The book of Isaiah contains many memorable and powerful passages. From the imagery of sin being like scarlet, yet God making them white as snow (Isaiah 1:18) to the prophecy of the “suffering Servant” (chapter 53), the book is filled with treasures. One of those that is often quoted is found in Isaiah 55:8-9, where Isaiah declared, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. I can’t even count how many times I have heard that passage used to…

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” –Walt Disney Congregations sometimes struggle with planning for the future. While there are many reasons for that, a number of those reasons come down to one factor: fear. We are afraid we don’t have enough money. We are afraid we won’t grow. We are afraid that, even though this change has nothing to do with Scripture, people simply will not accept change. So, we sit back and keep doing what we are doing. Or we make some plans, but they are not challenging in the least. Of course, we must have a sense of realism, but may I remind us all today that…

Call them “programs.” Call them “ministries.” Call them “opportunities to serve.” Whatever you call them, every congregation has them. They are necessary to organize the work, so that people can serve in various capacities and use their talents to the glory of God under the oversight of the local eldership. However, there is one problem with the myriad of programs and ministries that most congregations struggle with. Either they struggle in the planning phrase, or they struggle in the communication phase. What is it? People do not know which programs are for the whole congregation and which are for certain groups. I can already hear the pushback. “We said this…

Every human being is a free moral agent. God made us this way. From the Garden of Eden until now, people have had the right to make choices. Some of the choices we make are simply matters of opinion. Other choices we make will determine where we spend eternity. One choice made this week that does not affect eternity was made by several NFL players. They knelt during the national anthem. This was their choice. Unfortunately, the whole issue over what to do at the playing of the anthem has gotten totally out of control. Some people want to make it about race, others politics, and still others, nationalism. As…

The August 2017 issue of Old Paths contained an article by brother Danny Tunnell. Although I have never met brother Tunnell, I am indebted to him for some interesting and challenging insights. I wanted to give him the credit he deserves because what I am writing here has been heavily influenced by his article. It is tempting to merely reproduce what he wrote, but I would like to “put my own spin” on the information he provided. Brother Tunnell dealt in some detail the Greek word dunamis. That Greek word is often translated as “power” in the New Testament. Even if you did not read his article and/or if you’ve never seen the word…