Paul W. Powell Legacy Library

Former heavyweight boxing champion of the world and preacher George Foreman paid an unexpected visit to our church. I asked him to share his testimony in three minutes – that’s how long a round is in the ring. He told our people, “A man once asked me, ‘How can you be a preacher and a boxer at the same time?’ I told him, 'Here, hold my Bi...

Bernice Washington, a businesswoman, author, and motivational speaker was one of five children raised by her sharecropper father who worked in a Louisiana cotton field. One of the great lessons of life he taught her happened when a schoolmate said to her, “Bernice, you are poor; your brother is poor; your sister is poor; in fact, your entire family is poor.&rdq...

The famed Presbyterian preacher Clarence McCartney was once driving across Chicago with popular politician William Jennings Bryan. They passed the Chicago Coliseum where in 1896 Bryan won the nomination of the Democratic Party as their presidential candidate. He made a speech on that occasion in defense of the gold standard and closed it by saying, “You shall no...

Father George DePrizio was in Rome years ago for a gathering of bishops. They discussed among other things why the church has lost the youth. One of the bishops, an American, rose and said, “My brother bishops, we have been busy bringing forth many reasons why we have lost the youth. I would be bold enough to give perhaps the first and real reason: it is our lac...

B.H. Carroll, who founded the world’s largest seminary, lamented at the deathbed of his son, “I’ve taken care of the Lord’s house but not my own.” Billy Sunday, one of America’s greatest evangelists of the past, saw all four of his children die before reaching their 40th birthday. He said, “Funny, but in the last 20 years I&rs...

The week is the only measurement of time that has its origin in religion. Days, months, and years are determined by the movement of the planets, but God gave us the week. The Bible says in Genesis that God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and on the seventh day he blessed it and set it aside saying, “Remember the Sabbath (seventh) day to keep it h...

Years ago I heard a man warn, “If you’re outgo exceeds your income, you’re upkeep will be your downfall.” We need to remember that. Unmanageable debt can be deadly, whether you’re talking about Wall Street or Main Street. Whether it’s your house or the White House.   How do we avoid too much debt? Establish a budget an...

First-century Christianity was simple and uncluttered. Early Christians cut through the complexity of their culture and allowed what was primary and essential to surface.   What are the basics that matter in our faith? Here are four cornerstones: God and his word are trustworthy. Christ is the Savior and King. There’s hope for the future and forg...

Over the triple doorways of the Cathedral of Milan, Italy, there are three inscriptions spanning three beautiful arches. Over the first arch is sculptured a cross and with it the words, “All that troubles is but for a moment.” Over the left arch is carved a beautiful wreath of roses, and underneath it are the words, “All that pleases is but for a mo...