Relevance
Matthew10:24–39
He was a hated man. He was therefore maligned, threatened, publicly criticized, and privately rebuked. By his own admission he struggled vigorously with sins of the flesh. Especially outrageous anger. His debating disposition, wrote one biographer, caused his writings to “smell of powder; his words are battles; he overwhelms his opponents with a roaring cannonade of argument, eloquence, passion, and abuse.” Sarcasm dripped from his pen.
The big picture
Matthew 28:16–20
If you were to do a little, fun research to discover the sheer quantity of activities that happen each day in America, you’d be amazed. Consider, for example, the number of cups of coffee consumed, the number of babies born, the number of people who take a taxi, bury a pet, get divorced, go to the hospital, watch prime-time television, ride on an airplane, and go to school.
Why do we suffer?
2 Corinthians 1:3–11
Of all the letters Paul wrote, 2 Corinthians is the most autobiographical. In it the great apostle lifts the veil of his private life and allows us to catch a glimpse of his human frailties and needs. You need to read that letter in one sitting to capture the moving emotion that surged through his soul.
Letters of reference
Psalm 15:1-2
September 12, AD 61
Dear Paul,
Criticism
2 Timothy 1:7
Looking for a role model on how to handle criticism? It would be worth your while to check out the book of Nehemiah. On several occasions this great-hearted statesman was openly criticized, falsely accused, and grossly misunderstood. Each time he kept his cool...he rolled with the punch...he considered the source...he refused to get discouraged...he went to God in prayer...he kept building the wall (Nehemiah 2:19–20; 4:1–5).
Tough days, part two
Galatians 6:9–18
Tough days. We all have them. And most of us, if we’re honest, must admit we don’t handle them well. Others who love us try to help, but they tend to complicate matters.
Take the four guys who decided to go mountain climbing one weekend. In the middle of the climb, one fella slipped over a cliff, dropped about sixty feet, and landed with a thud on the ledge below. The other three, hoping to rescue him, yelled, “Joe, are you OK?”
“I’m alive...but I think I broke both my arms!”
Tough days, part one
James 1:2–4
You’ve heard them. Those all-too-familiar cries of exasperation. Maybe a couple have crossed your mind today sometime between the too-early clang of the alarm and the too-late racket of the neighbours next door.
Going from bad to worse.
Jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
Between a rock and a hard place.
He said, “Cheer up, things could get worse.” So I cheered up—and sure enough, things got worse!
Witch hunting, part two
Ephesians 1:19-21
We’ve been talking about what I’m calling “witch hunting,” the phenomenon affecting our world in which people are eager to find the Devil in every nook and cranny and to blame him for just about everything.
Witch hunting, part one
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Flip Wilson’s line, “The Devil made me do it,” was designed to be funny, not phoney. Whether the comedian believed in an actual Satan is, for the moment, immaterial. All he was interested in was getting a laugh. But the thing that made it so effective was the real-to-life scenario the guy was acting out.
Determination
1 Corinthians 16:13
Years ago a certain issue of Sports Illustrated featured a lengthy article on Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Those who know me won’t be surprised to hear that I read every word of it.