Outside of Jesus Christ Himself, the Apostle Paul is the most dominant figure in the pages of the New Testament. His life covers around half of the book of Acts, and through inspiration he penned 12 or 13 letters that comprise the New Testament. It would be difficult to overstate the prominence of his influence both in the First Century and even these 20 centuries later. While Paul was nowhere near perfect, his example still resonates in the lives of Christians. He was knowledgeable in the Scriptures, humble, evangelistic, zealous, and loving. But even if someone was not a Christian, he or she would have to be impressed with the…

When are we ever going to learn? What will it take for Christians to (finally) stand up and stop supporting sinful entertainment and droning on and on about every latest celebrity happening? I often ask myself that question, and I fear that the answer is “nothing is going to change us.” The decline of morality in Hollywood creations is undeniable. We can argue about whether Christians should watch “this” or “that,” but it would be impossible to deny that programming and movies now are raunchier, cruder, and more sexualized than ever before. Not every song, TV program, or movie is sinful, but the movement away from God overall (and with…

On Sunday mornings, I am currently teaching our high school class at Lebanon Road. It has been quite a while since I taught this age, other than a lesson or two at camp, but I am greatly enjoying our young people. On Wednesday nights, I am the regular teacher for our auditorium class, and there are usually around 60-75 in the room for that setting. Though the room is not conducive to true discussion, we do okay, and I am thankful for those who regularly contribute to the class. In my estimation, these are precious minutes. Most of the congregations I know of have classes that average about 45 minutes…

God did not call Christians to be comfortable. How does reading those words make you feel? After all, there is a certain comfort in being a Christian, because we know that we are going to heaven should we remain faithful to the cause of Christ. There is a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) that does bring a certain level of comfort into our lives. There is also, however, a level of comfort that can be highly unproductive, and can even destroy our soul if we allow it to do so. We call the problem “apathy,” and it is a major problem for a lot of people who are…

I’m concerned for my country. I am very proud to say that I live in the United States of America. I am grateful for virtually countless men and women, including some of my relatives, who have fought for the freedoms my family enjoys daily. When I am at a funeral and “Taps” is played, I feel a lump in my throat. And very few things touch my emotions more than seeing a folded flag handed to a (now) widow or widower. Each time I look up at the flag, I am drawn to the field of blue containing those 50 white, gleaming stars. I am thankful that the stars do…

Step 1: Go to a Christian school. Step 2: Find that “perfect someone.” Step 3: Live happily ever after. Okay, so it may not be quite that simple, but for many years people have kidded around by saying that Christian schools are “marriage factories.” Many parents have tried to help their teenagers see that, if you go to a Christian school, you have a much better chance of finding a Christian mate. Now Facebook (of all places) is proving those thoughts to be exactly right. A new study, conducted by Facebook, shows that a Christian school is the most likely place for married couples who met in college to have…

Yesterday was a wonderful day at the Lebanon Road Church of Christ. We love this congregation, and our elders gave us yet another reason to say that about this place. They gave us a “future vision” of our congregation, a look at where we want to be down the road. For some time–over the course of many years–the average attendance at Lebanon Road has declined. While no decline is preferable, there is a positive side to this in that there has not been a split or major division that has led to this decline. Over time, for various reasons, our attendance has simply slipped. Many elderships see this type of…