Wisdom
7 Lessons Every Preacher Must Learn
From the moment preachers graduate from school and begin a work, they typically become the focal point of learning in the local congregation. The nature of the work necessarily includes the built-in expectation of advanced knowledge and the ability to communicate. The man of God must prove himself a man of character, ready to face…
Read MoreWhat Did You Expect?
Author and poet Maya Angelou famously said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” While this may seem harsh on the outset, so long as we allow people the opportunity to grow, change, and improve, the truth underlying this quotation has biblical roots. In fact, our problems in relationships, on…
Read MoreThe Path to Maturity
Rebellion against authority, selfish demands, and violence dominate the headlines today, accompanied by various justifications rooted in ignorance of history and its value, in newly concocted microaggressions visible only to the easily offended, and identity politics so removed from reality that meaning ceases to exist. Sadly, the cacophony emanating from riots not recognized as riots,…
Read MoreA Prudent Wife
The book of Proverbs addresses some of the most practical aspects of life. From handling finances to dealing with people, its inspired wisdom offers meaningful insight to all willing to listen. However, one of the interesting observations available in a book largely written by a man whose home life left much to be desired pertains…
Read MoreInevitable Conflict?
The algorithms of social media encourage polarization. However, I do not mean this in some conspiratorial way. To the contrary, the programming that determines what we see on social media combines several metrics, including, but not limited to: (1) words and phrases that reflect high interest subject matter, (2) attention demonstrated by others regarding certain…
Read MoreHow to Overcome Strife
Division and strife dominate the news cycle once again. The ability of people and the media to pivot so quickly from division over candidates to division over pandemic policies of various kinds to division over ethnicity and injustice boggles the mind. It appears impossible for people in today’s world to engage in serious issues without…
Read MoreAn Exalted Nation
Before Athens clashed with Sparta or Rome defeated Carthage, the quest for geopolitical power dominated international relations as nations vied for control of neighboring regions to gain power over natural resources or strategic economic routes. Since that time similar concerns have dominated the rise of global leaders. While the scale of power has increased significantly—geographically,…
Read MoreBetter Than Gold
A crisis provides many opportunities for people of all stripes to display or fail to display wisdom. Whether personal, national, or global, a crisis presents an array of choices with the possibility of vastly different outcomes—but also typically with a lot of unknowns. During these times leaders often emerge, and pretenders wilt. However, one major…
Read MoreThe Days of My Prime
If you pay attention to sports, you will sometimes hear a commentator refer to an athlete being “in his prime.” Interestingly, the “prime” age may vary depending upon the sport. For most sports the prime falls in the late twenties and early thirties, after gaining sufficient experience but before the body has worn down too…
Read MoreElusive Insight
Constantly developing technology, advances in medicine, and the information available on the Internet combine with pride to convince people today that they have built a world of wonders—despite simultaneously destroying the best of that world in the name of being a more advanced civilization. However, Job lamented in Job 28:1-11 how many discoveries and advances…
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