Dave Lowe

January 28, 2026January 29, 2026

How to Study an Epistle

Many people would love to know the Bible better but don’t know where to begin or how to go about it.

The problem with the Bible is that it’s not a book that you can read like a John Grisham or Steven King novel.

The Bible is actually a collection of works written over a long period of time by many different authors in different languages and in different settings.

There are many types of literary genres represented in the Bible. Some of the books are historical narrative while other books are poetry, wisdom literature or books of prophecy.

In the New Testament, the gospels are historical narrative, detailing the life of Jesus from the different perspectives of the 4 different authors, but most of the New Testament comes to us in the form of epistles, or letters that were written to individuals and churches.

How does one study an epistle? Is it different than how one might approach the gospels?

The short answer is that yes, the way one approaches an epistle is different than how one might approach the gospels or some other book that is largely historical narrative.

With historical narrative, like the gospels or the book of Acts, the author is telling you a story, giving you relevant details along the way. The author includes important events and people to make the point he wants to make.

An epistle, on the other hand, is really one side of a two-way conversation.

To illustrate what I mean, consider the following situation. The other day, my wife received a phone call. After answering “hello”, she moved to the other room, but I could still hear everything she was saying.

I wasn’t sure who had called or why, but after about 10-15 minutes of conversation, it was more clear to me who my wife was talking to and what the topic was. I was only hearing one side of the conversation but from that one side, I was able to determine what was being discussed.

Reading and studying a New Testament epistle is much the same. Most of these New Testament letters were written to individuals or churches in response to questions that had been asked or some problem that was being addressed.

Hence, studying an epistle requires some literary detective skills.

Now being a Bible study sleuth takes some practice, but here are a few things that you may find helpful as you get started:

1. Read the whole letter in one sitting. This will give you a better big picture perspective. This will be easier with shorter letters like 2 Timothy, Colossians or Philippians but will require more time and patience with longer letters like Romans, 1 Corinthians or Hebrews.
2. Note who the author is and who the audience is.
3. What is the context for the letter? What is the tone of the letter? What do you know about the audience or the recipient that might be helpful to understanding the contents of the letter?
4. What are the themes that surface in the letter? What is the main argument being made?

When studying an epistle, you always want to try to determine what is the issue or problem being addressed. What is the reason the author is writing the letter?

Epistles often have a logical argument or a persuasive message. By noticing repeated words and phrases and outlining the message of the letter, you can begin to get a better picture, so to speak, of the author’s intent for writing.

When studying an epistle, it’s helpful to break it down into smaller sections for a deeper dive.

Think of it this way – a lawyer might have 3 or 4 bullet points to support an argument or defend a position. Sometimes, the New Testament writers will have a multi-pronged argument to make their case or defend a thesis. Part of the job of Bible study is determining the logical argument and the bullet points that support the argument.

For some, this might seem like too much work. “I’ll just let the pastor tell me what it says” or “I’ll just read a commentary that explains it”.

That is certainly faster and doesn’t require as much work or effort. But if you want to understand the Bible for yourself, learning some good Bible study skills is essential.

Go ahead and give it a try. Start with a shorter book like Colossians, Philippians, Galatians or Ephesians. These letters are filled with great doctrinal truths and practical instruction for living as Christians but aren’t so long that they’re too difficult to manage. It’s the equivalent of starting out running a mile or two before attempting to run a half-marathon.

Reflection

What has been your experience with studying the Bible?

How would you rate your desire to study the Bible? How would you rate your experience or skill in being able to study the Bible?

What keeps you from studying the Bible more consistently (time, motivation, fear, etc.)? What would help you become more active in studying the Bible consistently?

What epistles have you studied in depth? What epistles are on your “bucket” list of books you’d like to study?

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

January 24, 2026

What Does it Mean to Have Eternal Life?

John 17

¹After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. ²For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. ³Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:1-3, NIV)

The Daily DAVEotional

An overwhelming number of people in the U.S. believe in an afterlife. According to a major Pew research study in 2023-24 and released in 2025, 70% of Americans believe there is, or there probably is an afterlife.

If there really is an afterlife, what does it look like and, more importantly, how do we experience it?

Christianity teaches that after people die physically, they experience either eternal life or eternal death.

But what exactly is eternal life?

I’ve asked hundreds, if not thousands of people that exact question over the course of my years in ministry and the most common answer I received is that eternal life is “living forever after you die”.

Now that’s obvious isn’t it? The word “eternal” means “forever” and “life” is the opposite of “death” so it kind of seems obvious that “eternal life” must be “living forever” because that’s exactly what the words mean.

Many people are surprised to learn, however, that Jesus actually defined eternal life and his definition doesn’t exactly line up with our traditional understanding of the term.

Most people think of eternal life as something you receive AFTER you die, like going to heaven.

But Jesus defined eternal life as something you can have NOW and then it continues on into eternity.

In John 17:3, Jesus defined eternal life as knowing God – having a relationship with Him. Hence, eternal life is beginning a relationship with Jesus now, on earth, so that when you die, you will live with Him for eternity.

This distinction might seem insignificant but it’s actually quite important.

If eternal life is just going to heaven when I die, then it’s not necessarily something I need to worry about until later in life.

But if eternal life is a relationship with God – something I can experience NOW, then waiting to receive eternal life will result in me missing out on a relationship with God.

Jesus didn’t go to the cross and die for us just so we could go to heaven after we die. Jesus died on the cross to give us LIFE….NOW!

Jesus wants us to know Him and that’s something we can begin to experience now in this life. Knowing Jesus simply means responding to the invitation of forgiveness that He offers through His death on the cross for us.

When we respond to Jesus’ invitation, Jesus comes into our lives and we become adopted sons and daughters in His family.

At that moment, our real life begins. This relationship with Jesus is permanent and never-ending.

Do you want to experience eternal life? You don’t have to wait until you die to experience it. You can experience eternal life right now, simply by entering into a relationship with Jesus, which simply requires that you put your trust in Him.

For more information on what it means to begin a relationship with Jesus, read the short article “FOUR POINTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO EXPERIENCE ETERNAL LIFE”.

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

Reflection

Before reading this short post, what was your understanding of “eternal life”? How did you define it?

Most people think of eternal life as going to heaven after you die. But Jesus defined eternal life as knowing God and having a relationship with Jesus? How does this difference impact you? In what ways does this change or impact your desire to have eternal life?

On a scale of 0-100 (0 being no desire and 100 being the highest level of desire possible), how would you rate your desire to know God? What factors caused you to choose the number that you did?

On that same scale of 0-100, what do you think is God’s desire for you to know Him?

What would keep you from putting your faith in Jesus and beginning a relationship with Him?

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

January 13, 2026

The Story of the “Other” Son

Luke 15

²⁵“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, ²⁶and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ²⁷‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the calf we were fattening and has prepared a great feast. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

²⁸“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, ²⁹but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. ³⁰Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have.’

³¹“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours. ³²We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” (Luke 15:25-32, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

In a previous post, Revisiting the Story of the Prodigal Son, I shared what the story of the Prodigal Son reveals to us about God, particularly the depth of His love.

In that story, the younger son commits the most egregious act of disrespect imaginable. The father does not stop him, but simply allows him to follow his own path. The father also does not shield his son from the consequences of his misguided choices.

The younger son pursues a life of hedonism, squandering all of his father’s money and wasting his life. But the text says that “he came to his senses”, which means that he repented.

He returned to his father fully expecting to be admonished and punished. Instead, he’s greeted with joy and a loving embrace. He was immediately reconciled and fully restored positionally in the family.

The point of the story is to demonstrate the incredible depth of God’s love and compassion for us. There is nothing we can do that would be so bad that God would not run to us with open arms if we were simply to “come to our senses” and return to Him.

But there’s more to this story, and that’s what this post is about. The younger son was the rebel, the black sheep of the family. But there’s another son, the older son. The loyal and dutiful son.

While the younger son completely disrespected his father and blew his father’s wealth on wild living, the older son stayed home, submissively serving his father as cultural etiquette required.

So what’s the problem? It seems like the older son is the example we’re supposed to follow.

Not exactly.

Have you ever wondered why this part of the story is included? If Jesus simply wanted to illustrate the depth of God’s love, why not just end the story after the younger son returns and is accepted back into the fold by the father?

Jesus clearly had more to say about who He is AND who we are and there’s a reason why Jesus gives us this insight into the older son.

You see, the younger son was the rebel, the wild child. A select group of people will read this story and see themselves as the younger son. But not everyone identifies as a black sheep within their family. Hence Jesus gives us another son in the story, one who is NOT a black sheep at all.

The older son is not lifted up in this story as someone we should emulate because he actually suffers the SAME problem as the younger son. Both sons are disconnected from their father – they just express it in different ways.

While the younger son is brash and disrespectful, the older son is reserved and compliant, But the older son clearly did not demonstrate love and appreciation for his father. That becomes quite evident as soon as the younger son returns home.

Notice the older son’s reaction. The text says he’s angry. I imagine the older son as the type who always does what he’s told but doesn’t express much emotion, until something triggering occurs that causes him to erupt.

That’s the scenario here. The older son isn’t happy the younger son returned, nor is he happy that his father is joyful at his brother’s return. He’s upset at the whole thing, jealous really, that his brother is getting so much favorable treatment.

What’s telling about the older son is what he valued. He’s upset that he never got to have a party with his friends, but his younger brother, the black sheep, is being celebrated for bad behavior.

Have you ever experienced that?

You work your tail off but don’t get the results you want. Meanwhile, some knucklehead you know screws around and seems to break all the rules, and they somehow get rewarded despite their indiscretions.

It doesn’t seem fair does it?

But that’s exactly what Jesus is trying to highlight. The older son stayed with the father, which really is its own reward. The older son missed it completely. The father is the treasure, but the older son was hoping for some other material treasure instead.

The older son suffers from a lack of perspective. The father tells him, “look you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours.”

The father is reminding his son that he has an inheritance.

The older son was not looking toward his future inheritance. Instead, he was coveting some present material reward.

So there you have it. There’s a younger son who is the screw up and there’s the older son who is privately jealous and envious. Both take their relationship with their father for granted. Instead of enjoying the relationship with their loving father, each seeks contentment and pleasure through material means. The younger son is overt in his desire to “live it up” while the older son is more indirect in his thirst for worldly satisfaction.

Which of the sons are you?

Reflection

When is a time in your life when you rebelled against God and went your own way? What prompted you to wander away?

What keeps you from “coming to your senses” when you find yourself disconnected from God?

Which son do you resonate with more – the younger son or the older son? What are some reasons for your choice?

God is the treasure in this story, though neither son really saw their relationship with their father as something to cherish. How would you rate your own relationship with God? How much do you see God as a treasure?

In what ways can you cultivate a relationship with God that is not centered on duty? How do you think you can develop your heart and passion to see God as a treasure, instead of viewing Him as someone who can help you in some material way?

Photo by Muhmed Alaa El-Bank on Unsplash

January 6, 2026January 7, 2026

Revisiting the Story of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15

¹¹To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. ¹²The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

¹³“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and took a trip to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money on wild living. ¹⁴About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. ¹⁵He persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed his pigs. ¹⁶The boy became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, ¹⁹and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired man.”’

²⁰“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. ²¹His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.

²²“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. ²³And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. (Luke 15:11-24, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Imagine you are the son (or daughter) of a very wealthy man. You have no job and you still live under his roof.

Now imagine you go to your father and you say, “You know what old man? I wish you were dead, and I wish I could cash out my inheritance right now and blow this popsicle stand.”

This is not too far off from the scenario that Jesus paints in the story of the “lost son”, more commonly referred to as the “prodigal son.”

The son in the story doesn’t use the words I’ve chosen but the effect is pretty much the same, for in the Jewish culture, it was the ultimate slap in the face to ask your father for your inheritance while he was still living. It was more than a slap in the face actually. It was the ultimate sign of disrespect, akin to giving the father the finger.

Now if you happened to be living the imagined scenario I painted at the outset, what kind of response might you expect from your father after telling him you wished he was dad and you wanted your money…NOW?

Amazingly, in the story Jesus tells, the father willingly complies. He doesn’t demonstrate anger or resentment or any kind of vindictiveness, all emotions I imagine I’d express if I were the father in this scenario.

So the son gets his wish. And what does he do?

He goes to a distant land and wastes ALL the money on wild living (i.e. partying and prostitutes). In some ways, the story mutes the degree of nastiness in which the son treats his father and exploits his wealth. But make no mistake, the son is the most extreme example of a rebel that you can fathom.

When you have no job and your sole purpose is to experience hedonism to its fullest extent, eventually you run out of money to support that crazy lifestyle. And that’s exactly what happened here too. The son had no money, no plan and no prospects. He was desperate.

He finally gets a job feeding slop to pigs. Take note of this detail. He was feeding PIGS.

Pigs were unclean animals to Jews, which is just one more detail revealing how far off the son had strayed.

It’s at this point that the story turns. The key passage in this whole story comes in verses 17-19, which says:

¹⁷“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, ¹⁹and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired man.”’

The son “came to his senses”. This is a biblical picture of repentance. The son came face to face with reality. He had hit rock bottom and he was finally willing to humble himself and admit the stupidity of his decisions that led to his current situation. In short, he finally took responsibility for his actions.

But he didn’t stop there. He humbled himself and was willing to admit his sin to his father. So he swallowed his pride and returned home to face his father.

Imagine if you were the son in that situation. How difficult would it be to face your father and admit you were wrong? Personally, I think a typical father would be angry and I’d expect their response to follow suit. I’d expect to be berated and “made an example of”. I’m certain I’d need to learn my lesson and take my medicine. Essentially, I’d expect to experience some kind of penalty and punishment.

But that’s not what happens in this case. The text says that when the son was still a long way off, the father SAW HIM COMING. That means the father had to be watching and waiting for the son to return.

The father doesn’t react the way we would expect because he’s like no earthly father any of us have ever experienced. The father doesn’t berate his son. He doesn’t say “I told you so”. He doesn’t require any groveling or penance. He just embraces the son and welcomes him back into the family, with full rights and privileges restored.

The story highlights the incredible love and patience God the Father has for His children.

God is not a dictator. He allows us to choose our own path. He doesn’t restrict our choices but he also doesn’t shield us from the consequences of those choices. He patiently waits for us to return. And if and when we do return, He welcomes us back with a lavish love that is beyond any kind of earthly love we could experience.

On the flip side, the son is an example of the most egregious offenses one could commit. And yet, the Father extends His love and immediately forgives and restores the son. It’s incredible.

This tells me a couple of things. First, there is nothing I can do that God won’t forgive. NOTHING. I only need to come to my senses (repent), humble myself and admit my sin, just as the son in the story did.

God doesn’t require us to grovel or do penance to receive His love and forgiveness. He freely gives it to those who come to Him with a humble heart of surrender. His love is infinite and He freely and unconditionally lavishes it on those who come to Him.

Now imagine experiencing the love of THAT Father!

Reflection

What was your relationship like with your earthly father?

If you had done something wrong that you know he would be offended by, what would it have been like for you to think about approaching Him? What kind of reaction might you expect?

When you think of God, what words come to mind? How would you describe God to someone else?

When you find yourself sinning and “straying” from God’s plan, how easy is it for you to “come to your senses”? What keeps you from coming to your senses and returning to God?

What amazes you most about this story?

Photo by IP Withers on Unsplash – Charlie Mackesy’s Return of the Prodigal Son statue outside HTB Church London

January 3, 2026January 3, 2026

Developing the Habit of Daily Bible Reading

It’s the beginning of the New Year so naturally, many people are thinking about New Year’s resolutions.

Typical resolutions for people include: losing weight, paying down debt, finishing a degree or improving a job situation.

In the spiritual realm, a very common New Year’s resolution is to read through the Bible in a year.

Over the years, I’ve made this resolution countless times and mostly failed, though I was able to read through the entire Bible once or twice.

As Christians, reading through the Bible in its entirety is a noble goal. Many do it because it seems like an enormous accomplishment, like running a marathon once or hiking Yosemite’s half-dome summit.

But for the Christian, the goal really shouldn’t be to say that we’ve read through the Bible, as if it’s some bucket list item that we can boast about.

The goal is to gain a greater understanding of God’s word so that it impacts us and transforms us at a heart level.

With that in mind, I think a better resolution is to develop consistency in reading God’s Word. The goal is to develop a habit of taking in God’s word; to see it as essential and necessary for your spiritual life as food is daily for your physical life.

To develop a habit, a daily reading program is a must.

If this is all new to you, a few tips might be helpful.

Don’t worry about reading the Bible through chronologically. You can do that if you want but the Bible is not a novel. It’s a collection of books. So it’s not necessary to read through in order.

Shoot for being consistent instead of racing to finish. The goal is not to “finish” per se, because even if and when you do read through the entire Bible, you will still want to keep reading. It is NOT like a novel that you put back on the shelf once you’ve read the final page.

Allot an appropriate amount of time to help you be consistent. Many people start off with 45 minutes to an hour but cannot sustain that and then quickly give up. It’s like a person who’s out of shape and starts running for fitness. They immediately run 5 miles and kill themselves. Start off with a manageable routine that you can repeat consistently.

Recognize that there is a difference between reading and studying the Bible. You want to develop a habit of “reading” consistently, preferably every day. Reading doesn’t mean you have to understand everything you read. You can create longer study periods at other times in order to dive deeper into various sections of God’s word.

Recognize that the Bible is a collection of different types of literature. Some of it is historical narrative, some of it is poetic prayers and wisdom and some of it is direct teaching and instruction. Based on your personality, you will likely find some parts of the Bible easy and enjoyable to read while other sections (the types you don’t normally gravitate toward) you will find more laborious. Start with the types of literature that you would more easily gravitate toward, and then mix in the types that aren’t as easy. Starting off with books that are interesting will help you create momentum which will enable you to begin developing consistency.

Consider following a Daily Devotional program on the YouVersion Bible app. This is a popular app that is free and available for Smartphones in both iOS and Android versions. Not only does this app give you digital access to many different Bible translations, but there are literally thousands of different devotional programs that you can select to follow. The app will enable you follow each day’s content (a mixture of Bible reading often with some brief commentary) until you finish the program. When you finish, you can find another topic or series that interests you.

You may be saying to yourself, “this is all helpful, but I still don’t have any idea where to start.”

That’s a common issue. Here are some ideas to help you know where to begin:

Read through one of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). These books are narratives that each tell the story of the life of Jesus from the perspective of that author. There are similarities and differences between each account as each author reported on those parts of the life of Jesus that were important for the purpose they were writing. Pick one gospel and reach through it. You can read one chapter a day and it will take you 5-10 minutes, maybe even less. Reading through one of the gospel accounts will help you get familiar with the life and teachings of Jesus, who is the Bible’s central character.

Read through the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Genesis is foundational for helping you to understand the context for the whole theme of the Bible. In it, you learn about creation, the Fall of man and then the story of the formation of the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people through whom the promised Messiah would come. Again, read one chapter a day. That should take no more than 5-10 minutes and will take you 50 days as there are 50 chapters.

If you like poetry, read through the Psalms. The Psalms are independent poems and praises that were written by different people to express their thoughts and emotions to God regarding the things they were experiencing. You can read one per day. Some are very short and there’s a few (like Psalm 119) that are extra long. If a Psalm is more than 30 or 40 verses, you might consider breaking it up into multiple days.

Read through the book of Proverbs. This book is what is called Wisdom literature. It’s a collection of sayings that are designed to give instruction and impart wisdom. There are 31 chapters in this book. One strategy is to read whatever Proverb corresponds to the day of the month. Hence, in a month that has 31 days, you will read through the entire book.

Read through the book of Acts, one chapter at a time. The book of Acts is another narrative book that tells the story of the foundation and growth of the early church, just after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. It is filled with stories that demonstrate God’s design for His message of redemption to be taken to the ends of the earth.

Read through some of Paul’s letters. Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians are good starting places. These letters are not narrative but are instructions that Paul is sharing with various New Testament churches. Reading these letters will help you to begin to learn important doctrinal truths about God and your relationship with Him.

Building a habit of daily Bible reading is one of the best practices you can develop if you want to grow and mature as a Christian. God’s Word is our source of life; it’s an instruction manual that teaches us what is right and what is wrong and directs us in how we are to live our lives in connection with God. (For more thoughts on the benefits of reading God’s Word, read my post “Training in Righteousness – Part 2”)

One last suggestion that you may find helpful. Consider signing up for my blog posts where you will get alerted each time a new post is made. Many of my posts are part of what I call the Daily DAVEotional. It’s not exactly daily, but each post has a passage from my own daily reading, along with my commentary on what it means. I end each post with some reflection questions to help you process and apply what you’ve read. Each post will take between 5 and 10 minutes to read, depending on how fast you read and how long you take to reflect on the questions at the end.

Wherever you’re at in your knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, I hope this is a year that you are able to begin to build a habit of daily Bible reading. This one habit practiced over time, can be instrumental in your own spiritual growth and transformation in the months and years to come!

How about you? What has been your experience with New Years’ resolutions and reading through the Bible?

What have you found helpful in your own life for developing consistency in daily Bible reading?

Share your thoughts and comments below!

Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

December 24, 2025December 31, 2025

Notre Dame IS the Best…at Whining!

In Pro sports, it’s kind of an unwritten rule that you don’t want to make yourself the topic of the news cycle during the playoffs or a championship game unless you’re one of the teams playing for the championship.

So it’s considered bad form to announce your new head coaching hire in the middle of the World Series. Or, if you have a star player that you just extended, you don’t make that announcement during the NBA finals.

Notre Dame operates on the opposite principle.

A few weeks ago, they got snubbed for a spot in the College Football Playoffs and they’ve been whining about it ever since.

I wrote here about how their elitist and entitled attitude was rubbing the entire college football world the wrong way when they decided that they were too good to play in a bowl game. Apparently, that’s beneath them. Bowl games are for the peasant class of college football. How could they, the “crown jewel” of college football, be denied entry into the College Football playoff?

It’s been a few weeks now since the College football playoff committee made their selection so you’d think that the whining by Notre Dame would be over.

You thought wrong.

Since Notre Dame was snubbed in favor of both Alabama AND Miami, teams Notre Dame assumed would be behind them in the selection process, Notre Dame fans have been spouting off on social media non-stop.

It’s clear to me that Notre Dame fans are receiving talking points from some kind of centralized Notre Dame Propaganda Command Center because the talking points are the same and when the narrative changes, the talking points immediately change as well.

Here’s an example:

Last weekend was the first round of the College Football playoffs, and Notre Dame fans were glued to their TV sets and their phones.

First came the Alabama-Oklahoma game, in which Alabama looked UGLY for about 1.5 quarters. Alabama was getting blown out by Oklahoma and Notre Dame fans were all over the internet blabbering incessantly about how this was PROOF that the committee got it wrong. They took every opportunity to remind the college football world how much better the playoffs would be with Notre Dame blessing us all with their expert football play.

But then something happened….something quite unexpected. Alabama came roaring back with some key plays to tie the game going into the half. They parlayed that momentum into a dominant second half to beat Oklahoma, somewhat convincingly, on the road!

The Notre Dame fans’ talking points were suddenly no longer valid. Notre Dame fans could no longer keep pushing the narrative that Alabama and their poor performance was PROOF that Notre Dame should’ve gotten the nod.

So what did they do? Every Notre Dame fan, at the same time, began posting a new narrative – that BOTH teams were horrible, PROVING that Notre Dame deserved to be in the College Football Playoff.

The next day was the game that I’m calling “The Notre Dame Irish Bowl” sponsored by Kleenex. I call it that because it pitted the two teams who had beaten Notre Dame in the regular season against each other in the first round of the playoffs.

Miami was playing at Texas A&M, who was a slight favorite. Remember, Miami had beaten Notre Dame by 3 points but that was the first game of the season. Miami had later suffered two conference losses and didn’t even make their conference championship game, so Notre Dame fans had been arguing for weeks that Notre Dame should’ve gotten the nod over Miami, even though Miami had won the head to head matchup.

The Miami-A&M game turned out to be a low-scoring affair that was highly influenced by strong, gusty winds. Miami held on to beat Texas A&M, which most college football fans interpreted as clear evidence that the committee had picked the right teams for the playoffs

Remember, according to Notre Dame fans, A&M deserved to be in the playoffs but Miami didn’t. A win by A&M would have demonstrated that Miami was not deserving to be in the playoff and would have helped with the narrative that Notre Dame would have been more competitive. But Miami ended up winning, seemingly negating their argument.

But according to Notre Dame fan logic, the outcome of this game actually PROVES that Notre Dame should have gotten the nod.

How exactly did that game prove their assertion?

Their claim is that the game showed how bad both teams were. Notre Dame would obviously have beaten either team by at least 2 TDs. Therefore, Notre Dame should have been in the playoff.

Are you noticing a pattern here? If the preferred team ends up losing, then it just demonstrates how bad BOTH teams were to being with.

This week, Notre Dame fans continue to make noise as it was just announced that the historic rivalry between USC and Notre Dame will not resume next year.

Fanbases from both teams have expressed frustration, sadness and disappointment that the rivalry will not take place next season or for the foreseeable future. However, Notre Dame fans, in their quest for notoriety and relevance, are once again mobilizing their social media minions to gaslight the entire college football world regarding the circumstances that led to this rivalry game disruption.

The narrative being pushed this time is that USC is scared of Notre Dame and therefore backed out of the rivalry.

This kind of gaslighting simply ignores the current landscape of college football and the seismic changes that have taken place in just the last 2-3 years.

Notre Dame, as I wrote about here, is an Independent in football, which means they can set their own schedule every year. In the current college football environment, this is a huge advantage.

Forget about Notre Dame’s TV contract or the fact that they don’t have to share revenue with others. By not playing in a conference, Notre Dame can schedule a hodge podge of teams from around the country without worrying about having to navigate the gauntlet of a tough conference schedule.

Take next year’s schedule as an example, It’s been reported that Notre Dame has already replaced the USC game with BYU.

Most of the games on Notre Dame’s schedule are against teams from the Big 10 and ACC who were in the middle to the bottom of the conference. The two best teams on their schedule, at least by this year’s record, would be Miami and BYU. Those two teams combined for 22 wins so far this season.

The rest of the slate has only 49 wins. So the other 10 teams averaged less than 5 wins each. The total W-L record for next year’s opponents is 71-75.

By contrast, USC’s 2026 opponents have a record this year of 82-54.

A lot is being made by Notre Dame fans about the fact that USC wanted to change the timing of the game to earlier in the season, before they get too deep into their conference schedule.

Notre Dame fans have all retorted, no doubt from the Central Propaganda machine, that the USC-ND game has always been played late and so why change it now?

Well, the Trojans are in a different conference now, an arguably tougher one in which they have to travel a lot further than they used to.

Yeah, but they were always in a conference so why make the change?

Because this conference is tougher AND the conferences are all bigger, which means a higher likelihood of having multiple marquee games.

USC, for example, in 2026, plays Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, Washington and Penn State. Notre Dame, in terms of marquee matchups, plays only Miami and maybe BYU (they for sure play BYU, I’m just not sure I’d consider that a marquee matchup).

The bottom line with Notre Dame is that in the midst of a rapidly changing college football landscape, they don’t want to change at all. They refuse to join a conference and yet they expect everyone else to continue scheduling them just as they always have, even though their football schedule is probably easier now than it was in the past.

Notre Dame thinks that they can just schedule one or maybe two games per season against a traditional P4 powerhouse school. The rest of their schedule is littered with has-beens and gimmes. They don’t have to worry about a conference championship game and, as it turns out, they have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) starting next year that if they are ranked in the top 12 when the season ends, they will be guaranteed a slot in the playoff.

In addition to conference realignment, the path the National Championship is much different now than it was during most of the years the rivalry has existed.

For years, this rivalry existed in the context of a voters poll determining the champion. In that context, playing a marquee, non-conference game late in the season actually helped your chances of winning a national championship because if you win that game, it provides a very recent memory for the voters as they rank teams to determine a champion.

But none of that exists now. College football fans, coaches and players all wanted to win a championship on the field. Therefore, it’s imperative that you make it to the playoff field if you’re going to have any chance to win the national championship.

With the playoff field expanded to 12 teams, it’s easier to get into the playoffs with a loss. Even 2 losses doesn’t automatically eliminate a team from contention.

In this new environment, the rankings are paramount. And if you’re on the bubble, it’s best to have losses early rather than late.

So all of these factors led USC to the position that in order to continue the rivalry, it’s best to move the game to the front of the schedule before they enter conference play, just like every other non-conference opponent.

But Notre Dame is an independent and so every one of their games is a non-conference game for their opponent. After the first 3 to 4 weeks, every one of their opponents is having to play Notre Dame as an interruption to their conference schedule.

USC decided that they no longer wanted to do this favor for Notre Dame as it doesn’t benefit USC one bit. It only benefits Notre Dame.

If you truly value the tradition of the rivalry, as Notre Dame and their fans insist they do, why not adjust the details of the scheduling to make it beneficial to BOTH parties? Instead, Notre Dame insisted on keeping the schedule as it had always been.

The ending of this rivalry is nothing more than two parties who could not agree on the specifics of their arrangement. Notre Dame wanted things to remain exactly as they have been, even though the dynamics of the structure have affected them less than any other college football program.

USC wanted the timing of the game to change, given that the changes of the structure have affected them more than most other programs.

So for now, the rivalry is over.

Rather than just saying they couldn’t come to an agreement, Notre Dame, and their fans, in typical fashion, have decided that it’s in their best interest to demonize the other party.

The response is petty and juvenile, but it’s not surprising, given their elitist and entitled attitude. Notre Dame believes they are the best in the country.

That’s one thing we all definitely agree on. Notre Dame is the best in the country…at whining!

Photo by Steven Van Elk on Unsplash

December 17, 2025December 18, 2025

Why Do Jews Reject Jesus as Their Messiah?

Isaiah 53

¹Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

²He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

³He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

⁵But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

⁷He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

⁸By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

⁹He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

¹¹After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

¹²Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:1-12, NIV)

The Daily DAVEotional

I saw a post on X.com recently where an influential user listed what he considered the most significant in human history.

Who would you put at the top of that list?

Regardless of your religious views, I think it’s hard to argue against Jesus being the most important figure in all of human history. Incidentally, this user listed Genghis Khan first. Jesus was second on his list.

Jesus and his teachings have literally changed the world. And yet, the Jewish people, his own people, largely reject him. Why is that?

If you happened to be an Israelite living in first century Palestine, you eagerly expected and longed for the Messiah.

The nation of Israel was hundreds of years past its glory days, when it was an independent and respected nation. Now, it was merely one of the many provinces that were subject to Roman rule.

The prophets had foretold of a Messiah, who would one day come and deliver his people and restore the nation to its former glory. At least that was the hope.

Unfortunately, the biblical version of the Messiah did not match the expectations of most Jewish people, who were hoping for a political and military leader who would drive out the Romans, just as the many judges had driven out their oppressors in the early years of their nation’s formation.

This passage in Isaiah 53 gives a much different picture and description of the Messiah compared to the peoples’ expectations.

According to Isaiah, the coming Messiah would not be a person who would stand out. There was nothing physical about the Messiah that would draw people to him. He would be decidedly “normal”.

While the people were expecting a William Wallace type military hero to rally the troops and drive out their Gentile occupiers, this passage shows that the Messiah’s mission would be much different.

Yes, the Messiah would deliver his people; he just wouldn’t deliver them from the enemy they were thinking he would.

Verse 6 lays out the issue – we ALL have gone astray. As a result, the purpose of the Messiah would be to take the iniquity of people upon Himself.

Verse 10 is key because it explicitly states that the Messiah would be a guilt offering. Every Israelite knew that they had to make regular offerings at the temple in order to make atonement for sin. This verse indicates that it’s the Messiah himself whose life would be a guilt offering for the people.

There are a number of verses in this passage that explicitly point to Jesus.

Verse 5 provides one of the clearest references to Jesus’ brutal execution when it says that he was “pierced” for our transgressions. In John’s description of Jesus’ death, we learn that the Roman soldiers were eager to hasten the death of their victims because of the impending Sabbath (see John 19:31-34). It was common to break the legs of those being crucified, rendering it impossible for them to push themselves up to expand their lungs and breathe. Hence, the breaking of the legs brought a swift end to the slow tortures of crucifixion as the victim would immediately die of asphyxiation.

In the case of Jesus. the centurion realized that Jesus was already dead so there was no need to break his legs. Instead, he decided to take his spear and pierce Jesus’ side.

Verse 9 indicates that the Messiah would be assigned a grave for the wicked and the rich. In Jesus’ case, his body was set to be dumped in a pit with other common criminals. But instead, a rich person, Joseph of Arimathea, petitioned Pilate for the body of Jesus, whom he buried in a tomb that he had recently purchased.

Other prophecies in this passage are also fulfilled by Jesus. Verse 7 indicates that the Messiah would be silent when confronted by his accusers. All of the gospel accounts indicate that Jesus, when pressed by Pilate and the authorities, did not defend himself, but chose to willingly give himself up in order to go to the cross to be crucified.

To this day, the Jewish people largely reject Jesus as their Messiah, despite the fact that he fulfills all of the prophecies about the coming Messiah. In fact, there are a number of prophecies concerning the Messiah that only Jesus could have fulfilled.

If you don’t understand the mission of the Messiah, you will reject him.

The Jewish people reject Jesus as their Messiah because he doesn’t fit their hope and expectation of what the Messiah’s purpose would be. Instead of delivering his people from their political oppressors and restoring the glory of their nation, the Messiah’s purpose was first and foremost, to deliver people from the penalty of sin.

Non-Jews reject Jesus simply because they fail to see their need for a Savior. In this case, you may see Jesus as a significant figure in human history, but not as significant as someone like Genghis Khan who wielded tremendous political and military power to conquer the entire known world.

We would all do well to heed the words of Isaiah 53:6:

⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Reflection

What is your understanding of the purpose of the Messiah?

In what ways do you see Jesus matching the description that prophets like Isaiah gave of the coming Messiah?

Who do you know that rejects Jesus as their Messiah and Savior? What are their reasons for rejecting Jesus ?

Why do you think Jewish people, by and large, still reject Jesus, despite clear passages like Isaiah 53 that show Jesus to be a “Suffering Servant” instead of a military conqueror?

Photo by MBVisign: https://www.pexels.com/photo/genghis-khan-statue-in-close-up-photography-6466768/

December 12, 2025December 12, 2025

Filling a God-Shaped Hole

Ecclesiastes 2

¹I said to myself, “Come now, let’s give pleasure a try. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. ²“It is silly to be laughing all the time,” I said. “What good does it do to seek only pleasure?” ³After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. While still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I hoped to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

⁴I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. ⁵I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. ⁷I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned great herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who lived in Jerusalem before me. ⁸I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!

⁹So I became greater than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. And with it all, I remained clear-eyed so that I could evaluate all these things. ¹⁰Anything I wanted, I took. I did not restrain myself from any joy. I even found great pleasure in hard work, an additional reward for all my labors. ¹¹But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

¹²So I decided to compare wisdom and folly, and anyone else would come to the same conclusions I did. ¹³Wisdom is of more value than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. ¹⁴For the wise person sees, while the fool is blind. Yet I saw that wise and foolish people share the same fate. ¹⁵Both of them die. Just as the fool will die, so will I. So of what value is all my wisdom? Then I said to myself, “This is all so meaningless!” ¹⁶For the wise person and the fool both die, and in the days to come, both will be forgotten.

¹⁷So now I hate life because everything done here under the sun is so irrational. Everything is meaningless, like chasing the wind. ¹⁸I am disgusted that I must leave the fruits of my hard work to others. ¹⁹And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? And yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work. How meaningless!

²⁰So I turned in despair from hard work. It was not the answer to my search for satisfaction in this life. ²¹For though I do my work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, I must leave everything I gain to people who haven’t worked to earn it. This is not only foolish but highly unfair. ²²So what do people get for all their hard work? ²³Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night they cannot rest. It is all utterly meaningless.

²⁴So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that this pleasure is from the hand of God. ²⁵For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? ²⁶God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. Even this, however, is meaningless, like chasing the wind. (Ecclesiastes 2:1-26, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Blaise Pascal, the famous 17th century French mathematician and inventor, is often credited with saying,

There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.

Interestingly, Pascal never actually said this exact quote, though he did express the sentiment when he said,

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself”

As it turns out, this sentiment from Pascal, which has been shortened into the pithy quote that we all see today, was probably derived from Solomon, who explored the nature of meaning and fulfillment in this second chapter of Ecclesiastes.

So what exactly does Solomon say?

It’s important to understand the context on which Ecclesiastes 2 rests. In chapter 1, Solomon is trying to derive meaning and purpose to our existence. His initial position, based on observations and lived experience, is that life is meaningless.

It’s a sad existence indeed if there is absolutely no purpose or meaning in life. Yet that is what Solomon initially concludes.

In this chapter of Ecclesiastes, we’re subjected to a bit of Solomon’s ontological journey.

The first thing he says is that he tried to find meaning and fulfillment in pleasure, or what we call hedonism. But physical pleasure provides no lasting satisfaction. The exhilarating rush that pleasure brings quickly fades, leaving one grasping for the next opportunity to experience that physical and emotional high.

Solomon then turns his attention to the pursuit of materialism. Perhaps acquiring lots of stuff, overseeing grand construction projects or building tremendous wealth could ascribe meaning and value to life. But Solomon found that lacking as well. The allure that extreme wealth promises is never quite achieved. John Rockefeller, who was the richest person to ever live, was once asked, “how much is enough?” His response was “just a little bit more.” He apparently did not subscribe to Solomon’s conclusion that extreme wealth does not ultimately satisfy.

Perhaps fame and taking pride in one’s work could provide the kind of satisfaction that pleasure and materialism couldn’t. But Solomon ultimately realized the utter futility of that pursuit. Fame is fleeting and whatever work we may accomplish is forgotten as quickly as we are when we die.

Solomon reasoned that hard work and wealth are ultimately meaningless because we all die. What good are those things after you die? Someone else will take possession of and oversee all that we’ve worked to produce. That hardly seems fair. You work your tail off to produce wealth and build an empire only to leave it to someone else who did nothing to earn or produce what you’ve left?

None of this makes sense on the surface. What is the point?

Solomon gives a glimpse into the ultimate purpose in verses 24-25, when he says,

²⁴So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that this pleasure is from the hand of God. ²⁵For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?

Is pleasure, wealth, fame and work all meaningless? Apart from God, the answer is yes. But with God, all of these things are meaningful because they are gifts from God, the ultimate gift-giver!

So we’re back to our opening line that is often attributed to Pascal. There is something inside each person that is searching and striving for meaning and purpose. Man, in his fallenness, seeks to satiate this inner desire with all kinds of things – pleasure, power, wealth and fame. But none of these things bring true satisfaction or fulfillment. That’s because God is the only one who can ultimately fulfill our basic human need for meaning and purpose. It’s part of His design.

Apart from God there is no ultimate meaning and purpose. As Christian philosopher and apologist Frank Turek says, we are just “moist robots” who appear one day and then one day we’re gone.

If that is the case, then Solomon’s initial assessment is true – life is indeed meaningless. But with God, life not only has purpose and meaning but work, pleasure and wealth all make sense.

Reflection

What do you turn to in order to experience purpose and meaning in life?

Which of the following do you struggle with the most: the pursuit of pleasure, wealth, power or fame?

What do you think are the reasons you or people in general pursue other things to satisfy their inner needs rather than pursuing God Himself?

In what ways can you turn to God as your source of true satisfaction and fulfillment?

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

December 9, 2025December 10, 2025

Notre Dame has Taken their Toys and Exited the Sandbox

My Thoughts on the Aftermath of the College Football Selection Process

As a life-long USC football fan, the team I dislike the most is Notre Dame. And yet, in the week leading up to the College Football Playoff selection, I found myself stumping for Notre Dame in online discussions with BYU fans.

BYU fans were arguing that their one loss (at the time) against highly-ranked Texas Tech, made them more worthy for a slot in the college football playoff field than Notre Dame, which had TWO losses.

My argument was that while Notre Dame did have two losses, those losses came early in the season (the first two games) by a combined 4 points to top-ranked teams. The loss to Texas A&M was actually a one-point loss in overtime. Notre Dame had reeled off 10 straight victories since, all by double-digit margins.

By contrast, BYU’s one loss was a blowout. I further argued that BYU had a chance at revenge in the Big 12 championship game against the very team they had lost to and this time, the game would be played at a neutral site (though arguably the Texas location still favored Texas Tech). “Win and you’re in”, I argued. My argument didn’t seem to convince any BYU fans.

Ironically, the argument about who was more deserving between BYU and Notre Dame for a playoff spot turned out to be moot as the playoff committee snubbed both programs in favor of 3-loss Alabama and 2-loss Miami, who had beaten Notre Dame by 3 points in the opening game for both teams.

Notre Dame’s reaction to being left out of the playoff field has been meme-worthy to say the least. Picture the Michael Jackson eating popcorn meme.

In what I can only suppose is considered some kind of act of defiance, Notre Dame’s athletic director said that Notre Dame would not consider playing in a bowl game, given the fact that they were unfairly mistreated.

“We’ll show you!”, they seem to be saying.

Essentially, Notre Dame has decided that they are going to gather up all their toys and leave the sandbox. They suppose that this reaction will draw attention to the inequity and unfairness of the situation. I think, however, that it may have the opposite effect.

Is Notre Dame really being treated unfairly? I don’t think so.

Consider that Notre Dame is the only major college football program that doesn’t play in a conference. They’re independent. That means that they can schedule whomever they want and they don’t ever have to worry about conference championship games.

Yet even though they don’t belong to a conference, they get treated as a Power 4 program.

Notre Dame has their own TV deal, which makes slightly less than what Big 10 teams make but it provides them more flexibility in the scheduling of their games.

Additionally, when Notre Dame went to the playoffs last year, they didn’t have to share any of their playoff money with other conference members as other teams do. Last year’s payout for Notre Dame was about $20 million (more when you consider each round teams are given additional money for travel expenses). This was 3 times more than what Ohio State, the eventual champion, took home.

Notre Dame’s athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, the former chairman of NBC sports, blasted the ACC earlier this week, stating that the conference had done “irreparable damage” to their relationship.

Bevacqua was upset that the ACC had seemingly been stumping for Miami over Notre Dame to the college football playoff committee.

Why would Bevacqua be upset about this? Notre Dame is not a part of the ACC conference in football. Yes, they are in the ACC for all other sports and they do have an agreement to schedule games against 5 ACC opponents each year, but Notre Dame refuses to join the conference for football. They want the benefits of being an independent but they also want the benefits of being affiliated with a conference when it suits them.

You can’t have it both ways. It was entirely appropriate for the commissioner of the ACC to stump for Miami over Notre Dame to the playoff committee. After all, Miami is an ACC member. Notre Dame is not. The conference benefits financially when its members make the playoff field. They don’t when Notre Dame makes the field. If there is only one slot and it’s between Notre Dame and Miami, what logical reason would Pete Bevacqua have to EXPECT the ACC commissioner to promote Notre Dame over Miami?

Notre Dame is a legacy program, no doubt. They have national appeal and name brand recognition. But that doesn’t mean they should get favored treatment. The truth is that teams get snubbed all the time. Just ask the 2023 Florida State team. It happens. Deal with it.

What kind of message are you teaching your team and your fans when you whine about the outcome you didn’t like and decide that “we’re not going to play in your stupid bowl game”? It’s exactly the kind of response I expect from a spoiled elementary school kid. It’s not the response I’d expect from mature adults.

I spent the whole week extolling Notre Dame as being more deserving than BYU for a playoff spot and to be honest, the reaction I got from a number of BYU fans actually gave me, a life-long Notre Dame hater, a reason to like Notre Dame.

But with Notre Dame throwing their tantrum and exiting the Bowl selection process, while BYU has chosen to play Georgia Tech in the Pop Tarts Bowl, Notre Dame has once again given me and the entire college football world, every reason to dislike them.

October 31, 2025October 31, 2025

Sarah’s Oil – Movie Review

Sarah’s Oil – a Kingdom Story Movie
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last night, my wife and I attended a pre-screening for a new movie, Sarah’s Oil, that will release in theaters on November 7th.

The movie is inspired by the true life story of Sarah Rector, a young African-American girl living in rural Oklahoma in the early 1900s, who received a grant of 160 acres of land as a reparation payment because her ancestors had been enslaved by a local native tribe.

Because most of the people who received such land grants could not afford the yearly property tax fee, they sold their land to avoid losing it outright.

Sarah believed that her land had oil on it so instead of selling and making a small profit, which certainly would have been a lot of money to her family at the time, she was determined to keep her land and realize its full potential.

The movie centers around the struggle to keep her land from a greedy and unscrupulous oil company that threatens her at every turn. But it’s more than just a story of good vs. evil. The story explores themes of racism, justice, greed, forgiveness and perseverance.

The plot is engaging and the acting is professional. It has moments of tension, heartache and suspense, as well as the occasional comedic relief line.

This movie is the latest entry by Kingdom Story, a faith-based production company that’s responsible for movies like, “I Can Only Imagine”, “American Underdog” and “Jesus Revolution”.

Zachary Levi, who has appeared in a number of Kingdom Story movies, is excellent as B.B. “Bert” Smith, Sarah’s wildcat business partner who helps her in her quest to find oil on her land, while Naya Desir-Johnson gives a standout performance as the young Sarah Rector.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would highly recommend it to moviegoers. This movie is inspiring. You’ll laugh, cry, shake your fist and cheer at different points in the movie.

Ultimately, this movie feels like a throwback to the way movies used to be made. A lot of what gets churned out in Hollywood these days feels like recycled, uninspired junk, but this movie is clean, well-produced and is rich with positive moral themes. It’s a movie you can take your kids to see and have a meaningful discussion about afterwards.

I’m not a movie critic per se and I don’t write a lot of movie reviews. But this is a movie that I can heartily endorse and I encourage all to see this movie when it hits the theaters.

You may know that movies can have a short life-span in the theaters, based on how well they do initially. This is a movie, and Kingdom Story is a company, that deserves your support. Kingdom Story continues to produce high quality, faith and family-oriented films that not only entertain, but inspire.

Watch the trailer for Sarah’s Oil: