The Hammer

In 1992, a farmer named Peter Whatling lost a hammer on his farm in England. On asking his friend, a metal detectorist, to help him find the lost hammer, they discovered 14,865 gold, silver, and bronze coins from the late Roman Empire. The entire hoard currently is valued at $4.3 million. The coins, along with…

A Stranger Came to Church

One Sunday, the pastor announced that a special guest would be joining the congregation in mere minutes – Lucifer. He told the morning crowd, “The devil will be here in five minutes. If you want to leave, you better leave now.” Five minutes later, the devil arrived, walked into the church auditorium, and faced a…

Your Gift to God

May 21 has been a busy day in history.  1842 – Hernando de Sota discovered the Mississippi River. 1881 – Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.  1927 – Charles Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic. 1932 – Amelia Earhart flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean. 2017 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum…

$100

The pastor made a plea for his church to give to missions. He asked, “If any of you had a million dollars, how many of you would give it to missions?” Every hand went up. “What if you had $10,000?” Again, every hand went up. Then the pastor asked, “If you had $100, would you…

The Dam Broke!

On March 26, 1913, in Columbus, Ohio, a man was spotted running through town. It was later discovered that he was running because he was late for an appointment. But out of curiosity, a young boy saw him, then ran behind him, to see where he was going. Then others joined in. As a joke,…

Fear Factor

Fear is a great instructor. Carl Jung said, “Find out what a person fears most, and that is where he will develop next.” Elizabeth Elliot offered great insight on fear: “Fear arises when we imagine that everything depends on us.” That is especially true of recovery. I see it all the time – a fear…

Old Man Rocking

A woman walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. “I couldn’t help noticing how happy you look,” she said. “What’s your secret to a long happy life?” The man replied, “I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day. I also drink a case of whiskey, eat fatty foods,…

463 Times

Genesis 4:3 reads, “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord.”  That was the first “It came to pass” in the Bible. But not the last. The Bible says it 463 times: “It came to pass.” I have claimed that…

Overcoming Relapse

Does a relapse mean you no longer have anything to contribute? Let me answer that with a sports analogy. When Tom Brady throws an interception, they don’t pull him out of the game.  We have this hope: “In him we have redemption, through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of…