Compromise is woven throughout our lives, whether in politics, workplaces, churches, marriages, or families. We compromise our preferences, our dreams, and (sometimes) even our values. In a broken world, and with broken lives, none of us gets what we want, does what we want, or even knows what to want all the time. But when […]
Seven-year-old Zachary sat in the straight-back chair in his guidance counselor’s office. Pushing round glasses up his freckled nose, Zachary looked around at the posters and books before focusing his eyes on Mrs. Jones. “Zachary, your teacher said she caught you cheating,” she said. “Do you remember this morning in chapel when we talked about […]
Historians would have to critique this, but perhaps the world is more polarized than ever. On the eve of a new year can we say that the world is united in anything but sin? Sadly, the church is not much better. The answer to the divisive tensions in the world, and to the fractured fellowship […]
Our planet’s shorelines, canyons, and deserts bear the marks of gradual destruction from wind, water, and ice. Most days the small creek near my house minds its own business, but in the spring, heavy rains turn it into a small river. Over time, soil erosion has changed the course of the creek. A different kind […]
Use one or both of these questions to introduce the lesson: 1. Tomorrow is a day that features football bowl games. Why do you believe team sports appeal to us, even more than individual sports competitions? 2. What team experiences have you had (sports, work, social organization, etc.)? What makes a team effort more satisfying […]
