Church Life
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Just a Picture on the Wall
If you’re like me, your home is decorated with pictures and plaques that have special meaning to you and your family. Some of them may be gifts that have been given to you. One of the largest paintings in our home hangs in our dining room. It was a gift from Jim on Christmas many years ago. I still love it and enjoy it. It isn’t just a painting on a wall, it is a memory of how much Jim pleases me with his wonderful gifts. In our study we have all different kinds of plaques and pictures that are mostly work related or inspiring. Some are drawings from friends,…
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The Guys at the Back of the Line
I am not nearly as much of a college basketball fan as is our son, but I do enjoy watching games if a team I support is playing (Go Big Blue!!). There is much more about the game that I do not know than there is that I really understand. For example, I understand how the scoring works, what a foul is (even though I’m not sure some officials know that), and other very basic things. High on the list of those things about which I have no clue is how specific plays are designed and executed. When I watch a game, things just sort of happen. I never quite…
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Where the Downhill Slides Started (or Starts)
This is scheduled to be posted on the Monday of what promises to be a very busy week for most of us. For that reason, I will not be as “wordy” as I normally am. At the same time, I want to accomplish a couple of things. I want to use Thanksgiving Day as a springboard for my thoughts. I also want to use this space to get all of us (yes, including me) to think. You may already be very well aware of the passage in the first chapter of Romans in which The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to depict how depraved many people had become. Both the practice…
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The Lesson of the Seasons of Life
As I sat in the sunroom this morning with my coffee, I was amazed at the beauty of the leaves as they fluttered to the ground. The sun was shining and gold leaves fluttered down like raindrops of gold. It’s autumn and this beautiful season is all around us – the colors, the harvested fields, the cooler temperatures, the geese flying south for the winter. My mind turned to the other seasons of the year: spring with its new life and beautiful green colors, summer with the blue sky and the deep colors of beautiful flowers and trees, and winter with the black branches of a barren tree against the winter…
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Don’t Just be an “About” Christian
Christianity is far more than an “about” religion. Let me explain. There are countless books “about” the Bible. From commentaries to study helps to various other writings, shelves are filled to overflowing with books about the Bible. And, for sure, a good number of them are helpful. But nothing can replace actually reading the Bible. The same would be true with not just reading, but studying the Bible. It is one thing to watch videos or listen to podcasts “about” studying the Bible. That can be helpful and can give you both information and motivation to study. But it is another thing to actually do it; to actually study Scripture.…
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It May Be a Lot of Things, But It is Not That
I’m not a “bumper sticker person.” I don’t feel compelled to “decorate” my vehicles with my preferences about certain things. An example of this is that most people who know me already know who my favorite athletic teams are and people who don’t know me don’t care. I seriously doubt that anybody’s allegiance would be changed merely because they saw a bumper sticker or decal on a vehicle. Apparently, not everybody agrees with me. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has seen vehicles “plastered” with so many stickers, decals, etc. that it almost seems like there is no room for any more of them. Some of the messages…
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Double-Edged Knots
Some knots are necessary. If you want to keep your boat at the dock, you need to tie a sturdy knot. On the other hand, some knots are annoying. Knots in your hair or a favorite necklace can make you run late. This type of knot isn’t the only one that can make a big difference based on where it is found. Sunday in Bible class, Michael Grooms, our preacher, pointed out that shifting a couple of “nots” in the Bible makes a big difference in eternity. In Genesis 2, God clearly told Adam that if he ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil he would “surely…
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Bitterness
I am going to try to introduce this without giving away the situation, because, when you write about bitterness, you don’t want to come across as…bitter! Here goes. A number of years ago, what was probably just randomness put me in a very difficult place, emotionally. For a stretch of time, due to those random circumstances (or, “perhaps,” God’s providence!), I had to be around a number of people who had truly caused me and my family pain. The pain had been emotional and, no doubt, had led to some spiritual struggles also. Now, unbeknownst to any of us, we would have to be around some of those who caused…
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What Would You Have Noticed?
Many who read this will probably be very familiar with the account of a miracle found in Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, and Luke 5:17-26. If so, you will remember that some friends of a man who was paralyzed carried him to a house where Jesus was. The obvious supposition is that this was done in the hopes that something could be done about the man’s condition. As you may remember, the hopes were realized much beyond their expectations. Not only did Jesus make it possible for this man to walk, He did something far greater. He told the man that his sins were forgiven. In fact he did this before…
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I’ll Be There for You
He was a dork. He was the king of sarcasm. He was a “transponster.” He was a character on a TV series, but to many, he was the favorite “Friend,” myself included. Chandler Bing was a figment of someone’s imagination, and yet Matthew Perry’s portrayal of that character made him real to millions of people. So, when Matthew Perry, the actor, died a few days ago, many mourned not only the real person, but the “friend” they feel they knew, Chandler. I have seen many posts of sadness and grief over the loss of this man. I read one article where Perry said he was known more for work he…
