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Why Kind and Gentle is Better
Growing up I had a great uncle named Bob Byrd. He was not only a great uncle by definition (my grandfather Tatum’s brother-in-law), he was a great uncle in the sense of being great to me. He was fun. He was kind and gentle and full of laughter. I can never remember a moment when he was in a bad mood. He loved to play cards and games and to do all of the things kids do. He taught me how to water ski. He taught me card tricks and tricks with coins. He loved to spend time with and entertain all of the small children. Uncle Bob was fighter…
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Blame It On a Former President
I am writing this shortly after the death of President George H. W. Bush. As one might expect, people whose names are easily recognizable are remembering him. World leaders, family members, people who worked for him in his various roles in government, people from the various news media, and others are sharing their memories of a man who one prominent news reporter regarded, until Mr. Bush’s death, as (in his words) “the greatest living American.” I am, in no way, a prominent person. As far as I know, the closest I ever got to president Bush was a few feet away from a television screen – and there was no telling where he…
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Episode 115: Taking Young People Deeper in Bible Study [Podcast]
https://media.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/content.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/Legacy_Podcast_115.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS(Player not displaying or working? Click here.) Young people need a growing foundation of knowledge in the Word of God. Too often, though, we jump from “Bible stories” to nothing more than teen issues, and we do not teach them deeper things of Scripture. On this week’s podcast, Adam and Leah encourage Bible school teachers and parents to keep going deeper into a study of the Word with their young people. More from A Legacy of Faith To subscribe to A Legacy of Faith by email for free click here. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Subscribe via rss Find us on Stitcher Radio…
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Seeing Love and Compassion
They came to visit our congregation a few weeks ago. There was an older lady and a young woman with her two small children. They called the church bus for transportation and it wasn’t hard to figure out that they hadn’t been anywhere to worship in a long time. I’m not sure the children of the younger woman had ever been in a church building. Some would say, “they didn’t know how to act.” They have been fairly regular in their attendance since they began attending, and I might add that they have put most of us to shame concerning inviting people to worship with us. They regularly bring people…
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Whining Kids Getting a Pool is What’s Wrong with Parenting
I have thought about writing this post for a long time. By now, the commercial has been on for months. I don’t watch a lot of “regular” TV, so I haven’t seen it that often, but the first time I saw it, it grated at me, and the more I have seen it in recent weeks, it has only made me angrier. It is the Northwestern Mutual commercial with the whiney girl who ends up getting a pool for her horrible attitude. If you can stomach it, here is the full commercial: How is it that this is supposed to be representative of good parenting? How is it possible that…
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What They Need When They Need It
This morning I was watching the coverage of the funeral for the policeman who was recently shot and killed in California. At the end of the service, there was a presentation of an American flag to the victim’s widow. Standing next to her was the victim’s brother. In a moment that was so heart wrenching, I watched the serviceman do the very thing I thought was most needed in that instant. After presenting the flag he gave the young widow a modest but meaningful hug. Then he gave the brother a hug. I wanted to hug them too, and I have never even met them! Witnessing these thoughtful expressions reminded…
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Three Sobering Words
Three words from a song that is sometimes sung during worship services seemed to jump off the page recently as I read them and sang them. Those three words are: friendless – forsaken – betrayed Here are those words in their immediate context: Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall — Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all If you are familiar with the hymn, you already know that the overall message is a very penetrating question. The question really has three components: We are challenged to ask ourselves if the Lord would have been friendless, forsaken, and betrayed if I had been there. We are also challenged to ask ourselves what we…
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Why Do You Seek Me?
In a recent Bible trivia game, one of the questions asked about the historical significance of the words found in Luke 2:49a. Depending on the version you read, here is what that says: “And he said unto them, ‘How is it that ye sought me?’” (KJV) “And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me?” (NKJV) “’Why were you searching for me?’ he asked.” (NIV) The answer the game was seeking is that these are the first recorded spoken words of Jesus in the flesh. What a concept! Even the simple words He spoke to His parents as they sought Him after they left Him behind in Jerusalem can give us…
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3 Steps to Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions
Well, you made it all the way to January 2. So how are those resolutions going? In all seriousness, it is estimated that nearly 4 out of 5 New Year’s resolutions each year go unfulfilled. Some of that, I think, is because some people make resolutions just site because they feel like they have to, and never actually intend to do them. For others, though, it is simply not knowing how to attack those resolutions. So, if you made some goals for 2019 and want to help yourself in working through them, here are a few practical steps. Make Mini Goals If you make one massive goal for the year,…
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3 Things You Can Do to Make This Next Year Better
Everybody comes to resolution time on January 1, and according to polls recently taken, the same basic resolutions remain the most popular: exercise, eat better, lose weight, quit smoking, get a new job, be happier – et cetera. I guess this goes to show that we struggle in certain areas on a regular basis. But I came across a passage in the Old Testament that I believe can supply an alternative to the typical resolutions we all make. In Leviticus 25 you can read about the “Sabbath year” and the year of Jubilee. The Sabbath year was the 7th year in which the Israelites were to allow the field to…
