One reason was to hide the hardness in people's heart during that time by concealing the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven from the people. ... However, the results will be different as different is the quality of the heart of the people that hear the Word. Thus others will reject it, others will accept it till the first affliction, others will receive it but eventually will put it in the last position putting other things (cares, riches, other desires) over it, and finally others will keep it in a good and honest heart bringing forth fruit. ... It is not only that one hears the Word, b...

• Word Count: 2530
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

He intends to trap them all in his cave and feast on them to his heart's content. ... Their own supernatural ability lies in offering the good, mortal hero his heart's desire by compelling him to engage in illicit behavior that would compromise his moral integrity. ... The witch, the goddess Circe, lures Odysseus and his men into her grand palace and allows them to eat, drink and be merry to their heart's content until they fall victim to one of her spells. ... My heart longs to be home, my comrades' hearts as well. ...

• Word Count: 2649
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Aside from the technical facet of the Bible there is the dialogue between God and the Prophets, a dialogue that, if we are willing to take it to heart, is still alive with us today. ... It is not within our power to find God, we may only seek Her through the world and our hearts. ... He says that "When the soul is not aflame, no light of speculation will illumine the darkness of indifference. No masterly logical demonstration of God's existence or any analysis of the intricacies of the traditional God concepts will succeed in dispersing that darkness." ...

• Word Count: 3573
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: High School

Ivan then says to his brother, "can you understand why a little creature, who can't even understand what's done to her, should beat her little tormented breast with her tiny fist in that vile place, in the dark and the cold, and weep her sanguine meek, unresentful tears to dear, kind God to protect her? ... The stuffy workshop, the din of machinery, work all day long, the vile language and the drink, the drink-is what a little child's heart needs? ...

• Word Count: 2613
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

Some years ago a German scholar came under a terrible attack for describing the poor condition of the church. His article was titled "The Babylonian Captivity". In it Martin Luther pointed out that the church had fallen so far away from truth that it had spiritually become Bablylon: Apostate! (PAUSE) What would Luther have said if he had been born 500 years later and he had seen our Evangelical Church today? Would he have given thanks for our reverent worship, faithfulness to the truth, separation from the world or would he have pronounced our church Apostate? ...

• Word Count: 2507
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse. ... And it has obviously turned the hearts of the man and the child to each other. ... Have you a heart? ...

• Word Count: 8991
• Approx Pages: 36
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Three of the most famous writings from ancient civilizations are the writings of Confucius, Hammurabi's code of laws, and Egypt's Book of the Dead. At first, they seem very different, they're from different times, regions, and religions, but they all offer a peek into what values ancient people considered important. One of the values that all three civilizations is justice and fairness. I feel that this is best viewed in Hammurabi's laws. All of the penalties for the crimes are very stiff, but fair. ...

• Word Count: 2846
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School