There are some interesting things that go with the job of being a preacher. Some people act differently around you when they find out what you do for a living. There are also some assumptions about your vocation. People think you are different than them. They expect you to say and do certain things that they believe naturally coincide with your position. One of the things they expect is for you to ask them why they haven’t been to church lately. (I could go on a tangent here and talk about how it’s not “go to church, it’s “go to worship” and how the people are the church, et cetera,…

One of the fastest ways to tear a local body of Christ apart is with your mouth. If you want to split the church, use harsh words. Negativity is one of the worst things that can come upon a family of believers. If you engage in negative talk about a brother or sister in Christ, you should be ashamed. I have been guilty of this sin myself. It is easy to get pulled into this pit by your closest friends in Christ. It starts innocently, with just the remarks about a person’s habits or weaknesses. But before you know it, you stop looking for the good in people and you…

When I was younger, I used to see pictures of those fiftieth reunions of high school graduating classes and think about how old those people were.  Last year, I had the experience of attending my fiftieth reunion and being in one of those pictures. Sure enough – all of those other people were really old! It was my experience at our reunion that most of the conversations had some things in common. I’m fairly certain that this is not unique to my class.  We “fudged” and told each other how little we have changed. We talked a lot about families; especially grandchildren. We got caught up on where we are living, what careers we…

I may be wrong about my religion. It’s hard to grasp or even fathom seeing as how I pray every day. I read the Bible. I worship faithfully. I’ve been raised to know Jesus. I have always wanted to please God. I believe I love Him with all of my heart. Yet, at the end of the day, it is possible that I might be wrong about some things. Now if you ask my friends they will all say that as long as I mean well and I am trying my best that is all that God requires. The preacher on television keeps telling me that as long as I…

It is very rare to find an individual who does not appreciate the prayers of others for them. There have been a few times over the years when I have run into people like that, but those occasions are very rare. As one who has, in the past, preached full-time and as one who continues to try to serve as an elder in a local congregation, I can assure you that men who serve in either one or both of those capacities appreciate the prayers of their brothers and sisters more than they might be able to express. I have been encouraged over the years by people who will let me know…