Sorry for the lack of posts recently, especially the Friday Links Roundup. I have been sick since the middle of the night Thursday/Friday, and was barely able to get out of bed, except to go to the doctor Saturday morning. They gave me some medicine and it is helping. In fact, it helped enough that I was able to worship yesterday morning, and preach last night. We were scheduled to have Micky Bell preach yesterday morning, and that was a blessing in a lot of ways. He did a great job, and it also helped me, knowing I could just go and not have to worry about making it through…

Some podcasts are not updated every day or week. Some people put a series of programs or lectures out there and you can choose which programs to listen to, then the program is over. I have subscribed to several of these on a few different subjects over the past few months. 1. Memphis School of Preaching 2007 Lectures. MSOP put every lecture on iTunes for listeners to enjoy. Admittedly, I did not listen to every single lecture, but I listened to about 10 or so of some of my favorite speakers. This was a great way to dig deeply into God’s Word while traveling. (Average length: 30 minutes) 2. Money,…

I’m a little behind on my book reviews, so I thought I’d just mention two books I finished in the last couple of weeks. 1. Failing Forward (John Maxwell). Maxwell is the leadership guru, and has written many books on the topic. I have a stack of them (thanks, Mandi!) and look forward to reading them over the next few months. This book deals with a topic we don’t like to think of, but one that is common: failure. We all fail, but how do we handle it? Failing Forward is filled with stories of those who used failure to learn and move forward. Instead of thinking “failure is not…

The weather started to turn cooler (finally!), but things continued to go well at Lebanon Road. Even with the time change and the sun setting much earlier, we had good attendance at our evening service, too. A couple of our work committees met to plan some of our upcoming activities, so it was a busy day, but a great one. For several weeks, off-and-on, I have been presenting some basic Bible lessons called “Christianity 101.” Yesterday I preached on the Lord’s Supper in a lesson entitled “Examine Yourself,” and this was the final lesson on worship. In a couple of weeks, I’ll pick up with a lesson or two (I…

Kids say wonderful things. Sometimes, yes, they are a bit embarrassing, but we just do not forget the funny things children say. Yesterday, Mary Carol said something that was so funny I nearly fell over. The Buckner’s had their baby boy, Jude, at the same hospital where Mary Carol and Turner go for their doctor’s appointments. We got to the hospital and I heard Mary Carol say something, but I didn’t understand, so I asked her, “What, honey?” Her response, as she looked up at the hospital was… “Do I have to tee-tee in a cup today?” What a memory! There are several links this week that I hope you…

One of the great things about being a preacher is that you get to “be there” for the momentous times in the lives of people. Sometimes, those days are not so good, such as when a family member passes away. At Lebanon Road, we had two funerals on Monday, and that was hard to take. Other days, though, are wonderful! Today is one of those days. We got to welcome the newest precious child that will be a part of our family at Lebanon Road. J.D. and Maria Buckner welcomed Jude Davis Buckner into the world this morning. It was a joy to be able to see Jude earlier today,…

This is the first book written by Barton Kizer, and he has done a tremendous job in putting this work together. This historical study takes young people through the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, and helps them understand the historical process that led to the period of the kings. Published by Riddle Creek, Kizer’s book continues the trend of Riddle Creek to produce Bible-based, practical material for teens. While this book is broad in its scope (really beginning with Moses, but focusing on three books of the Old Testament), it does not waver from its purpose in helping young people both see the “big picture” (the Bible timeline) and…

We try not to get too political on this blog, since that is not our purpose here. However, if you have not seen the following video, you need to take 4:17 of your time to watch it. It does not talk of party lines, rather, it simply reminds us of the stand Christians need to make when we enter the voting booth. Don’t let your voice be heard when you vote. Let God’s voice be heard!

It was so nice to be back at Lebanon Road yesterday. Having been away two of the previous three Sundays, it is nice to be back for several weeks now. We will miss a couple more Sundays here around the holidays, but at least that’s a few weeks away. It’s nice to be able to “focus our efforts” here. I preached two sermons yesterday morning in about 31 minutes. Confused? I preached a 1-minute “mini-sermon” on the election, simply reminding us to vote for those who stood for Biblical principles. Many here have already voted, since Tennessee allows for that, but many who have not yet voted said they appreciated…

Thought you might like some pictures of our little trick-or-treaters this year. Yup, Ann and Andy. Leah and her mother made the costumes! Our neighborhood cookout. A great event to meet neighbors and see costumes. We live in a very family-friendly neighborhood, and we’re thankful for it. With our friend and neighbor Violet Harris.