We were sitting in a class for elementary students at Maywood Christian Camp. The first Saturday in May of each year, the area youth ministers provide a wonderful day called “Madness in May” for K-6 students. Bible classes, food, and fun fill the day, and the children really grow throughout the day. As we sat with our group from 9th Avenue in a class about Abraham’s faith, the teacher asked a question about going to heaven. The students started talking about what one needed to do to go to heaven, and how it takes faith. The teacher then said something like this: “Won’t it be great to be with God…

She is a very friendly lady. She seems genuinely happy on those rare occasions when we meet. She’s visited one of the worship services where I preach with a mutual friend of ours. When I visited with her in her home after that, she told me that she enjoyed the experience. Recently, when I saw her, she told me the same thing.  However, as I encouraged her to return, she also told me that she has “a church home.” She was very kind when she said it. She appreciated my concern, but the message was clear. She has a church home and is not all that interested discussing any other possibilities. It wasn’t always that way. In…

The name Ida Keeling may not mean anything to you, but her story from the past weekend’s Penn Relays made me take notice. Keeling ran the 100-meter dash. There were nine runners in her race and she finished last; ninth out of nine. It took her over 67 seconds to finish the short run down the straightaway. So, what could possibly be inspirational about that? Ida Keeling is over 100 years of age! Her time of 1:07 in the 100-meter dash is a new world record for the over-100 age bracket. (By the way, here is a news report about the race, and here is an article that contains the…

“I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust…” ~ Psalm 40:1-4a. From these four verses, we are reminded of the grace and deliverance of God. Anytime you seem to be in a rough spot, it is important to be patient and trust…

Everywhere I turn, it seems, I hear Christians bemoaning the direction of our nation. From the decline in individual morality to out government standing for abhorrent behavior, it is a frightening time in many ways. As our nation continues to move further from God and His Word, Christians ask the question why? We wonder how this has happened, especially in a nation that was, very clearly, founded upon Christian principles. While there are countless reasons that could be given for why this continues to occur, I want to share one reason that every one of us needs to consider. It actually comes from a principle found in a well-known verse in the Old…