Resource Library

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., was and still is generally regarded as one of the greatest justices in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. Because of his often-heated disagreements with the other justices, he gained a reputation as the “Great Dissenter.”

Ray Blankenship was making breakfast one morning when he looked out the window at the creek that drained storm water on the side of his house. What he saw terrified him – a small girl being swept away toward the ditch that disappeared with a roar beneath the road.

A Chinese folk story tells of a group of elderly, cultured gentlemen who would often meet to exchange wisdom and drink tea. The men took turns hosting, and each host tried to find the finest and most costly varieties of tea. He would create exotic blends that would arouse the admiration of his guests.

Vince Lombardi was known for keeping things simple. As head coach of the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s, he won five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowls. His motto was simple: concentrate on the basics.

Dr. Ernest Mellor tells a story of him and his wife attending an outdoor performance by young violin students. After the concert, an instructor spoke briefly on how children as young as two, three, and four years old are taught to play violin. The first thing the children learn, he said, is a proper stance. And the second thing the children learn ¬– even before they pick up the violin – is how to take a bow.

When Rosina Hernandez was in college, she attended a rock concert where she witnessed a young man brutally beaten. The next day she was shocked to learn that the youth had died as a result of the pounding. Yet neither she nor anyone else did anything to help him. She could never forget the young man, nor her lack of inaction.

Amy Carmichael served as a missionary in India for more than 50 years. Working largely with orphans who had escaped lives of forced prostitution, she came to be known by many as “Amma,” which means mother.

A pastor once told the story of the public library in his town that had a system called “Dial-A-Tale.” With this system, anytime a young child wanted to hear a story, he could call the number and a voice would read a short story to the listening young ear. However, the number the children were to call was only one digit different from the pastor’s number.

Do you long to walk closely with God? Do you desire to experience His presence? Do you want to make an impact for Him in people’s lives? Then you must root out pride in your heart.