John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, one of the lesser lights among the English reformers, was burned at the stake on February 9, 1555, under the ruthless reign of bloody Mary. He had a reputation for personal holiness and Spirit-filled preaching. Thousands...
The story is told of man with a bulging waistline who decided to do something about his weight. Engaging the fight with the flab, he decided to change his route to work so that he would not pass his...
The story is told of a time when President Lincoln was carrying his two crying sons who were behaving badly. When someone asked him what was wrong with the boys, Abraham Lincoln replied, “Exactly, what is wrong with the whole world. I have three...
President Theodore Roosevelt used to have a pet dog that was always getting into fights and being beaten by other dogs. A reporter once asked the president about that. The reporter stated, “Your dog is not much of a fighter is he, Mr. President?”...
Jeb Stuart was the Civil War's version of a B-2 Stealth Bomber. This gallant, and gusty West Point graduate had an uncanny ability to infiltrate the federal lines without being detected. On the Confederate side he was nicknamed "the eyes of the army," and...
Someone has said that life is a bridge of groans over a river of tears. While that statement may be overly pessimistic, there is nevertheless more than a tinge of realism in it. Life has a way of reducing each of us to a puddle of tears....
When Henry Kissinger was Secretary of State of the United States, an aide in the White House approached him with a report. Kissinger asked, "Is this the best you can do?" The aide sheepishly replied that he could do better. A few days later,...
It has been called the largest lockdown in the United States. On Thursday, March 19, 2020, California ordered its forty million residents to stay at home except for essential activities such as obtaining food, supplies and medical care. Californians are not...
Having the right perspective is essential to enduring through any difficulty in life. One of the encouragements that someone told me a long time ago was: "If you could look back five years from now, how much will this really matter?" Over the years of my life...
On behalf of our elder team, we wanted to share another update on our developing response to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Please see Pastor Philip’s video....
I heard the story of a polar bear and her young cub living in the frigid extremes of Alaska. One morning the cub came to her mother and said, "Mom, are you sure I am a polar bear?" "Of course you are," the mother calmly replied. The cub went away...
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Recently I read a beautiful story about a grandmother celebrating her fiftieth wedding anniversary. Surrounded by friends and family, she was asked, "What is the secret of your long marriage?" "Oh, it is very simple," she said. "Before Henry and I got married, I was...
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In the book of Proverbs unguarded and ungodly anger is likened to a destructive flood that swallows everything in its path (Prov. 27:4). Yet, while anger over the wrong thing, at the wrong time, and in the wrong manner is a destructive force not unlike a flood,...
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It is the duty of every parent to protect their children from harm and danger. Our children young or old are always at risk from things seen and unseen. They are at risk from germs, passing traffic, sexual predators, bad company, car accidents, unwanted pregnancy,...
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When a man was hanging on a cross, suspended on iron spikes, he wanted one thing and one thing only, death. He thought of one person and one person only, himself. Given that reality, that is what makes the seven cries of Jesus from...
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While the Bible sees no wrong in wealth righteously obtained and properly managed, it is nevertheless at pains to point out the relative value, and fleeting nature of all things material and monetary (Prov. 23:4-5). We must never trust money to yield what God alone can provide, for unlike our unfailing...
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The book of Revelation is a very noisy book. It resounds to the clatter of the thunderbolts of God's wrath poured out upon an unbelieving world. From start to finish it echoes to the sound of war, earthquakes, and demonic beasts. Yet for all its blood and thunder...
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As a man was leaving church, he stopped to talk to his pastor and told him, "Pastor, you are smarter than Albert Einstein." The pastor blushed and replied, "Smarter than Einstein? Einstein was one of the smartest men who ever lived. What makes you think that I am...
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A lady went to her local bank to withdraw some money from her account. Having received it from the teller she proceeded to count it and then recount it. Wondering if he had made a mistake the teller asked, "What is it lady, isn’t it all there?"...
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A PGA golfer will tell you that Thursday is a very important day in any professional golf tournament. It is the day the player needs to get off to a good start. While the tournament cannot be won on a Thursday, it can be lost. They can get so far behind that...
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