The Hollywood branch of the American Cancer Society decided to hold a benefit night in conjunction with a professional tennis tournament. It turned out to be embarrassing for them, however, when they learned that a major tobacco company was sponsoring the competition. Officials of the society fo

The Lord's Wisdom Upon first reading, these precepts gleaned from the gospels seem to defy human logic. A deeper study, however, will reveal that in them the Lord has outlined a wondrous pattern and a wise design for believers who want to enjoy a successful, overcoming life. Note these paradoxes: W

Voltaire stated: "If a miracle occurred in the market place of Paris and in the presence of 2,000 men, I would rather disbelieve my own eyes and the 2,000." The point is that facts alone will never bring a man to Christ, saving faith is the work of the Holy Spirit from start to finish. I guess seei

Only a Cobbler William Carey, sometimes called "the father of modern missions," always seemed to have a humble spirit. In young manhood he had a job repairing shoes. As the years went by, honors were heaped upon him because of his many accomplishments. Yet this unassuming man would only accept

Socrates wrote: "Could I climb the highest place in Athens, I would lift my voice and proclaim: 'Fellow citizens, why do you turn and scrape every stone to gather wealth, and take so little care of your children, to whom one day you must relinquish it all?"

One Sunday, a minister began his sermon: "I'd like to make three points today. First, there are millions of people around the world who are going to hell. Second, most of us sitting here today do not give a damn about it." After a lengthy pause he continued: "My third point is that you are more conc

Moses must have seemed like an unlikely candidate for an inferiority complex. Raised in privilege as an adopted son in Pharaoh's household, he "was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action" (Acts 7:22). He even believed at one point that he was destined t

The first concern of the leadership of the church should be for the filled seats, not he empty ones. When a young preacher complained to Charles Spurgeon that his own congregation was too small, Spurgeon replied, "Well, maybe it is as large as you'd like to give account for in the day of judgment."

In his powerful book The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul observed that unbelievers often feel uneasy in the presence of an obedient Christian. The holiness of God reflected in a believer's life makes the non-Christian uncomfortable. Sproul then told the following true incident to illustrate his poi

The streams of life flow from our inner heart. And at the heart of one who ministers must be character. Financier J.P. Morgan once commented that a man's best collateral is his character. -Wiersbe Wiersbe, Making Sense of the Ministry