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Don’t Hide Death from Your Children
I still remember the conversation. When we lived in Haleyville, funerals were an event. You didn’t plan to just “run into” a funeral visitation, because you were going to be in line. People showed up in droves. At this service, I was standing in one of those visitation lines and talking to the folks around me. In front of me was a young lady whom we knew very well. At the time, she was about 15 years old, and we were just talking about school and life in general. Finally, after about 5 minutes of talking, she just said, “This is the first time I’ve ever been in a funeral…
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Hiding in Plain Sight
The report out of Cleveland late Monday night was staggering, but joyfully so. As more and more people began to get familiar with the specifics of the story, there was an interesting mix of bliss and horror. After all, how could someone possibly not be found for 10 years when they were right in a populous neighborhood? The families of the victims had every right to think these three young ladies were dead. Stories like this draw me in. I am amazed when someone who has been lost, especially for an extended period of time, is found. It always makes me feel good for the families. But there is something…
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“Mingling Toil with Peace and Rest”
It’s cancer. We’re going to have to let you go. There’s nothing more we can do. We lost her. I just don’t love you anymore. When these statements are made, time stands still and everything becomes a haze. And often, if you are normal, the next question in your mind (or even out of your mouth) is Why, God? In one of my favorite songs, we sing the answer. Carolina Sandell Berg wrote “Day by Day,” in which she placed this wonderful insight: He whose heart is kind beyond all measure Gives unto each day what He deems best Lovingly, its part of pain or pleasure, Mingling toil with peace…
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Satan’s Fate Isn’t Glamorous
What a needed reminder! I am not teaching on Sunday mornings right now. In 2013, Lebanon Road started a rotation of teachers in our adult classes, and I have this quarter off of teaching. (If memory serves, this is my first quarter off since August of 1999.) I am attending a class taught by one of our deacons. We are learning more about our enemy, Satan. Our teacher, Tim, is doing a great job with a very difficult subject. I am learning so much, and being reminded of some much-needed information. Yesterday, we learned a lot, but one fact has been in my mind and really causing me to think.…
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Acts by the Numbers : Acts 13
Here is our latest handout to help you teach Acts 13 to your children. We hope you are finding these to be helpful! Acts by the Numbers Chapter 13
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Purity Week Post #4 : 5 Do’s of Marital Intimacy
Welcome to “Purity Week.” Our goal for this week is to share with you four posts that deal with sexuality and purity. Here are the previous posts: #1 “Ivory Soap Isn’t Good Enough #2 Purity Starts in the Mind #3: 5 Don’ts of Marital Intimacy ————————————– Yesterday, we continued to talk about some things not to do concerning purity, but we want to end this special week of posts by sharing some things to do. As we mentioned yesterday, these are reserved by our Lord for marriage, but within the confines of marriage, the sexual relationship is to be enjoyed. It is an expression of love, commitment, and passion, and when expressed in…
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Purity Week Post #3 : 5 Dont’s of Marital Intimacy
Wlcome to “Purity Week.” Our goal for this week is to share with you four posts that deal with sexuality and purity. Here are the previous posts: #1 “Ivory Soap Isn’t Good Enough #2 Purity Starts in the Mind ——————————– So far in Purity Week, we have spoken about purity–or, rather, impurity–outside of marriage. But this emphasis, if we are not careful, can lead us to think of the sexual relationship as something dirty or bad. God designed the sexual relationship as a beautiful expression of love, connection, and passion between a husband and wife. When expressed and enjoyed within the marriage context, “the bed [is] undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4). There…
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Purity Week Post #2 : Purity Starts in the Mind
Welcome to “Purity Week.” Our goal for this week is to share with you four posts that deal with sexuality and purity. The posts will come out today, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (our monthly email newsletter will be released on Tuesday). To make sure you don’t miss a post, simply click here to subscribe for free. ——————————- The class slumps into their seats as the youth minister starts to “go there” again. He starts talking about how sex is only for marriage and that it is sinful to engage in sexual activity before entering marriage. …and eyes glaze over, because they have heard this over and over. But the struggle for…
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Purity Week Post #1 : Ivory Soap Isn’t Good Enough
Welcome to “Purity Week.” Our goal for this week is to share with you four posts that deal with sexuality and purity. The posts will come out today, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (our monthly email newsletter will be released on Tuesday). To make sure you don’t miss a post, simply click here to subscribe for free. ——————————— Often when speaking about purity, I have used an illustration from ads for Ivory Soap. For many years, that brand of soap was marketed as being “99 44/100% pure.” In fact, one of their jingles used to include the lyrics: I want my clean as real as Ivory; It’s gotta be 99 point…
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Acts by the Numbers : Acts 12
Here is the latest handout to help you teach Acts to your children. This chart covers Acts 12. Acts by the Numbers Chapter 12 ——————————————– To receive our blog posts via rss, click here. To subscribe via email, click here. To sign up for our free monthly enewsletter, click here. Click the banner to visit our publishing website
