Daily Challenges Archive

As a minister and counselor, confidentiality is imperative to what I do. As a grandfather, it is a slightly less rigid rule. Whenever I am talking with a person, especially one in crisis, I make it clear that I am legally bound to break confidenti...

A friend of mine who was a pastor for many years used to say, “God’s will done God’s way won’t lack God’s blessing.” I believe that 100%. I think Scripture teaches that clearly. Here’s the interesting caveat, as Solomon puts it in this verse: God’...

Over the years, I’ve read and heard lots of messages based on this verse. The majority, by far, focused on the first half. The fact that God detests people who intentionally steal from and rip off others should not surprise us. This morning, I’d l...

I used to wrestle with the first half of this verse. I thought of those Mother Teresa worked with in Calcutta who came to the Lord under her ministry and yet still remained in desperate need of food and other physical requirements. Over time and t...

Solomon says a lot in this verse. Many theologians consider it a foreshadowing of Jesus and the Last Supper as well. Solomon is offering a pleasant time with good food and drink for us to come and join around God’s table. “The “mixed wine” signifi...

Culturally, it can be easy for us in America to picture this verse. We see preachers on TV, we see them in church pulpits on Sunday mornings, and sometimes we see people of faith speaking in public settings. At times, we even see them standing on ...

I once drove down a road in Sitka, AK, when I came upon a sign that said, “The road ends here.” And literally, that was where the road stopped. It was an island, so you certainly couldn’t drive any farther. I was somewhat entertained by the fact t...

Since we serve a God whose second greatest commandment is about loving others, it makes sense that the six and seven things He hates and detests in this text would heavily tilt toward those things we do to harm or wound others. It also makes sense...

I’ve mentioned in the past that I am a movie reviewer on some radio stations. One of the longstanding themes in movies is the subject of revenge. An interesting twist in many revenge movies is how the one seeking revenge often gets caught up in th...

When I look back over my life at some of the wise mentors of the faith who influenced me the most, one of the characteristics they all had was a calm, quiet sense of purpose. They also reflected a confidence—not so much in themselves, but in the G...

I just read an interesting list that suggested how older people should live and why. A couple of their foundational points were that most people will live to around 76, and that 38 is therefore middle age rather than 50. I had lunch the other day ...

I love learning new things, especially concepts, business strategies, and deeper truths about God and His Kingdom. Before anyone gets the wrong idea, until college I was an awful student. I didn’t like school. I wasn’t built to sit at a desk and b...