Church Life
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The Connection Matters
I was sitting in a lecture not long ago behind a friend of mine. The speaker was doing a good job presenting his lesson, when, at one point, he made a remark that was more application than it was information. He was simply trying to speak to how what he was talking about had impacted his own life in a very real way. As he did that, he further gave a practical remark of how this could help us all live out the principle he was discussing. It was at this point that my friend sitting in front of me, quietly–but enough where I could hear it–uttered a simple “amen.”…
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Frederick Douglass Was Not a Waiter, But…
A few months ago, an entirely new and different world was opened up to me. I learned from one of our neighbors that I could “borrow” audiobooks from our local library and listen to them for free. Since then, I’ve “read” about twenty-five books. I have found this practice to be much more informative and interesting than what I did previously while I was driving, doing odd jobs around the house, etc. The time spent on listening to political commentators with whom I already basically agreed or music I’ve known for a half century or so now occupies very, very little of my time. I am particularly drawn to books…
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Love On
This post is meant to be extremely brief but I hope it makes you think. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. A day of love and appreciation. Why can’t today be yet another day where we show love and appreciation … especially for Christians? “Let brotherly love continue.” Hebrews 13:1 Subscribe Via Email for Free AUTHOR: Amber Tatum
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When the Neighbor Knew Something Was Wrong
I am writing these words on the day I was asked to participate in the funeral of a very special Christian lady. Some of what I am about to type could probably be written after any number of funerals. I am afraid, though, that not all of it could. Funeral services have a way of reminding us about things that are vitally important. A story I heard from a family member is, at least to me, a great example of this. Many of us have had the heartbreaking experience of trying to help a loved one as the aging process takes a terrible toll on that loved one. At some…
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A Note of Thanksgiving
Having just celebrated my 75th birthday–and, no, I don’t mind telling people how old I am–I am overwhelmed by all of the blessings God has given me in this life. First on my list would be my relationship with Him and a mother who raised me to always put Him first. Even in difficult circumstances, I saw her trust in God and her faith planted that seed in me that helped my own faith grow. I am so thankful. It is difficult for me to understand how anyone can make it in this life without being able to lean on God and His Word for support. Second would be the…
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Intergenerational Respect
Titus 2 is a vital section of Scripture, as it pertains to how the church is to help one another. The emphasis is on generations and how they are to live in light of being followers of God. But there is also a clear emphasis on older generations teaching younger generations, and it seems that Paul had that especially in mind for older women to teach younger women. For that to happen at a deep and impactful level, though, there must be respect, and it must flow both ways. The older women must respect the stage of life those younger women are in, and seek to remember how difficult it…
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A Losing Quarterback with a Winning Quote
It was not “just another” Army-Navy football game. There were many factors that contributed to this particular game being unique. This particular game was scheduled for November 30, 1963. That meant that, if it was played as scheduled, it would take place only eight days after the assassination of president John F. Kennedy. There were questions about whether it would be advisable to cancel the game altogether. Ultimately, the decision was made to go ahead with the game, but to reschedule it for a week later. That meant that the game would be played on December 7th – the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. There were questions…
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His Eye is On the Sparrow
I don’t know where all of our readers live, but where this writer lives, it has been cold for the past 7 days! It has been so cold that memes on the internet about canceling our seven-day free trial of living in Alaska have circulated widely. Facebook has become not much more than “how are the roads?” During all of this beautiful – if brutal – cold, I noticed some of my neighbors and got to wondering how they survive. I’m talking about the birds that stick around and don’t migrate for the winter. It is not typical for us to spend so many days in a row below freezing,…
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Paul, Sports, and Preaching
Illustrating sermons is an artform. It is one that I have always struggled with. So this is not being written by some expert in that part of sermon preparation. However, there is something I have heard a fairly significant number of preachers say that bothers me. They will be getting ready to share a sermon illustration–maybe their second or third in a sermon–and they’ll say something like this: “Paul wrote about sports a lot, so I’m going to go back to the world of sports.” With that, they will launch into a story from some sport to illustrate the point they are making. Now, let me say this: I am…
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There’s Nothing to Do Here
I’ve never lived in a major metropolitan area. I grew up in a rural area outside the city limits of a town that, according to the latest census figures that I could find, has about 6,500 residents. After Donna and I married, we actually lived in that same town for the first eight years of our marriage. Since then, we have lived in (or just outside of) towns with populations of about 1,500, 8,000, and 27,000. That last figure is the population for Paducah, Kentucky, where we presently live. That figure may be a little misleading, though. That is the population for people who live within the actual city limits. There…
