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  When Stakwell Yurenimo, a Samburu in northern Kenya, did well on his eighthgrade exams, the Kenyan government informed him that he had qualified to go to a high school that they would choose. They also chose his roommate, a young man named Paul, who was a member of the enemy tribe, the Turkana. Stakwell … Continue reading A man’s life can be changed with forgiveness

Once as a teenager, I went on a double date with my cousin. Halfway through the date, I found out the girl I was with had an insanely jealous boyfriend named Marty. He was also big, she said. “And,” she added, “He has a nasty temper.” I figured that to be a deadly combination, so … Continue reading Whatever fills you, controls you

  A supply preacher for a small-town Texas church came in early on Sundays, preached a sermon to the congregation and then left after lunch. One Sunday, he arrived earlier than usual, so he sat down at a local doughnut shop, opened his Bible and went over his sermon notes. A man sitting down at … Continue reading Church membership matters

When was the last time you asked the butcher if the particular piece of beef you were looking to purchase had been sacrificed to idols? It’s been a long time for me. Since, well, forever. But that is the illustration Paul uses in Romans 14, when he is instructing the believers in Rome about how … Continue reading Liberty–not judgment–for all

You may have wondered why fire trucks are red. Here’s the answer: Fire trucks are red because they have four wheels, and eight people ride on a fire truck; everybody knows that four plus eight is 12. There are 12 inches on a ruler. Queen Elizabeth was a ruler. They also named a ship after … Continue reading There is no substitute for the church

One of our favorite home movies includes a two-minute solo by our fifth child, Jesse, who belted out “Bare Necessities” in his pajamas one evening when he was 4 years old. It’s a classic, including his inventive re-scripting: “the simple bare neh-whessipees.” We knew then that Jesse loved music, and when he asked for his … Continue reading One week, three milestones