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Read Ephesians 4:21–24

Gentlemen:

Enclosed you will find a check for $150. I cheated on my income tax return last year and have not been able to sleep ever since. If I still have trouble sleeping, I’ll send you the rest.

Sincerely,

______________

This note is said to have been received by the Internal Revenue Service some time ago. We chuckle because the sender was willing to be honest up to a point...just far enough to help relieve his guilty conscience...just far enough to help his sleep return...but not far enough to make a clean break.

Read Acts 20:22–24

The scene is familiar: a hospital lobby with all the expected surroundings...soft sofas and folded newspapers...matching carpets and drapes illumined by eerie lighting...a uniformed lady at the desk, weary from answering the same questions...strange smells...and lots of people.

Read Mark 6:18–20

Eagle thinkers ask the hard questions, take strategic risks, search hard for the whole truth, and soar high above mediocrity. Parrot people enjoy the predictable, routine, rehearsed words of others.

Read Luke 12:34

Idols take many forms.

Read 2 Timothy 4:1–2

During my pastoring days in New England, I heard of a teacher who quizzed a group of high school students on the Bible. The quiz preceded a Bible-as-literature course he planned to teach at the Newton (Massachusetts) High School, generally considered one of the best public schools in the nation. Among the most astounding findings he got from the students:

Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers.

Jezebel was Ahab’s donkey.

The four horsemen appeared on the Acropolis.

The New Testament Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luther, and John.

Read Psalm 78:70–72

Both adversity and prominence confront our equilibrium, but prominence is perhaps the more challenging test. The classic example is David.

[God] chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—God’s own people, Israel. He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands. (Psalm 78:70–72)

Read Matthew 7:24–25

The great plague stretched across London like a thick, drab blanket. It came as a thief in the night. The mortality rate was astounding.

Read Proverbs 4:23–25

Instant replays have become old hat. We now expect them in all televised scenarios. Whether it’s a tennis pro’s impressive backhand or an in-store video camera capturing the sticky-fingered shoplifter or a squad car dashcam chronicling an officer’s every move! These days, we never should worry about missing it the first time around. It’ll be back again and again and, probably, again—splashed across cable news.

Read 1 Peter 3:15-16

One of the toughest assignments in life is to communicate clearly what happened during a time when emotions were high. People who “fall in love” can hardly describe the details of the moment. Those who’ve endured a sudden loss or witnessed a tragic accident often convey the information in a confused manner.

Read Psalm 8:3-4

We often hear people say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Although sweating the small stuff can occasionally be a drag, there’s another side to that coin. Greatness and the attention to detail, in my opinion, are welded together. A great piece of music is like that—carefully arranged orchestration carrying out a majestic melody blending with the surrounding sound of harmony. Haunting chords, rhythm, and lyrics. The choral group that performs is also committed to the fine line. Not much room for “don’t sweat the small stuff” philosophy.