The world’s largest inland sea links Europe with Africa and the Middle East, tying together the influential cultures of Rome, Greece, Israel, and Egypt. The ancients called it Mediterranean, from the Latin mediterraneus (“midland”)—medius (“middle”) plus terra (“land, earth”). The ancients thought of the Mediterranean as the “sea in the middle of the earth.” The […]
The earth teems with life. Just read the first chapter of Genesis. God filled the earth with “plants bearing seed . . . and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:12). God decreed that the water would “teem with living creatures,” and […]
One of our church’s elders often points out the importance of the phrase “so that.” Those two little words can keep business meetings from drifting into aimless meandering. They compel the group to ask, “What is our objective? What are we trying to accomplish?” When church leaders meet, even to talk about minor matters, our […]
I have a touch of claustrophobia, so I don’t like being in tight spaces. In my college days I went spelunking (exploring caves) and as a young homeowner I didn’t mind squeezing into the crawl space under my house, but today I have less tolerance for anything that makes me feel confined. The thought of […]
When I was a boy my parents told me, “Sit up straight. Don’t slouch.” It was wise advice. Physically, good posture improves blood flow and fends off back pain. Socially, it communicates alertness and confidence. Spiritually, what is our posture toward God? Do we turn our backs to him? Avert our eyes from him? Try […]
