• Church Life,  Trust God

    The Only Poll That Matters

    Well, all the votes have been made. There’s no way to know as I write this if they have been counted yet, or even if we know the outcome. But the work of the public is done. For months, data has flowed. Hundreds upon hundreds of polls have been conducted. People have paid attention to markets, movements in geopolitics, the comments of pundits, and a seemingly endless avalanche of ads. I must admit, I’m a nerd for this stuff. I look at data for months on end because I find it tremendously interesting. From hundreds of polls to thousands of articles and posts, I’ve looked at data, just for my…

  • Bible study,  Tech

    Week of November 4 “Into the Heart of the Bible” and “Something from the Margin of My Bible”

    This week on “Into the Heart of the Bible,” Leah takes a few minutes to walk ladies through the events and other valuable Bible study information about the period after the flood. (If the video below doesn’t display or work, click here to watch.) On the podcast “Something from the Margin of My Bible,” Adam shares a quick note from Leviticus, but with a very important modern-day application. Click here to listen.

  • Church Life

    L3 – H3

    This may set the record for the world’s shortest post (or at least my shortest post). One of the reasons for that is that I don’t want anything I have to say get in the way of what I think is a very important message. I recently listened to an interview with a fairly recently retired professional football player. He won multiple awards while in college and played for thirteen seasons in the National Football League. None of that was the focus on what he was talking about during the interview, though. The interview was more about his faith and the philosophy of life that he seeks to instill in…

  • Church Life,  Family,  Marriage

    A Time for Rest

    Over the course of our 54 years of marriage, Jim and I have done a good bit of traveling. Some of it has been for work purposes (gospel meetings, ladies’ days, seminars, and lectureships), but some of it has been for vacation and relaxation. When our children were young we tried to take them to places that would be fun but also educational. Usually, these were not very relaxing trips. As we have gotten older and don’t go as much, we try to find places that will not only be beautiful, but also relaxing. We’ve traveled in almost every direction from our home in Paducah, Kentucky, and we have always enjoyed…

  • Bible study,  Church Life,  Worship

    The Most Important Thing I’ve Learned by Preaching Through Mark

    It has been quite an odyssey, and Central has been great to be along for the ride. At the beginning of 2023 (notice…not 2024), it was announced that Noah Davis and I would be preaching through the Gospel according to Mark. We made it clear that it would not be every Sunday morning, but that we were going to take two years to go through that book. Now, as November 2024 approaches, we are about to land the plane. Lord willing, the four Sunday mornings of November will be spent bringing this study to a close with sermons on (1) the second part of the crucifixion, (2) the burial, (3)…

  • Bible study,  Tech

    Week of October 28: “Into the Heart of the Bible” and “Something from the Margin of My Bible”

    This week, Leah concludes the first period of Bible history, the Antediluvian Period, on her video study for ladies. If the video does not display or work below, click here to watch on YouTube. On “Something from the Margin of My Bible,” Adam was pleased to share the microphone this week with Robert Hatfield, who gives a wonderful thought from Philippians 4. To listen, click here.

  • Family,  Marriage,  Parenting

    Who’s to Blame?

    I want to share with you something that I found to be interesting and challenging at the same time. Along with that, it is also a very good reason for self-examination. I listened to a podcast during which a father had a conversation with his adult son. The subject most discussed during the conversation/interview was the son’s addiction to drugs and alcohol. Fortunately, he has been “clean” now for a number of years.     What interested me was the motivating factor that led to his recovery. The discussion turned to the idea that people need to “hit bottom” before they can turn things around. It surprised me to learn that the…

  • Church Life,  Trust God

    Peace that Passes Understanding

    Philippians 4:5-7 has long been one of my favorite scriptures. I love the connections made between God being near, not being anxious, and our thankful communication with God, making our requests known to Him. As I was studying for a recent ladies’ day, I was reminded of something we noticed in my Wednesday night Bible class some time ago that, to me, is the best example of that peace in the Bible. It should come as no surprise that the perfect example comes from our Lord, but maybe not a time when you would expect it. In the gospels we read of His pleading with God to allow the cup…

  • Family,  Parenting

    The World Has Our Kids Because…

    It has been a long time since I was a full-time youth minister. Since then, though, one of the joys of my life has been that, at each of the three congregations for which I have preached–Lebanon Road, 9th Avenue, and Central–the elders have specifically told me that they would like me to have a part in helping with the youth program. What fascinates me a great deal of the time is how little has changed. Oh sure, there have been technological changes and other things like that, but people are people and, just like Solomon wrote, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Tragically, one of the things that…

  • Bible study,  Church Life,  Tech

    Week of October 21: “Into the Heart of the Bible” and “Something from the Margin of My Bible”

    This week on “Into the Heart of the Bible,” Leah teaches the first of two lessons on the period before the flood, the Antediluvian Period. Here is the video. (If the video is not appearing, click here to watch on YouTube.) On “Something from the Margin of My Bible,” a quick note about some things you might want to put at the beginning of a book of the Bible, using Exodus as a guide. To listen, click here or subscribe in your favorite podcast app.