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Prepositions are words that tell us how one thing in space relates to another. The mime is in Sweden. The book is on the Volkswagen. The pig is under the blanket. So why does Paul use a preposition to describe the relationship between the Christian's love for Christ and the kind of love we should have for Him?

Many people converse in the Gospel of John: Jesus, John the Baptist, Andrew, Philip, Nathanael, Mary, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and a royal official—those are just the ones in the first four chapters. In each conversation John recorded, one speaker responds to another. But the fascinating thing is, sometimes John does something with the Greek language you can’t see in most English Bible versions.

Who doesn’t love a cute puppy? That’s mine in the picture above. Puppies are perceptive, quick, strong, and brave. And that’s not only my opinion, that’s what the philosopher Plato once said when comparing a puppy to a noble young man. . . . When it comes to the nobility God desires, social status has nothing to do with it. Plato must have appreciated puppies. He felt they were noble for their perception and strength. We appreciate God’s work in students as they grow in their spiritual understanding and strength.

Our life experiences are often plainer than the generic vanilla ice cream at the discount grocery store. But our testimonies need not be characterized by any less faith in God than Isaac demonstrated.

The only known manuscript of The Epistle to Diognetus, which may have then been the earliest gospel tract in existence, was destroyed in 1870 during a European war. Thankfully, a couple of careful folks had copied down the text of this manuscript well before its immolation.

Back when I was a youth pastor, part of my job involved planning theme nights for our church’s weekly children’s program. We had “Crazy Sock Night,” “Twin Night,” and “Pajama Night.” But the one theme night everyone seemed to pour the most effort into was “Dress Like a Bible Character Night.” Noah made an appearance. Ruth, Moses, and King David also showed up. But you know who I never saw?

One of Aesop’s Fables tells of a mighty oak defeated by the wind and uprooted from where it had stood for decades. The fallen oak, lying in disgrace, wonders how a tree as great as itself could be uprooted while all the weak and slender reeds surrounding him still stand. So the flimsy reeds let the oak in on their little secret. They do not fight the wind; they humbly bend.

When Jesus preached on the requirements to enter the kingdom of heaven in the Sermon on the Mount, He began with the Beatitudes—that list of statements beginning with “Blessed are….” Sermon titles and books reveal an assortment of Beatitude puns such as “Bee Attitudes” and “Me Attitudes.” And there are certainly enough to make you wonder (1.) why we call them Beatitudes and (2.) if the word Beatitude has anything to do with attitudes.

Facts can be so interesting. I just learned that the moon returns to the same spot in the sky at the same phase every nineteen years. Fascinating.

Which of these intruders would generate more of a ruckus in your home: a lizard or a spider? The Book of Proverbs asks us to imagine one of these critters in a king’s home—his palace. And Proverbs doesn’t stop there. It asks us to go even further and envision one of these creatures in our own hands!

We are happy to introduce the newest member of Positive Action for Christ, Brent Niedergall.

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear Thomas mentioned? “Doubting Thomas,” isn’t it? Of all the disciples—besides Judas—Thomas seems to get put down the most. He refused to believe Jesus was alive unless he saw Him.

As one who enjoyed a special measure of God’s wisdom, Solomon reminds us that the only constant in life is change — there is a season for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). We are experiencing a changing of seasons here at Positive Action.

The current pandemic has ravaged our social lives. We have been limited in the times and places that we can be with others. And the necessity of wearing masks has compounded these difficulties, limiting our ability to recognize people, read social cues, and respond to facial emotions. Even the most introverted of us have felt the sting of this degree of isolation.