“As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.” (Proverbs 11:22) The point of this verse really isn’t about lovely women. It’s about discretion and the value the Bible places on it. What is discretion anyway? In other words, what does it mean to be discreet? Most of the world associates discretion with hiding something. For example, an extramarital affair should be handled with “discretion” rather being avoided altogether. Much like the word, gay, we’ve allowed the true meaning of […]

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16) It is my favorite Bible verse, although it was the Apostle Paul who proved how much it meant to him. He gave his life for it. His government, Rome, could not understand the power of the Gospel and beheaded him for his beliefs. The Bible records he insisted on a trial before the Roman Emperor and traveled to Rome to be heard. I […]

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18) Southern Gospel songwriter, Phil Cross, tells a great story about growing up in a small northwestern Georgia town. One of his neighbors, a pastor as I recall, had a small AM radio transmitter in his home. Every morning, he would awaken early, turn the transmitter on, and deliver his […]

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” (2 Corinthians 12:7) You can’t help but wonder what this “thorn in the flesh” was, but we know from Scripture that it kept Paul humble. It also ensured that his prayer life remained active. Theologians have offered a number of possibilities. Many have argued that Paul was talking about a speech impediment. […]