Paul W. Powell Legacy Library

Newscaster Lowell Thomas (1892-1981) told how early in his life his father moved his family to Cripple Creek, Colorado, during the gold rush days. That western town, like many mining communities, was a wild and wicked place. In fact, Thomas made a telling comment when he said, “In this wide open atmosphere, I soon felt right at home with sin.” Many Ch...

Chaucer once said in reference to the low morals of the clergy of his day, “If gold rust, what should iron do?” Rusty saints—that’s one of the tragedies of our day. According to the Bible, saints are followers of Christ, not statues in a corner or exceptionally good people who have gone to heaven. There are too many Christians whose lives are t...

Today a man said to me, “My wife doesn’t like me to be like I was when she married me. She is always trying to remake me.” There are lots of people that way. They married “for better or for worse” but they didn’t realize how bad that worse would be. When they find out, they immediately set out to remodel their mate. This man didn&...

Those who value life the most are interested in investing their lives in great causes. Jesus gave us the key to a happy, meaningful life when he said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25). Life’s greatest investment is in the cause of Christ. It brings back to yo...

Anyone who has tried to understand human suffering knows that suffering will be a mystery to humankind for as long as people live on this earth. In the face of unexplainable suffering, here are a few suggestions to help you. Believe that God has an answer as to why we suffer and that in his own time he will give it to you. Faith, after all, is assurance of things hop...

In 1960 the country of Surinam had only one entry in the Olympics. For four years their athlete had trained for the 800-meter run. He was entered in the trial heat. He didn’t win. In fact, he didn’t even run. He slept through the event. Think of it! He slept through the most important event of his life. Christians are in danger of letting something like t...

There is one thing that you can rely on—rumors aren’t reliable. People mix stories, tell half-truths, and misunderstand what they hear. The results? A story distorted beyond recognition. Let me illustrate. A number of people in our church once attended a state softball tournament in Wichita Falls. One morning two tables of sponsors were having breakfast i...

I once read an address delivered by Dr. Douglas Freeman at the dedication of the library at the University of Florida. Dr. Freeman was for many years the editor of the Richmond News Leader and the author of a Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of Robert E. Lee. At the close of his address he made a rather startling observation that the most important thing ab...

Running can be good for you—both physically and spiritually. The apostle Paul expresses this truth when he wrote to Timothy, “Flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness” (1 Timothy 6:11). The word flee means “to run away from.” The word follow means “to run swiftly af...