Mark 7:31-37 Have you heard the saying, “He has the Midas touch?” The saying refers to the mythical King of Phrygia, an ancient kingdom in Asia Minor, now modern-day Türkiye. One day, peasants in Midas’s kingdom found a foreigner asleep on the land; they bound him and brought him before their king. Midas recognized […]
Mark 7:24-30 Thomas Edison was an amazing person. It is said that “[He] was more responsible than anyone else for creating the modern world. Specifically, no one did more to shape the physical/cultural makeup of present-day civilization. Accordingly, he was the most influential figure of the last 500 years.” Edison’s early life wouldn’t have indicated […]
Mark 7:14-23 You have probably heard the saying, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Some people think it’s a quotation from the Bible! You know that God gave specific commands for hygiene in the Old Testament Law. He wanted His people to enjoy good health, and cleanliness was part of it. These commands are not just […]
Mark 7:1-13 Fiddler on the Roof, a timeless classic first released in 1964, held the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for almost a decade. The story centers on the weight of choices as Tevye, a milkman in the village of Anatevka, grapples with preserving his Jewish religious and cultural traditions in the face of changing times. One of the most […]
Mark 6:45-56 Early in human history, people learned that sailing the oceans and seas of planet Earth was costly and dangerous. Countless lives were lost as storms, hidden shoals, and other catastrophes awaited the unsuspecting sailors. Yet despite the risks, many persisted because of the advantages of travel and the movement of goods from one […]
Mark 6:30-44 Reverend Frank Graeff was a pastor in Philadelphia in the late 1800s. He had a radiant personality and an ever-present smile. Because of his cheerful outlook on life and simple faith, he was nicknamed, “The Sunshine Minister.” Although Reverend Graeff’s nickname indicated a life filled with joy, he also knew heartache and spiritual […]
Mark 6:14-29 As a young person, I was an avid reader. Because of that, I enjoyed the literature classes I had in school. Back then, we were assigned to read different types of classic literature. One author I remember was Edgar Allen Poe. I read one of his short stories titled “The Tell-tale Heart.” […]
Mark 6:7-13 One significant difference between the setting in Luke 9 and today is hospitality. In biblical culture, hospitality was a requirement! The widow in Zarephath took her last food and gave it to the prophet Elijah. She had no idea God would use her obedience to sustain her and her son, yet she showed […]
Mark 6:7-13 When I was in junior high school, one of the classes we boys had to take was woodshop. The teacher was eccentric, but I learned some fundamentals of woodworking in that class. Of course, the best part was using essential hand tools to build simple projects. Because of that positive experience, I […]
Mark 6:1-6 I once heard a story about the first automobiles in the rural United States. An older gentleman and his grandsons sat on the porch enjoying a lazy summer afternoon. He was reading a newspaper, and they were watching the swallows dipping and swooping through the humid air. Suddenly, a strange sound […]
