Not long before Jesus went to the cross, He destroyed a fig tree (Mark 11:12-14, 20-26). In the midst of journeying toward Jerusalem where the most significant moment in history would take place, this encounter might seem to hold little significance. Yet, on His way, Jesus did condemn a tree. “Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to…

“I find it easy to portray a businessman. Being bland, rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me” (John Cleese). It is easy to be mean, and the world makes it easier. Life seems to be a gauntlet of rude awakenings, playground politics, the rage of rush hour, the push‐and‐shove along the corporate ladder, and the snippy bickering of a thousand petty…

“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities). We don’t know how people will respond to information. We speak and share what is needed and pray for the best possible outcome. However, that is not always the case. One could take the…

It was the best response and the worst response. It was a time for picking up stones and a time for casting off sin. Those that heard the message of the gospel in Jerusalem were divided on how they responded to what they would do with Jesus. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, preaches to the multitudes. The apostles had been filled…

We have all been asked to do challenging things—maybe something that, at the time, didn’t seem possible. It could’ve been an action beyond our perceived abilities, or it was completely new. To get over the immediate apprehension or anxiety of the task, we need to break the action down into smaller actionable steps. Let’s practice this with an imperative from our Lord.…

It is refreshing to take a deeper look into a subject that you thought was exhausted only to find more information. There is a principle from the book of Jeremiah that echoes into the New Testament and sheds light on a very common passage. Jeremiah’s message from the Lord was one of doom. Judah had done evil, and it was time for…

At the end of his first letter to the church in Thessalonica Paul gives them this charge. “Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21). In that context, he gives them many things that we can examine and hold on to. Hold on to your leaders.  Honor and cherish them (1 Thess. 5:12-13a). Good leaders are a…

Averell W. Harriman, a wealthy philanthropist, an integral part in the Post War international efforts, and Governor of NY also once served as a diplomat to France. When he was asked about the fluency of his French, he replied, “It is excellent, except for the verbs.” It is easy to see the comedy of this statement; however, it is no laughing matter…