Yesterday we learned that the great preacher Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99. So for today’s devotional, and as a testament to Graham’s own teaching, let me share a story he once told, and which captures something about the hope that was deep within him. There was a 30 year-old truck driver … Continue reading It’s a win-win (With thanks to Billy Graham)
The Up Devo
Get consistent
This week I’m sharing some thoughts about prayer. Like oxygen, prayer is a life-giving necessity for a vibrant spiritual life. Yesterday, I talked about how motives matter. Today, let’s talk about CONSISTENCY. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul says to “pray without ceasing.” But if you’re like a lot of people, there’s more ceasing than there … Continue reading Get consistent
Motives matter
You know a lot about your own body—probably more than anyone else (except God). But you probably don’t know this: -That there is an average of 7 octillion atoms in an adult’s body -That half the population has eyelash mites (yikes) -That every tongue print is unique In other words, you know your body well—but … Continue reading Motives matter
Chronic busyness
I’ve been talking a lot about love this week. It’s partly because… -I recently spoke about love at the church I pastor -a school shooting in Florida reminds us how desperately love continues to be needed -and Jesus commands us to do it. So as we try to love—that is, as we try to acknowledge that … Continue reading Chronic busyness
Zeroing in on the key ingredient
For centuries people chewed on the bark of Willow Trees to relieve pain. As we entered the modern period, some people wanted to find out why. Did it have something to do with chewing on the rough bark itself? Or did it have something to do with the orange-ish resin? They did some tests. Nope. … Continue reading Zeroing in on the key ingredient
Loved people love people
I was watching an interview with someone who worked with at-risk youth. He said, “Hurt people hurt people.” He meant that if someone has been deeply hurt in their past, they often hurt other people simply because it’s what they know. Is that always the case? No. But in his experience it was often true. … Continue reading Loved people love people
Love defined
Today is Valentine's day. It's a day a lot of people spend thinking about love. But I'd like to widen our scope a bit and think about what love actually means. And not just in the romantic sense, but in the wider love-your-neighbour sense. I think that when we look at Jesus’ example, love means … Continue reading Love defined
When they sang Happy Birthday she wept
Tony Campolo is a sociologist who traveled to Hawaii. Because of the time change he found himself wide awake in the middle of the night, wandering the streets, and looking for somewhere to eat. He found a small diner and ordered a coffee and a donut. Soon, a bunch of loud, boisterous prostitutes came in. … Continue reading When they sang Happy Birthday she wept
Being spiritually “fed” in 2018
Do you want to be spiritually “fed”? If so, here’s a newsflash. People today have more access to spiritually-enriching resources than at any other time in human history. A hundred years ago, if you wanted to learn more about your faith, in addition to calling on God and engaging in the traditional spiritual disciplines, you … Continue reading Being spiritually “fed” in 2018
Talk is… cheap?
“Talk is cheap.” Have you ever heard someone use that expression? It’s the cousin to “Actions speak louder than words.” I get where it comes from. Quite often, we only know if someone means what they say if they back it up with their actions. But WHY? WHY do so many people think talk is … Continue reading Talk is… cheap?
