FIRST-PERSON: Crowning achievements
The Bible is full of crowns. The first time the word crown appears in the Bible, it was spoken by the patriarch Jacob referring to the crown on the head of his son, Joseph, who ruled in Egypt.
FIRST-PERSON: One day closer
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – Recently I came across a story about a man who had a dream of standing in his house on an overcast afternoon. Suddenly he became aware of a change in the barometric pressure. Somehow the air felt different.
FIRST-PERSON: A nourishing faith
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) -- The Master Gardener – our Heavenly Father – is also the Divine Nutritionist. Having made us with a biological need for certain vitamins and minerals, He designed odd-looking, sweet-tasting, orange-colored tubes with the very nutrients we require to maintain our health. To make use of the nutrients it needs to be dug up and squeezed.
FIRST-PERSON: The unexpected journey
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) -- Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe was invited to speak at the graduation ceremony of a well-known seminary, where he gave the budding pastors something to think about with this story:
FIRST-PERSON: It’s (already) beginning to look a lot like Christmas
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – One snowy day in the 1940s, Robert White was working as a bellhop in the Grand Hotel in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, when a stranger showed up. The man was a songwriter needing peace and quiet.
FIRST-PERSON: Never forgotten
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – When companies decide where in the world to market their products, they want to get “the most bang for their buck.” Right now, that means China: 1.4 billion people with rising levels of discretionary income.
FIRST-PERSON: What do you see?
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – Caitlin McNeil, a 21-year-old Scottish singer, and her friends couldn’t agree about the color of a dress they saw on the Internet. Some in their group saw the dress with blue and black horizontal stripes while others saw the stripes as white and gold.
FIRST-PERSON: Be a believer who believes!
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – Macy’s annual Believe campaign has become a successful annual event. Each Christmas, children of all ages write letters to “Santa Claus” and post them in mailboxes at Macy’s stores.
FIRST-PERSON: The Good Samaritan
Thad didn’t have a choice. He commuted on foot to work each night, and his route took him through a dangerous section of town and down a darkened block with a broken streetlight. His whole body tensed for about three minutes as he passed that way, nerves jumpy, ears alert. But they were as quiet as cats the night they attacked him, and he never heard them coming. In the darkest spot on the street, a hand grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into the alley.
FIRST-PERSON: Be ready
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – Until recently, Christians in America felt protected by the First Amendment to enjoy the freedom to worship where and when we chose. The COVID pandemic shocked us into a new reality – as our right to assemble together was quickly and forcefully removed due to health concerns during the pandemic.
