-
Meeting a Hero
We live in the “celebrity sightings” era. Magazines and websites are covered with pictures of celebrities doing everything from performing on stage to eating lunch. Personally, I feel for those who have to go to remote places to truly “get away” (even though the public still knows where they are going!). Then there are those pictures of when we meet a hero. Maybe it’s the autograph of a sports star that you’ve long admired, or a picture you post on Facebook of you and a hero. Sometimes people will go out of their way to figure out the schedule of a hero just to see him or her in the…
-
Friday Links Roundup: Great Piece of Mail Edition
I check the mail every day. (Yes, I am a creature of habit, and I’m proud of it.). We don’t get a ton of mail. We get about 7 church bulletins each week, as well as a couple of magazines each month. Of course, we get our bills (yuck), but that’s about it. It’s always encouraging to get a card or note, and those come from time-to-time. Yesterday, though, we got a piece of mail that we are considering scanning in and keeping forever. It was a letter from our insurance company. It stated that they had reviewed our claim (again, for the fourth time), and were siding in our…
-
Guest Post: The Church and the Pulpit
[Today’s guest post comes from Scott McCown. Scott preaches for the church of Christ in Parrish, Alabama, where he has served since 1999. He has been in the ministry for 24 years overall. In addition to preaching, Scott is also an excellent song leader. You may wish to check out his blog, “The Morning Drive,” by clicking here. We appreciate Scott’s time in writing today’s post.] Not long ago on a Religion Q&A site, one person replied to the question: “What do you expect from your minister (preacher)?” with a description of their preacher. This description is a good indication of what the Church expects from the Pulpit. He is…
-
30 Encouraging Quotes
Need a midweek lift? How about some words of encouragement. (Quotes from various websites and books.) 1. “Problems are only opportunities with thorns on them.” –Hugh Miller 2. “A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn. ” –Unknown 3. “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” –Paul 4. “Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.” –Aldous Huxley 5. “When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.” –Unknown 6. “I shall dwell in the house of…
-
Three Book Reviews
I was well “on pace” for my reading for 2009, and needed to catch up on some other things. Thus, it has been awhile since I wrote a book review, because I haven’t completed books at the same pace as I was earlier in the year. Since the last book review post, I have completed the following books cover-to-cover. ———————— Great Moments with Christ Lubbock Christian College Lectures 1974 Firm Foundation Publishing Being a lecture book, this volume does not read like a biography of the life of Christ. There are more textual studies and word studies, but the content is still quite helpful in finding out much about Jesus.…
-
Friday Links Roundup: FPU Edition
If you’ve read this blog often at all, you know that Leah and I are big fans of Dave Ramsey’s “Baby Steps.” We are using those steps and a lot of prayer to do things God’s way with money. Sunday, we will begin teaching a Financial Peace University class here at Lebanon Road. About 15 members are involved, and we hope to do this every few months for other members. Please pray that this class will help many learn how to handle money God’s way! On to the links for this week. 1. Today is September 11, and many are taking a few moments to reflect on the events of…
-
Guest Post: The Church and Technology
[Today’s post is the 2nd in our series entitled “The Church and…”. The writer today is my friend Dale Jenkins. Dale preaches for the Spring Meadows church of Christ in Spring Hill, Tennessee. He wears many hats, including cohosting iPreach the podcast with me. It is a joy to work with Dale in this way. Make sure you check out his “Blog that Binds” here.] “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Somewhere between 1436 and 1450 Gutenburg is credited as having invented the printing press (wonder how many people…
-
10 Things Children CAN Learn
“You’re too young.” “Don’t touch that.” “You don’t understand yet.” “You’ll be able to do that some day.” As a parent of two small children, these words are said very often in our house. Of course, we are trying to help our children grow and mature, but there are certain things that are dangerous, or that are truly too hard for them at this point. However, children can still learn! While there may be a long list of things children cannot yet do, there is a long list of things they can do and learn! Here is a starter: 1. Children can learn love. I try to tell my children “I…
-
Friday Links Roundup: New Computer Edition
Since we paid off our car (yippie!), Leah and I decided to take one month off of our Total Money Makeover. We have been at it for over two years, so we took September to breathe and reassess. Part of that break was to buy a new computer (with cash, of course) for the house. It should arrive any day now. We got a great deal on our computer from eBay. It is almost just like mine at the office (it’s actually better and cost a little less!), so Leah is excited. Part of what we did without during our makeover was a nice computer at home. In fact, Leah…
-
Guest Post: "The Church and the Lost"
[Today’s post is written by Matthew Morine. Matthew preaches for the Castle Rock church of Christ in Colorado. Formerly, Matthew was in Waynesboro, Tennessee. You may enjoy his blog here. Matthew is a great writer, and you will enjoy his brief but well-thought-out posts. We appreciate him “kicking off” this series on the church. Or, since he is a hockey fan, we appreciate him “dropping the puck” for us!] Churches will continue to struggle as long as there is discontinuity between the mission of man and the mission of God. The average church is structured around the purposes of fending and tending to the existing flock of God. The majority of…
