Daily Challenges Archive

For years, I hired staff to work in ministry with me. It was youth ministry. I was great at hiring. I was awful at hiring well. Too often, I would notify the board about a new hire. After extolling how great they were as people, the questions woul...

This is a particularly large group. Jesus actually said they far outnumber those of us who aren’t being led to death or moving toward slaughter. The truly sad thing is that they are basically unaware of their situation and what is to come. But we ...

This is a challenging verse. Knowing who we should and shouldn’t talk to, and when, calls for real discernment. The older I’ve become, the more I’ve realized just how few people truly have discernment. It is interesting how many people with great ...

We have discussed the fear of the Lord before. A reminder is always beneficial since the word fear often carries a very heavy and profound meaning. The word used by Solomon in this verse, as well as in most other biblical passages, means “a deep, ...

At lunch yesterday, a friend was talking about a friend of his who received a pig valve for a heart problem. He next told us that the friend said it worked great except it made their heart race whenever they went by a barbecue restaurant. Pretty c...

Yesterday was election day in our area. I hope your people won, and I hope they have a desire to serve. Even more importantly, I hope they feel called by God to represent His love for people as they serve in that role. However, whoever won, I’m gl...

Part of what Solomon is telling us here is that when we understand who God is, what He is up to in our world and throughout eternity, and why we’re here, it is impossible not to love the gifts that He has given. As we begin to understand, our pers...

Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Michael Faraday are pretty well-known names for their brilliant contributions to the world. What is not often talked about is their profound humility. Here is one many of us don’t instantly recognize: Srinivasa Ra...

There are so many benefits to learning to watch our mouths. Solomon tells us here that a foolish person can be mistaken for a wise one simply by being quiet. There’s an old saying that even a fish would stay out of trouble if it kept its mouth shu...

I’m not exactly sure who Solomon is talking about in this verse, but I certainly know it’s not me. I am not one of those who thinks all my ways are pure. I know myself too well for that. That being said, there are times when I truly believe I am d...

We know from James that sin begins as a desire and moves on from there to become full-blown rebellion. Here, Solomon lets us know that God knows what the wicked think about is destined to hurt His kingdom, and He has no patience for it. It goes be...

One of the great things about being a follower of Christ is the availability of God’s wisdom. Think about that truth for a minute. The God, the Creator and Sustainer of life, the One who began it all and has existed and will exist for all eternity...