There was a time you could walk into a Goodwill, find a decent flannel, maybe a coffee pot, and walk out with change from a ten. Now? They’ve got someone in the back checking eBay like it’s Sotheby’s. That shirt with the armpit stain? “Vintage.” That busted blender? “Retro aesthetic.” Price: $29.99.
Same thing’s happened to flea markets and yard sales. Folks are out here googling the value of a half-burned candle and holding the line like it’s a Wall Street investment.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for people getting fair value—but what happened to the deal? What happened to the joy of finding a hidden gem that wasn’t marked up because someone’s nephew once saw it on TikTok?
I miss when second-hand shopping was about community, frugality, and the fun of the hunt—not algorithms and price charts.
Just a little rant. But also maybe a little call to sanity.
Take a listen to this one. There will definitely be a live show about the topic for free will and foreknowledge.
People make big claims every day. Some claims are so impressive that we want to believe them. Love believes all things, but love is not gullible. Love does not require us to turn off our brains or accept every story at face value. It is the love of truth that makes us careful with what we accept and share.
Recently I heard a luthier claim to have taught thousands of students from scratch all the way to becoming capable guitarists. Sounds great. But let’s put it to the test with simple math—and then see what you think about it.
If it takes about six months—roughly 25 weekly lessons—for a beginner to reach intermediate level, and if a full-time teacher handles 30 students a week, that is 1,500 lessons in a year. Divide that by 25 lessons per student, and you get 60 intermediate students a year. If you teach full-time for 17 years, you could personally train just over 1,000 people to that level. That is assuming perfect attendance, no dropouts, and a schedule that never falters. Real-world ...
Preaching the truth is not about posturing—it’s about standing firm with clarity, humility, and strategy.
Jesus did not send His messengers into safe places. He sent them into the teeth of hostility with orders to be wise and harmless. That standard still governs faithful preaching today. So what happens when strategy and sincerity are treated as partners instead of opposites?
Why strategic caution is biblical, not cowardly
How honest preaching builds trust without softening the message
What true accountability looks like in the preacher’s life
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