Evangelism
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Churches, Learn From–but Stop Blaming–Covid
It’s been five years. Five years ago from the publication date of this post, the world was still basically shut down. Though a few things in a few places were starting to try to open up again, the world was a very different place. Churches were not immune to those changes. Every congregation was navigating waters that were very odd. (So, please, do not read the rest of this article as if I am saying that covid wasn’t real or that leaders didn’t do the best they could!) But read that first line again: it’s been five years. Are there lessons that congregations should have learned during 2020? Of course.…
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Growing Pains
Baxter is big now. I knew it would happen, but I don’t think I realized how quickly he would transform from the 8-pound puppy I brought home to the almost-40-pound dog that he is now. (Don’t worry, he still has growing to do – another 20 pounds’ worth at least, if his parents are any indication.) As expected, his new size has come with new challenges, not the least of which is attempting to keep the truly insane amount of hair he sheds off of the furniture. It is much harder to keep up with him running, much more of a challenge to keep him from reaching things on shelves…
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True Church Growth Means You’ve Got to…
Today’s post is one that is 100% for me. It’s something I know to be true, but constantly have to work on. Still, as I have talked to people over the years about this subject, I know it’s not just me. So, maybe, it will be helpful to you, too. When a congregation grows, it is a wonderful blessing. It is what God intends and what His heart desires. Each soul that is saved is now part of the family, and each one brings something unique to the makeup of a church family. What a joy it is to see that tapestry come together. However, when a congregation grows, it…
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Which Light is Brighter?
Contrary to what you might think at first, this is not my second post about basketball in three weeks. I am just taking advantage of the fact that some who read this may be looking forward to the NCAA championship basketball game which is scheduled to be played on the same day on which this post should appear. I thought that this might be the best time to “get this in” before some of us turn our attention from basketball to baseball. As I watched the postgame press conference after the Kentucky Wildcats lost to Tennessee, I heard the Kentucky coach, Mark Pope, use a quote that he said that…
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Jesus Saves
While traveling down the interstate in southern Illinois recently I noticed a small yellow sign along the road. Had I been driving, I would have missed it, but I was the passenger in the front seat. It was a tiny sign, given the size of most signs along the highway, and it was up in some trees that were rather large. Its message was the title of this post. Now, you may be thinking that I’m going to write something about the beauty of that message (and it is a beautiful message). Any mention of Jesus and His ability to save us from our sins is a beautiful message. However,…
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Some Thoughts about Gates and Doors (and Saltshakers)
Most who read this will be familiar with this statement made by our Lord: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matt. 16:18) There is absolutely no way to “guesstimate” all of the possible interpretations and nuances about the last part of that statement. Wherever one comes down on all of that, though, it is generally agreed that this was the Lord’s way of saying that the church He would build would be (as the saying goes) “built to last.” In other words, nothing could keep Jesus from…
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The Water Cycle
I still remember the day I heard the concept. I was blessed that year to have inclusion students in the classroom of a fellow Christian. We were studying the water cycle. Valerie said something to the effect that “All the water on earth has been here from the beginning because it’s all recycled.” Mind blown. The same water that Noah dealt with during the flood, that Elijah prayed would be withheld and then given again, that the Lord said falls “on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), is the same rain that falls on our heads. It changes forms, but it goes through the cycle over and over, watering…
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Using Up Our Leftovers
It is bitterly cold outside here in Paducah, as it is in many places in our country today. It makes you want to just stay in the house where it is warm and cozy. Now, for those of us who eat out often, since there are just two of us, this can present a problem. It means that I have to cook a meal. Honestly, I don’t mind cooking, so it isn’t that big of a deal. However, this time I decided to do something different. I decided to organize our freezer and use up our leftovers from past meals. I was amazed at the variety of items we had,…
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Who is Rejecting God?
It happened again. A familiar passage, but a new way of hitting the heart. This past Sunday night, our minister was doing the second in a series of lessons called “Conversations with God.” This lesson was about Moses and the conversation He had with I AM at the burning bush. Most who are reading this have probably heard the list of excuses Moses gives before finally getting down to his final plea of “Send someone else!” (Exodus 4:13) Somewhere in the middle of the list is his fear of rejection. Now, if we are honest, this is probably one of our greatest excuses about sharing the gospel with people. We…
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Confluence
Today is a day I have been excited about for a long time. It’s not just because it’s New Year’s Day. It’s because it’s the first day of 2025. And that, by definition, means it’s the first day of 2025-2029. You might be thinking, so what? It has to do with our work at Central. For months, we have been thinking about, praying for, and preparing for the years 2025-2029. Back in October, we released a video entitled “Confluence” that was meant to share our vision for this five-year period at Central. The video is great, but what it represents is, I pray, far greater. You see, every goal set…