Tag Archive for: Essays

Using Thankfulness as a “Life Hack”

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Reflecting this past week on the importance of gratitude and having an attitude of thankfulness brought this old TW article to mind from about a year and a half ago. It’s a short read, and in it, Mr. John Robinson notes how researchers have discovered that actively cultivating a grateful outlook produces a better, happier life—and notes, too, how the Bible was already giving this advice thousands of years ago. So, if you’re looking for a good “life hack,” you should consider actively seeking to increase your level of thankfulness.

Don’t take our word for it: Read the article! It might be a quick read, but the advice has long-lasting effects for those who will take it to heart. It’s one click away, in the link below.

When the God of Marvels Defeated a “God” of Marvel (Studios)

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Editor’s Note: My apologies! Mr. Ryan Dawson submitted this earlier during the Holy Day season—an excellent meditation prompted by Marvel Entertainment’s current flirtation with the gods of Egypt and the fact that we’re observing a time when God demonstrated His superiority over those very gods. Still, the Days of Unleavened Bread aren’t over yet! And hopefully you will find this explanation of the revealed reality behind fiction to be helpful. Enjoy the rest of your days of not-fluffy-at-all bread!

It’s that time of year when we consider the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. We think about the plagues that God poured out—and, if we remember that these plagues were real, we are thankful that we did not get to see them. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking about the Exodus as a story rather than as history, but this was a real event in God’s plan that brought the world’s biggest superpower to its knees. Let’s take a look at the final plague that put fear into those who occupied the land of Canaan—the plague that made the world marvel at the one true God.

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Thinking Biblically: Entertainment

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As you’ve probably heard or read on this website, we hope to cover how to think biblically about any given topic. I appreciate that phrase, as it’s close to something I’ve said frequently in sermons and other messages: “Keep your brain turned on!” 

But what about entertainment? 

Sometimes the problem with thinking biblically about entertainment is that entertainment is usually designed to help us stop thinking. When I consider some of the entertainment I enjoy, like fantasy football or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I know that part of the reason I enjoy it is because it’s not mentally taxing—I can transport myself to a happy, fictional place where superheroes defeat villains, or to an alternate reality where I know who will score more touchdowns. 

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Attack of the Unleavened Tacos

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With the Days of Unleavened Bread right around the corner, it seems a good time to bring out this short story. During the Days of Unleavened Bread many years ago when I was pastoring congregations in Missouri, I had a trip out of town for a ministerial visit that saw me leaving rather hastily and not taking anything to eat with me, though the trip would end up keeping me out until far past dinner time. So, that night I eventually visited the drive-thru of a popular fast food joint to grab some cornflour (and unleavened) “hard shell” tacos. (I won’t mention the name of the place, but it rhymed with Spock Hotel…) I used the drive-thru because I didn’t want to lose any time on the road.

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The Promise of a Brand New Beginning

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We published an old commentary by Mr. Jonathan McNair recently that was (1) related to Passover, (2) referenced recently in a sermon by Mr. Weston, and (3) so very, very encouraging. It highlights that Passover isn’t just about looking backward and that all of us can gain hope from the promise that’s available to us through God’s forgiveness and merciful aid—the promise that we can, at any time, create a brand new beginning.

We’d like to link to it here for you to consider reading as the Spring Holy Days approach. It’s a very short read and well worth the little time it takes: “The End of the Beginning.”

A Lesson from (sigh) the Oscars: “Love will make you do crazy things.” Really?

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OK. This is not meant as encouragement to watch the Oscars each year. The audience levels for the Oscars are dying, and they should be allowed to die. But when something newsworthy (or “newsworthy,” with appropriate quote marks) happens during them, there is can be something to learn from it. Here’s a hot take about last night’s.

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What Rick Astley Taught Me About Getting It Waaaaaaaay Wrong

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I know Rick Astley is an 80s phenomenon, but Rickrolling has kept him more prominent in the culture a lot longer than anyone expected (the Wreck-It Ralph 2 post-credits scene is the most recent example I’ve heard of), so hopefully referring to him will not be too out of date for you to understand my point. In fact, if you can read, you should be able to get it regardless of Rick Astley’s place in your life. (If you can’t read, how did you get this far?)

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