To fail is to not succeed, obviously.  Fail videos and memes have been popular with our youth. They highlight the failures of others for comedic purposes. Jesus wasn’t laughing at the fig tree fail though. Not long before Jesus went to the cross, He destroyed a fig tree while traveling from Bethany to Jerusalem. This encounter might appear random, but there are…

You may be someone who only has a few friends.  Maybe you have lots of friends.  (Your Facebook friend count doesn’t count.)  Regardless of the number of people who you consider to be your friends, and regardless even of what kind of friends you have, what kind of friend are you? Scripture teaches us, “A man who has friends must himself be…

In the thirty five years I have been part of Palm Beach Lakes, I have served under at least sixteen different elders. I am so thankful for the relationship I have had with each of them. Their influence on me (and on the church) has changed my life. It is remarkable that the direction in which these elders have lead us has…

Our nation has changed in so many ways, and this is so evident in the respect we have for each other. This is reflected in the way we sometimes speak to others. Since the words which come from our lips show what is in our hearts, to solve the problem we need to change the way we see each other.  Jesus said,…

There are many reasons and ways to mourn. A sign of deep mourning and repentances in ancient times was to put on sackcloth and ashes. Isaiah tells us that God can bring us out of our mourning and affliction. “The LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim…

John the Baptist was commissioned by heaven to prepare men for the coming of the promised Messiah.  And by all reasonable (and Divine) measurements, he was successful in his efforts (Matt. 3:5-6).  Scripture teaches that John even had his own disciples—who were learners and followers of him in what he was teaching. But there is something that we need to see (and…

A few years ago, Washington reminded us of an African proverb about rearing children. Evidently, it was part of the Igbo culture in Nigeria from centuries ago. You may recall the emphasis that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” There is some obvious truth in this concept, but there may be some inherent dangers. Let’s think about it together.…

A list of names and deeds begins in 2 Samuel 23:8 with these words, “These are the names of the mighty men whom David had…” As I read this list and the exploits of these men, I longed to be named among them. The romanticized ideas of a time long gone, when men defended their faith with sword and shield, with spear…