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ODB: The Heart Of Christmas
Charles Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol was released on December 19, 1843, and has never been out of print. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy, sour, stingy man who says,
ODB: For Sale — "As Is"
A house listed for sale “As Is” usually means the seller is unable or unwilling to spend any money to repair it or make it attractive.
ODJ: gospel 101
Suppose there was a nonbeliever visiting your home church. At the end of the service your pastor asked you to share the gospel with the guest. What would you say to him? What about the good news would you present?
ODB: Creeping Christmas?
I love Christmas. The celebration of the birth of Christ and the beauty and wonder of the season make it “the most wonderful time of the year” for me. In recent years, however, the season has been accompanied by a growing irritation. Every year “Christmas stuff” comes out earlier and earlier—creeping all the way back to early fall.Christmas used to be limited to December, but now we find
ODB: What Love Is
Years ago I asked a young man who was engaged to be married, “How do you know that you love her?” It was a loaded question, intended to help him look at his heart’s motives for the upcoming marriage. After several thoughtful moments, he responded, “I know I love her because I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy.”We discussed what that meant—and the price tag attached to
ODB: New To The Family
While on a ministry trip with a Christian high school chorale to Jamaica, we witnessed an illustration of God’s love in action. On the day we visited an orphanage for disabled children and teens, we learned that Donald, one of the boys our kids had interacted with—a teen with cerebral palsy—was going to be adopted.When the adopting couple arrived at the “base” where we were staying, it w
ODJ: bridging the chasm
When a supervolcano erupts—and thankfully that’s extremely rare—it leaves behind a massive basin known as a caldera. But they are so huge we tend to overlook them completely. As geophysicist Bob Smith described the 45 mile wide Yellowstone caldera in America, “The size is so immense that people don’t appreciate it.”
Simply put, from our earth-bound perspective we can’t
Simply put, from our earth-bound perspective we can’t
ODJ: for everyone
The very first time one of the apostles stood up and publicly addressed a crowd about the good news of Jesus, he wanted to make it crystal clear that what he was proclaiming was for everyone.
The New Testament book of Acts tells us that this happened on the day of Pentecost—an annual Jewish feast. The promised Holy Spirit had come and indwelt the believers in Jesus, filling them w
The New Testament book of Acts tells us that this happened on the day of Pentecost—an annual Jewish feast. The promised Holy Spirit had come and indwelt the believers in Jesus, filling them w
ODJ: named
After telling a Bible story, the teacher asked his Sunday school class, “What’s the name of the beggar?” Six year old Tommy confidently shouted, “Lazarus!” The teacher then asked another question: “What is the name of the other man?” Another student shouted, “Rich man!”
Nothing worthy is said about the rich man’s legacy. The only thing he left behind was all<
Nothing worthy is said about the rich man’s legacy. The only thing he left behind was all<