I.    Introduction A.  Villain Origin Stories 1.    Some of the most fascinating stories to me are the villain origin stories. 2.    Often, these stories help us understand something significant about the hero of our story. 3.    The villain usually represents a weakness or chink in the armor of our …

I.    Introduction A.  Quad God 1.    One of our best chances for a gold medal at the Winter Olympics last month was supposed to be a young ice skater nicknamed The Quad God. 2.    I wasn’t too keen on the nickname simply because anyone who refers to themselves as a god is skating on thin ice. I wou …

I.    Introduction A.  The Retail Apocalypse 1.    In 2015, I taught a class at FHU about service management and marketing. In class, we discussed how companies that do not figure out how to expand beyond brick-and-mortar storefronts are likely not to survive the coming economy. 2.    According to C …

I.   Introduction A.  Plan A 1.    Plan A is a designation we might use when alternative plans are necessary. 2.    It’s the one we put in place after we’ve considered all the options and determined that this is the best path because of the resources, data, etc., all point to this option. 3.    Plan …

I.    Introduction A.  The Knock on the Door 1.    We have become increasingly leery of people knocking on our doors and ringing our doorbells. I have seen an uptick in Ring Video Doorbells and similar devices. 2.    If I told you that this afternoon, you would be required to go out and knock on 50 …

I.    Introduction A.  Squatters’ Rights 1.    You may have heard the term “squatters’ rights” before. 2.    It is a layman’s way of addressing issues of occupation and ownership regarding property. 3.    Usually, it arises when the owner of a property has ignored or neglected it, and someone else h …

I.    Introduction A.  Sorry, Not Sorry! 1.    A somewhat recent trend in our culture is the “sorry, not sorry” attitude towards one another. a.    It usually shows up when you say something that may really hurt another person’s feelings, but you feel compelled to share it anyway. b.    It is often …

I.    Introduction A.  Ghost Ships 1.    Ghost ships are real, but not like many think. 2.    When a ship loses its crew (for whatever reason) but is not recovered, it often continues to drift with the ocean currents. 3.    According to the International Maritime Organization, there were 132 cases o …

I.    Introduction A.  Gift with Assembly Required B.  Salvation At Odds 1.    Grace and faith have been at odds in the religious world, but God never intended for it to be so. In fact, His Word is very clear that we are saved by His grace, but it also makes it clear that we have a responsibility to …

I    Introduction A.  Pay Attention! 1.    Did you ever get called on in school when you were daydreaming, reading a note, or just zoning out? 2.    It’s embarrassing to say the least! 3.    Tonight, the Hebrew writer urges us to pay attention so that we receive all the blessings of being a Christia …