First Impressions

How often have we all made a judgement from a first impression, only to be wrong?  No doubt, most of us have done this many times in our life.  It may not always be an extreme, but there’s a reason they say you can’t judge a book by its cover. Near the end of Paul’s

Position of Influence

When you think of a position of influence, you typically think of some kind of leader.  Could be a political or military figure, or perhaps a famous celebrity, or even a Pastor.  The common theme for just about anyone that quickly comes to mind has something to do with their particular ‘rank’ in their area

Matching Word and Deed

Who hasn’t heard the old phrase, do as I say, not as I do.  It’s a common ‘excuse’ some parents make in teaching their children… that somehow their words are worth following but their actions should be ignored.  Obviously most of us realized the error in this statement.  Your words only hold value if your

Bible in 5 Minutes

As a Foster Dad with my fifth child in the home, I’m in new territory.  Until recently, the youngest I had come into my home was 4 (literally on her 4th birthday actually).  So welcoming an 8 1/2 year old a month ago has been a new experience.  She’s been a joy to have and

False Accusations

We’ve all been falsely accused of something at some point, but very few have been falsely accused to the point where our very life depended upon the outcome.  This was the case for Paul on more than one occasion.  However it is his response to Felix that we focus on today. “Knowing that for many

Knowing the Future

If you ever watched the show “24”, you know how intense it can be.  The hero Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is regularly in a nasty situation with potentially no way out.  However when I began watching the show, the fourth season had just completed.  This meant that as we watched the first three seasons, we

Who is Your Teacher?

In the movie Good Will Hunting, Will (played by Matt Damon) has an interesting conversation with a graduate student about where his thoughts come from.  As Clark (the student) is attempting to assert some of his knowledge learned from his classes, Will interrupts him because he already knows what Clark will say, based on who

Without Sin

It seems obvious to most people familiar with the Bible, that man simply cannot be without sin.  It is impossible for us to actually sin no more.  In the story of Jesus protecting the prostitute from being stoned, he comments about this.  His first words are directed to those about to stone the woman. “Let

Do for Man, Not for Jesus

Colossians 3:23 tells us “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”  Yet I title a blog what seems to be the opposite.  How can that be?  Believe it or not, these two statements are not in conflict with each other. One of the most important points of Paul’s entire

There’s a Snake in My Boots

Who doesn’t know the phrase made famous by Woody the Cowboy from Disney?  You probably even had Tom Hanks’ voice in your head when you read the title of this blog. No, I’m not writing about boots, or cowboys or any Disney theme, but I am talking about a snake among us. The snake I