The book of Luke uses the word “lost” more than any other book in the New Testament.  It is within the pages of this account of the gospel that we read, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (19:10).  Chapter 15 focuses on a sheep that was a lost, a coin that was…

The doctrines of men have certainly created significant confusion in the religious world, regarding not just what some would try to classify as “trivial matters,” but impacting the most critical of all subjects—man’s salvation. Man-made doctrines vary on (1) identifying those who are lost, (2) designating who has the right to be saved, (3) enumerating what man must do in order to…

There are so many name brand products that you know—you hear and read a lot about them.  For most name brand products (medicines, foods, beverages, paper goods, etc., etc.) there are generic brands that are similar to their name brand counterparts, but you don’t generally see or hear the generics advertised.  The greatest appeal of generic brands is that they do not…

A few years ago, my family walked into a toy store where there was a massive display of Mr. Potato Heads, along with dozens of parts and accessories for the little spuds.  On the display  were small empty boxes that children (and parents!) could stuff full of all the Potato Heads and parts they wanted and pay a fixed price of $18. …

We’ve all heard the stories about  a genie offering to grant wishes, and most of us have probably spent time imagining what wishes we would make.  While genies are, of course, imaginary and fanciful creations of some clever minds, there is a story in the Bible about God asking a man what he wanted. In 1 Kings 3, “the Lord appeared to…

Someone passed this test on to me several years ago.  I do not know where it came from originally, but it is outstanding.  The following “tests” can be applied to nearly every situation you face to determine whether an action is right or wrong.  As you are weighing your options, answer these questions. The Personal Test: Will doing this make me a…

What a great weekend!  In fact, it was the perfect weekend, exactly what was needed!  How do I know? Dave Miller arrived safely and did an outstanding job in the seminar.  He presented seven masterful lectures!  Actually, they were perfect, exactly what was needed!  How do I know? There were hundreds in attendance at the Eissey Campus Theatre every night, half of…

Try to imagine a marriage like the following example and consider how you would react if you were the husband in this illustration. Your wife only comes to the house once a week and only stays for about an hour.  Sometimes she doesn’t even show up every week and it may be two or three weeks before she comes back to the…