Church Life
-
How Finally Looking at a House Taught Me a Lesson about Grieving
As I write these words, I am in a hotel room in Dexter, Missouri. About 10 miles away is the town of Bernie, where I am speaking in a Gospel Meeting this week. However, just about one mile in another direction is a landmark in my life, and because the trees have not put on their leaves yet, I can see part of it as I eat breakfast each morning. It’s the house I grew up in; a comfortable split-level with a nice front porch. From just before my 3rd-grade year until just after my freshman year of college, that was “home.” And, then, we moved. Some of you are…
-
If You Were Asked to Say a Prayer Before Congress, What Would You Pray?
At this time next week, I will board a plane and travel to our nation’s capital in Washington D.C. I am happy to announce that the purpose of my visit is entirely spiritual. You will be glad to know that in our country, before the general assemblies of the House and Senate, prayers are still made. So on March 21st at 12 noon in front of our political arena, I will say a prayer before the House of Representatives. In a world where Christians are often concerned about God being forgotten and prayer being removed – take consolation in the fact that we are still praying at the epicenter of…
-
Who You?
I recently had the privilege of hearing brother Dan Jenkins speak at the Freed-Hardeman University Lectureship. As usual, he did an outstanding job of presenting important truths from the word of God. The topic assigned to him had to do with the superiority of Christ, especially as it relates to His authority. It might not surprise those who read this that some of my thoughts are based (maybe somewhat loosely) on some of the material I was privileged to hear. Toward the end of my thoughts, though, I plan to turn the tables somewhat and make an application that brother Dan did not make. As a part of brother Jenkins’ presentation, he told…
-
Accountability Report
Every day, I get an email with this title: “Accountability Report.” It comes from a company we pay to monitor what websites are visited on our family’s electronic devices. While I believe this is a smart practice for families in today’s digital world, that practice is not the focus of this article. Tonight, when I saw that email title, it made me stop and think about if I had an accountability report on my actions, words, or even thoughts on a daily basis. What would my report contain? Would it stay in the “green zone” where everything looks good or would it venture into yellow or red areas for caution…
-
How One Phrase from 1 Corinthians 13 Could Change Social Media for the Better
Social media–like it or not–is here to stay. While the platforms may change over time (remember MySpace?), interacting online is part of the fabric of culture now. But with that reality also comes a powerful responsibility. As with anything else, social media is something that Christians are to steward to the glory of God. While it is fun to share all sorts of things, our number one priority should be to shine the light of Christ through this avenue of communication. However, many Christians see social media as a way to rail against politicians, celebrities, and other people with whom they disagree. Their social media feeds are a constant barrage…
-
Am I In Trouble?
It happened again recently. A young man asked me that question: “Am I in trouble?” There are variations of that question. I’ve heard many of them. One of the more common variations is: “Have I done something wrong?” What would prompt a question like that? Why would the first thought of an individual be that he/she is “under investigation” and/or about to be punished? So, what happened this time? What happened was that I asked the young man if he could meet with all of us who serve as elders where he worships. The idea of him being in trouble could not have been further from our minds. Instead, we admire his abilities and are interested…
-
Episode 100: A Trip Down Memory Lane and How to Teach Adults How to Study the Bible [Podcast]
https://media.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/content.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/Legacy_Podcast_100.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS(Player not displaying or working? Click here.) It’s time to celebrate, as A Legacy of Faith hits episode #100. Adam and Leah take a few minutes to walk down memory lane, but then spend most of the podcast to talk about the importance of teaching others how to study the Bible. Below, you will find a large number of resources from this podcast. The Handouts Throughout the study on “How to Study the Bible,” handouts were provided with basic notes. To read or download a pdf all five lessons, click here or click on the picture below. Other Links (Links to Amazon unless…
-
Living a Double Life
It happened again. I’m so disappointed, and my heart is hurting. This is not going to be a happy, light, uplifting post. I cannot just ignore this because it keeps happening. I know I will probably make some people mad, but that really doesn’t matter to me anymore, because this could be a matter of spiritual life or death. I opened up my Facebook account again the other day, and there it was. Another person (a sister in Christ) had posted about going to see the movie, “Fifty Shades Freed.” I know very little about that movie, but I saw an advertisement on television that caused me to blush (OK, go ahead, think what you…
-
Kids Devo Idea: Controlling Your Anger
Last Sunday night, we were excited to host the K-6 devotional for 9th Avenue. We always enjoy having these young people and their families in our home. I found an idea for a devotional on anger, adapted it quite a lot, and taught it to the precious children. I thought you might find it a helpful idea to have for a family devotional or a children’s devo. It combines a pretty standard science project with (hopefully) a much-needed Biblical thought. Items Needed In the picture above, you see what you need. But in case you can’t see the picture clearly, here’s a list. Vinegar Baking soda Food coloring (not required,…
-
3 Reasons Why You Need to Go to Prison
You need to go to prison. But don’t do anything rash. I mean don’t do anything wrong or illegal. Unless of course preaching the gospel is illegal. That’s what the apostles did and they often got thrown in jail for it. As I was studying Acts 16 where one reads about the imprisonment of Paul and Silas it occurred to me that it is sometimes beneficial to go to prison. Here’s why: 1. Going to prison will test the authenticity of your faith. Most of the earth shakers and leaders of the past went to prison for something they believed in. Paul and Silas remind me that we are not…
