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The Silent (or Overlooked) Sufferers
I am typing these words just a couple of days after a big “kiss cam story” broke. By the time you read this post, that story may be forgotten by most people. There is a good chance that something else may have captured the short attention span of most people by then. There are some things about all of that which bother me. The first of those things is the reaction of some people to this story. You may remember that two married people were shown on the “crowd camera” at a concert. They really seemed to be enjoying themselves. That is, they were enjoying themselves until they saw themselves…
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My Communion with a Momma Deer
Two of my children and I are enjoying some time away for a few days as a gift from a Christian brother and sister. What a gift! Time together away from the responsibilities that lurk over your shoulder when you try to relax at home. I could have ended that with just time together. As my children get older, I treasure the time I get with them, especially together. As you noticed, this trip we were missing one, but since he is busy helping young people love God more, I guess he gets a pass. Today when we returned from a swim and I was waiting my turn for a…
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Sin Isn’t Funny
By now, it is about 99.99% certain that you have seen the news story of a CEO getting caught at a concert hugging and swaying to music with an HR director of his company. The images and videos have bounced around the internet like crazy. It was shameful that, not only were these two not married, but they were both married to other people. Their sin found them out in a public and truly embarrassing way. And it’s been sad to watch Christians laugh at it. The way in which they got caught might be odd and a bit crazy; there’s no doubt about that. But I have seen scores…
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Getting Up
This article was inspired by a lesson given at Horizons this year by my friend and brother Joe Wells. This thought was not his main point, but it was one he mentioned that I had never picked up on in this text before. Joe, if you’re reading this, thank you. The Book of Acts is full of conversion stories, but perhaps the most well known of them all is the conversion of the man who at that time was known as Saul of Tarsus. Saul was one of the most passionate persecutors of Christians at the time (Acts 9:1-2), which made it truly unbelievable to many of his former comrades…
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Make It Easy On Yourself
Have you ever heard of John Maus, Noel Scott Engel, or Gary Leeds? If, like me, you are a fan of the music of the 1960’s you probably have heard at least one of their songs. “Make It Easy On Yourself” was recorded in 1962 by Jerry Butler, but the version of that song that is more well known was recorded by a group known as The Walker Brothers in 1965. Until recently, I assumed that The Walker Brothers were similar to the Osmond Brothers, The Jackson Five, The Cowsills, The Carpenters, and some other similar groups whose members were actually all from the same family. I’ve just recently learned…
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“Into the Heart of the Bible” Episode 17: The Intertestamental Period
This week, Leah takes a fairly extensive look at the period between the Old and New Testaments. You can watch the video below or by clicking this link. Either way, take a moment and subscribe!
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Live Every Day As If It Were Your Last
Wow, do we ever get caught up in this world in which we live. Days rush by and we seem to stay so busy that we feel as though we are caught up in a whirlwind. Even at my age (which is much older than many of our readers), I sometimes have to just stop and catch my breath. Retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!! However, I was reminded recently that each day we live is a gift from God, and no one knows when it will be your last day here on earth. The son-in-law of some of our dear friends passed from this life suddenly while…
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It’s the Word
“Our church isn’t growing. We need a new preacher.” “The kids aren’t interested. We need to have more fun.” “That church draws all the people. We need to do what they do.” “My life is in shambles. I need to find a podcast to help.” Or… you need to remember that the power of God is in the Word. If your preacher is preaching the truth from the Word of God, you don’t need a new preacher. You need to appreciate that he is sharing the truth. If some kids aren’t interested, you need to remind the children and their families that fun won’t get them to heaven–following the Word…
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Hands and Hearts
While Donna and I were away from home not long ago we worshiped with another congregation composed of people of “like precious faith” (2 Peter 1:1). In accordance with the teaching of the New Testament, a part of our worship included the Lord’s Supper. The man who led us in prayer that particular Sunday used an expression I don’t ever remember hearing before. As he prayed, first before passing the trays that contained the bread and then later the ones that contained the fruit of the vine, he included the thought that went something like this: As we pass these trays from hand to hand, let us also pass them…
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The “Big Beautiful Bill” and the Bible
I have thoughts on the massive bill, known either as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” or more simply as the “Big Beautiful Bill” that has been winding its way through the legislative process in Washington, DC. But I won’t share any of those thoughts with you here or on my social media feeds. Why? Am I a coward? No, it’s actually for a much more fundamental reason, and it’s a reason that has to do with how we consume Scripture as well. We live in an age where information is basically endless. Through traditional media, digital media, and social media, you could read, listen to, or watch information continually and…
