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This ever-expanding collection of articles offers focused reflections designed to engage the mind and spirit without overwhelming the schedule. Each article is purposefully distilled to a single page, providing a concise yet substantive exploration of faith, history, and the human experience. By blending meticulous research with a conversational tone, these pieces invite the reader to pause and ponder profound truths in brief, manageable intervals. Whether you have five minutes or an hour, these writings are crafted to be easily accessible, ensuring that deep insight is never more than a page away.
Freedom in Christ Jesus
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (II Corinthians 3:17) Learning to ride a bicycle is challenging, and training wheels often provide a false sense of security that delays mastery. For example, a rider must lean into turns to counter centrifugal force, yet training wheels are designed to keep the bike upright—which causes it to tip over during sharp turns. Furthermore, while speed increases stability through gyroscopic forces,
Michael G. Bryan
Apr 123 min read
John the Baptist
“Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There He stayed, and many people came to Him. They said, ‘Though John never performed a sign, all that John ever said about this man was true.’ And in that place many believed in Jesus.” — John 10:40–42 After dealing with the Jewish leaders and avoiding their attempts to seize Him at the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, Jesus returned with His disciples to the site of John
Michael G. Bryan
Apr 103 min read
New Wineskins for New Wine
“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment... And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.” (Mark 2:21-22) It never ceases to amaze me how often revelation can come from a verse, story, or parable we are well acquainted with when we focus on the big picture and the context of the event. We must ask questions like: Who is speaking? To whom are they speaking? Are they answering a question or addressing a particular concern? What is the full inference of their res
Michael G. Bryan
Apr 83 min read
David Slays Goliath: Pure Zeal
“As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.” (1 Samuel 17:57) When we truly scrutinize and ponder the story of David and Goliath, we must conclude that there is a downside to becoming too familiar with it through Sunday school stories. This is far from a simple tale about a youth who goes out in faith to slay a giant. It is, in fact, perhaps the most vivid picture of genuin
Michael G. Bryan
Apr 83 min read
Branches
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit” (John 15:1-2). When I was young and involved in an organized church centered around evangelism, I surmised that the ‘fruit’ of the branch was Christian converts; I believed it was my sole purpose to bring them into the fold. Since most church members aren’t naturally confident evangeli
Michael G. Bryan
Apr 83 min read
Light
One evening, just before midnight, I was walking along the taxiway of my local airport. As I approached the end of the taxiway, I noticed that the acres of tall grass in the vast field at the end of the runway were twinkling with the flickering lights of fireflies. My immediate thought was, “That’s us—you and me!” As I warmed myself through this imagery and sense of connection, I noticed a regimented strobe light just above the vague horizon: an approaching small aircraft. It
Michael G. Bryan
Apr 82 min read
Our Holy God and Father
Old precepts die hard. For instance, discussions regarding the holiness of God can easily cause us to fall short of fully comprehending and embracing our relationship with The Holy One. We understand that God is holy and we are not, because it is our nature to sin. Why? It is because at the root of all sin is the doubt that God exists, that He provides for our needs, that He loves and cares for us, or that He hears and answers our prayers. Sin is loveless and self-centered. T
Michael G. Bryan
Apr 83 min read
Belief
“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:24) On the afternoon of July 20, 1969, I was driving a taxi while the Apollo 11 astronauts were walking on the moon. A Middle Eastern gentleman had just settled into the back seat as Neil Armstrong’s famous words were broadcast around the world: “That’s one small step for man… one giant leap for mankind.” With a sense of universal accomplishment, I turned to my rider and asked, “W
Michael G. Bryan
Apr 73 min read
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