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America’s future won’t be shaped by politicians

The United States of America celebrates its 250th birthday this week. Americans can be proud of our heritage. America claims the largest economy on the planet. Though China’s population is much larger, China’s Gross Domestic Product is only 2/3 that of the U.S., leaving the Chinese a distant second. But Americans haven’t been selfish with the wealth; the U.S. is also the world’s most benevolent country, giving away more wealth than any other nation. Because of the U.S.A., the world doesn’t speak German or Japanese, and Israel is a sovereign state. Young people from around the ...

God knows you better than you know yourself

Job, the biblical character who endured more than his share of bad days, felt the same frustration and disappointment that anyone walking in his sandals might feel. Job expressed his feelings strongly in Job 30:26-31 (NIV): “Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness. The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me. I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls. My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever. My lyre is tuned ...

When Dad puts Jesus first

Ninety-four percent of men say that building their family is the hardest task they face in life, but 88% also claim that it’s much more rewarding than they expected. Dads who impact the lives of their kids in a positive way leave a legacy that will affect several generations into the future. For that reason, fathers should be very conscious of the lessons they pass along to their children. Some variation of the phrase, “Listen, my son...” occurs 27 times in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a compilation of wisdom, general “rules of thumb” about life, presented as a father ...

Self-esteem in the sight of God

Between 1970 and 2000, over 15,000 “scholarly” articles appeared in journals and magazines about self-esteem in children and its relationship to career achievement, educational success, sexuality, relationships and every other possible area of life. The articles significantly impacted parents, teachers, coaches and others who worked with children. Youth leagues made sure that every child received at least a trophy for participation. Parents praised their children and disciplined their kids in “positive” ways. Educators had second thoughts about holding children back and the ...

Learning from God’s design of His creation

Ever hear someone say, “I wish I could start over again, knowing what I know now”? An understandable desire, but that’s not how it works. We all start “young and dumb.” We make our mistakes and we grow wiser in the process; experience is a great teacher! That’s the sad reality of how life works: One has to be little before he can grow big. After Job’s life came apart – when his wealth was gone and his kids were dead and Job’s body was covered in boils – Job was frustrated because he didn’t understand why God allowed all the tragedy and suffering. Job felt like God ...

Jesus doesn’t approve of an “Us vs. Them” division

First lesson: Not everything you might hear about the Bible is true. In Matthew 5:43-45 (NIV), Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven…” No biblical command actually instructs anyone to hate an enemy. The Jewish people developed that idea from passages like Deuteronomy 23:3-4, where God told Israel that “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the ...