February 1, 2019 @ 8:00 PM

He approached me as I walked toward the door; an old friend for many years. We embraced and exchanged pleasantries. Before parting he said, “Irv, you are one of the few men I know who are finishing well.” I was flattered by his words but a bit perplexed. What does it mean to “finish well” and why am I one of the few men to do it? I searched the scriptures to learn of others who finished well to gain insight on what the Bible would call “finishing well.”

Jesus was the first one to whom I went. If anyone finished well it was Jesus Christ. He lived a sinless, spotless life above reproach, completely keeping the Law. In the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed to finish well. “My Father, if it is possible ...

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February 1, 2019 @ 8:00 AM

As soon as the Christmas decorations come down, the Valentine decorations go up. I love that! I love that there are still red decorations after Christmas. How drab everything would be if there were no red hearts.

February is also known for the birthdays of two famous presidents. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, and George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. Both men are pivotal pillars of American history. Both men were perfectly placed in the timeline of American history at just the right time. It is doubtful that any other men could have served our young nation as well. They were each born “For such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) I believe it is appropriate that they are associated with the month of red ...

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February 1, 2019 @ 8:00 AM

One of our favorite movies is “What About Bob?” the 1991 release starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfus. It’s 29 years old but never ceases to make us laugh. We have watched it so many times that we know many of the lines by heart. The same fondness for the movie cannot be said of several of our psychologist friends. They despise it. They find nothing funny about it and, in fact, find it demeaning to their profession.  Elsie and I don’t. To have a sense of humor and an ability to laugh at yourself is a mark of mental health.

To give you a thumbnail synopsis of the movie, here’s the official write up:

Before going on vacation, self-involved psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) has the ......

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February 1, 2019 @ 8:00 AM

We began meeting as a group in October 2002. Twelve scared men gathered at a church to be led by a scared sergeant. We were the first purity platoon of the men’s purity ministry, Every Man’s Battle For Purity. As their sergeant I had led one previous group of men in the fall of 2001. I was long on zeal but short on experience. We lost one man the first week and were down to 11 men in November. We also had one man pray to receive Jesus Christ as Savior in week three! Over the 16 weeks of purity platoon something unusual happened. Men bonded! They were not about to stop meeting after purity platoon ended. They had shared the deepest, darkest secrets of their lives and had experienced community with one another. So the platoon ...

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