For many leaders, work-life tension is a struggle. If only the Bible gave us a definitive number of hours for our work week. Instead, the Bible gives us some boundaries to consider, but leaves us to seek God for specific guidance on our own personal situations. An early boundary Israel received was when God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments […]

In Luke 7 we read of a Roman Centurion asking Jesus to miraculously heal his servant. The final attribute I want to highlight in this series is this Centurion’s courageous faith. This Roman soldier had heard about Jesus and His miracles. Even though the Centurion was a Gentile, not a Jew, he believed that Jesus could heal his servant. Remarkably, […]

In this series we’re examining four attributes of an amazing man who impressed Jesus. In Luke 7, we read of a Roman Centurion asking Jesus to miraculously heal his dying servant. The third attribute I noticed about this amazing leader was his generosity. This Roman solider was likely despised by most Jews. He had little reason to show them any […]

In this series we’re examining some instructive attributes of an amazing man who impressed Jesus. In Luke 7, we read of a Roman Centurion imploring Jesus to miraculously heal this Centurion’s servant. The second attribute about this Centurion that stands out to me is his strategic wisdom. This centurion could have pleaded his case personally, or perhaps, tried to use […]

Imagine, what would it have taken to impress Jesus? Yet, there was a man in Luke 7 whom Jesus marveled over. This impressive leader wasn’t even a Jew, but instead, a Roman Centurion. In this brief story, we learn of a military leader, who commanded hundreds, asking Jesus to heal this Centurion’s servant. This man models several qualities which may […]

A fourth-century church manual, the Apostolic Constitutions, called Good Friday a “day of mourning, not a day of festive joy.” Historically, many have called Good Friday to be a day of sorrow and fasting. In our busy work activities, we rarely take time for reflection or sorrow for our brokenness and the brokenness of the world. We rarely mourn and repent […]

Encouragement from a friend can have a far greater impact than we often realize. This morning a friend from another city randomly sent me a text to say, “I was thinking about you. I greatly appreciate our friendship.” This small but kind act put a smile on my face, joy in my heart and gave me a boost for the […]

In 1931, R.G. LeTourneau’s business was deep in debt. He was forced to obey his bonding company’s rules to save his business. According to his biography, R.G., known as the “Dean of Earthmoving Equipment,” was told if he didn’t work on Sundays that the bonding company would take over his project. LeTourneau prayed about what to do. He was instructed […]

When China discovered the coronavirus in December 2019, they had a choice to make. They could try to bury the news, or they could be transparent and address the problem publicly. Unfortunately, they decided to try to bury the virus for six weeks. If handled transparently, those six weeks could have prevented thousands of lost lives. When crises surface in […]

Some friends of ours were struggling in their business enough that they were considering bankruptcy. They prayerfully chose instead to push forward. Just as they were beginning to experience a measure of business success, the coronavirus devastated their industry and some future opportunities. Fear and panic overwhelmed them. Many small business owners live on the edge with very little margin. […]