An artist asked the gallery owner if there had been any recent interest in his paintings, which were on display. The gallery owner said one man had asked if the paintings would appreciate after the artist’s death. “What did you tell him?” asked the artist. “I told him they would appreciate in value, and he…
There’s a little verse in the New Testament that reads, “Abraham went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). Notice three things. 1. Abraham didn’t wait until he had all the facts before he stepped out. Life is about direction, not destination. When God directs, start walking, whether you can see the finish…
Jim decided to finally face his fear of heights. On his 50th birthday, he decided to jump out of an airplane. After the necessary training, Jim was in the plane. As the plane neared the point where Jim would jump, he turned to his instructor and asked a question. “What if my parachute doesn’t open?…
The Bible says, “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Notice that word, “strongholds.” Plural. More than one. And you can insert “addictions” in its place. Addictions are strongholds, and many of us have more than one. For example, a study of…
Let’s talk about one of the demons that can bring you down the hardest – futility. When you start believing the lie that recovery is futile, that your periods of relapse have rendered you hopeless, that is when you are in real trouble. Dr. Jay Stringer writes, “When futility goes unaddressed, it will eventually taunt…
Do you ever feel stuck? Ever feel like you have an uncertain future? King David pondered that very question: “How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:4). Repeat after me – “My past does not define me and it does not own me.” John R. Rice was…
In 1792, Thomas Jefferson convinced George Washington that the government needed a presidential home. It was decided to solicit drawings from the public. In March of 1792, ads were printed, offering $500 to the person who submitted the winning design. Only nine designers applied. The winner was James Hoban, an Irish-born architect from South Carolina.…
Tim Allen said, “Men are liars. I’m an algebra liar. I figure two good lies make a positive.” The Bible says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 12:22). For most of us, especially men, honesty is a huge problem. Research has found that men tell six lies a day. (Women tell three.)…
If you are married, your recovery is a team sport. You and your spouse are in this thing together. And in order to reach your goals, you will need to learn to listen to one another in a way that takes hard work. Cathy Huyghe, writing for Inc., offers three listening tips. Tip #1 –…
Late in the winter of 1569, Dirk Williams found himself running from the Dutch authorities. Although no one today would see his beliefs about baptism as radical or threatening, leaders of his day regarded him as a heretic. Fleeing for his life, Williams came to a pond covered with a thin layer of ice. After…