Tag Archives: Evel Knievel

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples – Taking Chances

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“The righteous are as bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1

Remember Evel Knievel, the death‐defying daredevil who jumped over cars, trucks, and all manner of objects on his motorcycle? Evel may have been a little too ambitious for his own good—he broke a number of bones in the process—but he can teach us something about risk.

When we stretch ourselves beyond our comfort zone, we experience the thrill and confidence that comes from facing a new challenge. In the case of a bored husband or wife, this may mean joining a speaker’s group, volunteering to lead a Bible study, going on a backpacking trip, or taking a class. It might also include opening up to your spouse or relating the message of Jesus to a group of nonbelievers. For me (jcd), it was leaving a comfortable position as a professor of pediatrics, where I had a predictable income and the support of a large university. I traded that for a little two‐room office and called it “Focus on the Family.” Only God knew where that radical decision would lead, but it was the beginning of a ride that has resulted in my words being heard worldwide by two hundred million people every day. It was worth the risk, I would say.

Even if you don’t do as well as you’d hoped, you’ll still feel a sense of fulfillment from reaching for a dream. Just try not to break any bones.

Just between us…

  • What kind of positive risks have we taken in our marriage?
  • What risks does the Lord want us to avoid?
  • What have you always wanted to do, but haven’t yet dared to try?
  • In what ways can we take a risk for Jesus Christ?

Heavenly Father, we never want fear or complacency in our marriage. By the strength of Your Spirit, may we reach together for new challenges in faith as long as we live. Amen.

From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – “Get in the Wheelbarrow”

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What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t s how it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”–but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. —James 2:14–17

The Great Blondin, probably the Evel Knievel of his day, was notorious for his incredible, death-defying acts. On one occasion, he strung a tightrope across the Niagara Falls. As a crowd gathered, he stood before them and said, “How many of you believe that I, the Great Blondin, can walk across this tightrope to the other side?”

They all said, “We believe! We believe!” So he walked across the tightrope and came back again. The people applauded, thrilled by his death-defying feat.

Then he said, “How many of you believe that I, the Great Blondin, can not only walk back across that tightrope, but this time do it while I push a wheelbarrow?”

“We believe!” they yelled louder, wanting to see him do this.

Then he said, “How many of you really believe it?”

“Oh, we really believe it!” they shouted back. One man was yelling a little bit louder than all the others, so the Great Blondin pointed to him and said, “Then get in the wheelbarrow.” The man quickly disappeared.

That’s how a lot of people are today. We’ll say, “I believe! I believe!” But how many are truly willing to get into God’s wheelbarrow, so to speak? Some people have a pseudofaith but not real belief as the Bible would require. It is, therefore, of the greatest importance that we know what true faith is. The book of James points out there is such a thing as a phony or dead faith. And any declaration of faith that does not result in a changed life and good works is a false declaration. It is faith alone that justifies. But faith that justifies can never be alone.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013