Dear friend, I am writing you today out of the depths of my soul. Tears are welling in my eyes are these words are being produced because they come from a place in my being that is hurting. You know I have tried to reach you. I’ve come by your house. I’ve written you (more than a few) cards. I’ve tried to reach you on social media, phone, text, and email. I pray you have not seen these attempts as badgering or nagging. Trust me when I say that they have come out of a heart of love for your soul, and a desire to have you come back home.…

The church of the New Testament assembled together each Sunday to remember the cross and to partake of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7). It was on these occasions that they also worshiped the Lord in other authorized ways. There was singing and prayer, public Bible reading, and preaching. There was also a collection for the ongoing work of the church (1 Cor. 16:2). But after the Sunday public assembly, the Bible gives no absolutes as to when the church is to come together. If we modeled ourselves completely after the original Jerusalem church, it could be argued that they met in some capacity every day, but probably not all at…

2015 is almost gone. 2016 is almost here. (How hard is that to believe?) Many people will spend the next couple of days making resolutions for the new year. Some will be physical in nature, while others will be financial. Some will make goals for their families, while others may resolve to have a difficult conversation. Included in your goals for the year, however, I hope you will consider resolutions that help you grow and mature as a Christian. Last Sunday, to encourage our folks at 9th Avenue, I shared some very practical ways each of us can be growing in 2016. I hope these thoughts encourage you in your…

December 25th is a day where gifts will be expected. Just as Valentine’s Day is a prescribed day where men are supposed to do something nice for their ladies, Christmas comes with certain tags. But sometimes the best gifts and the brightest blessings come from out of nowhere and are received at a time and through a source that is not anticipated. A few weeks ago I had a small white paper sack dropped off to my office. It was delivered by a local Christian school. The students were making care packages with the theme being, “Preacher Appreciation.” Inside the sack was a bottle of water, and bag of microwavable…