At Central, VBS is in the books, but we are right in the middle of VBS season. I know a lot of congregations that have their Vacation Bible School in July, and some even have it in early August. With all these going on, I wanted to share something that has been on my mind for many years about VBS and how it compares with our “regular” Bible school programs. Now, before I share it, let me say this: I am not “anti-VBS.” I love VBS! It is a lot of work, but, when done well, can be a tremendous tool to teach children, to encourage members, to involve members,…

They come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. They all have different backgrounds and different levels of Bible knowledge. Some are mature while others are very immature. Some have a lot of confidence while others are very shy. Most are spiritually minded, but often there are those who focus on the world and want to be part of that world. A lot of them have been “brought up” in the church, while others have had very little religious training. Most are happy in life, but there is often one or more who are sad and depressed. For many years I have taught girls and women in Bible classes. Some of…

It is a commercial for one of those companies that promises to negotiate with the IRS for people. The “target audience” seems to be individuals and families who owe a great amount of money in back taxes. As is often the case with services like this, the commercials feature testimonials from people who have successfully used the services of the company. One of those testimonials features a “satisfied customer” who had his debt to the IRS reduced significantly. He looks at the camera and confidently says, “I’ve got the paperwork to prove it.” Recently, Donna and I were in Cookeville, TN for a couple of reasons. We were there to…

As I type these words, I am working on a Bible class that I am to begin teaching very soon. I am scheduled to teach seventh through twelfth grade young men some material that has a sort of dual purpose. The text of the class will be the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Since this is a Bible class, we will, of course, study the text itself. There is a second and underlying consideration for this class as well. It is my prayer that the class will prepare them in some way to fulfill their God-given roles as leaders in the Lord’s church and in their homes.   We hope to…

How do we study the Bible? If we are honest, that is a great question. Often, we tell people in Bible classes and sermons that we all need to “study more,” which is true, but we often do not give them tools as to how to do so. This post is not meant to be a full exploration of Bible study. It is, however, meant to give one step that people far too often overlook and it is one that takes no money and, actually, very little time. As the title suggests, it is also the simplest step in Bible study. What is it? Look at the context. It is…