Dr. A.T. Pierson once wrote, "In a paper mill what a contrast between the heap of filthy rags at one end and the pure and spotless white paper at the other! What a trial the rags go through before they emerge in this new form! Torn to pieces and ground to pulp, bleached with chloride of lime til

One pastor had a rather crude layman who liked to go out visiting people. Since he was rather crude the pastor gave him a list of delinquent church members and some church stationary and told him to write letters to all those who haven't been coming. Several weeks later the church secretary rec

Corrie Ten Boom used to tell the story about a proud woodpecker who was tapping away at a dead tree when the sky unexpectedly turned black and the thunder began to roll. Undaunted, he went right on working. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the old tree, splintering it into hundreds of pieces.

Many Americans must have wondered what all the William Bennett gambling fuss was all about, if you can believe Gallup's most recent annual survey on America's values and beliefs. That survey indicates that most Americans don't see gambling as inconsistent with moral living. The survey shows that 63

Steven Brown tells the story of a Polish King who was out hunting with friends when he disappeared. They looked for him four days without success. Then, shopping in the marketplace, one of them spotted the king - working as a mere servant, a porter in the market. They reprimanded him for serving in

A word of warning from dermatologist Michael Kalman: "Today's deeply tanned beauties are tomorrow's wrinkled prunes." As I read that warning, I thought about sin. Sin is kind of like getting a tan. It may look great today, but tomorrow's a different story.

Look For the Gold At one time Andrew Carnegie was the wealthiest man in America. He came to America from his native Scotland when he was a small boy, did a variety of odd jobs, and eventually ended up as the largest steel manufacturer in the United States. At one time he had forty-three millionaire

Are you going through a hard time? Maybe these words from a song sung by Kristine Wyrtzen will help you like they helped me. The song is called "The Fire." I've been through a fire that had deepened my desire, to know the living God more and more. It hasn't been much fun, but the work that is h

Spiritual experiences are not unique to Christians. A surprising majority of Americans for example, acknowledge that spirituality is an important part of their lives. A Newsweek poll taken a few years ago revealed that 58 percent of those who responded felt a need to experience spiritual growth.

In 1971, UCLA head coach Pepper Rodgers had a disastrous season that started with four straight losses. He later said things were so bad he had trouble finding any friends. "My dog was my only true friend," he says. "I told my wife that every man needs at least two good friends - and she bought me a