’t guarding a nuclear power plant or high-security building. Instead, I sat at a marble desk nodding to guests at a retirement home. I know – it is not your…
Thy Hands From Egypt Brought a Goodly Vine
A beautiful paraphrase of Psalm 80:8-19 – 8 Thy hands from Egypt brought a goodly vine, And planted fair in fertile Palestine – 9 Clear’d for its grasping roots th’ unpeopled land, And gave it high to rise,…
Tract: The Personal Spiritual Assessment
Is your Faith STRONG ENOUGH to take the Personal Spiritual ASSESSMENT? Is your faith strong enough to do what the Bible says? “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Why? Because there are some…
Let Go of the Beam!
The gymnast clings, apparently terrified, to the balance beam. A moment ago, when the competition began, she ran to the beam and jumped on it. But now, with arms and legs wrapped in a death grip around the beam, she…
Let the Games Begin!
The swimmers ready themselves. The tension mounts. And in a moment…they’re off! With startling speed, the race begins. For agonizing moments, the competitors give everything, straining their muscles and their endurance. Finally, they near the finish line…it’s nearly a tie…so…
Timeline: New Testament History
Without timelines, I find that it is nearly impossible to understand history. Timelines provide a reference point – a sort of framework or scaffolding – that allows visual learners like me to place events in their context. Timelines are also…
