Church Life
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It Doesn’t Take Much Sometimes
On the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day, Donna and I were in Cookeville, Tennessee to watch our granddaughter who lives there in her final performance as Maria in The Sound of Music. I had no idea that I would get an idea for a post while we were there, but I did. As we were leaving, I noticed a man just slightly in front of me and in a position where I could say something to him. I probably would not have said anything except for the fact that his long white hair and beard made him look like a certain “jolly old elf.” He wasn’t quite as portly as that…
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As You Have Believed
Today’s post is short, but I hope it hits you as hard as it hit me. In our Wednesday evening devotional, the speaker talked about the account from Matthew 8 where the centurion asks Jesus to heal his servant. When Jesus offers to go, the soldier shows both humility and great faith in his response. What stood out to me was Jesus’s response in verse 13: “And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed at that very moment.” As you have believed. What if the centurion hadn’t been sure? What if he thought Jesus could only…
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What Is Your Congregation Known For?
Ask someone what the congregation they attend is known for, and you are likely to get some interesting responses. You might wonder if they are giving a view that is skewed–not out of dishonesty, but because they love the congregation so much–but the answer is probably something really good. “We’re a loving family.” “We defend the truth.” “We’re very friendly.” “We are known for our ___ ministry.” “We help people.” Now, let me say that my words today are not meant to diminish any of those. Read the New Testament and you will see that congregations need to defend the truth, be kind and loving, and have ministries that help…
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Ego
Since most of us are not psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, counselors, etc. we may not know (or maybe even understand) all of the technical definitions for the word “ego.” At the same time, like a lot of other things, we kind of know it when we see it – at least as the word is used in normal conversations. When we are talking about a person whom we would describe as having a big ego, we usually have in mind a person who has a very high opinion of himself or herself. His or her demeanor, speech, etc. “gives them away.” Since this is a busy time of the year, I thought…
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Are You Even Listening?
Jim and I have been traveling lately and that has resulted in us visiting several congregations of the Lord’s church. We love to visit others and usually come away blessed by the worship and fellowship. However, I have been distressed lately about something I have noticed on more than one occasion, both at those congregations and at our home congregation – the lack of listening intentionally to obtain what is being said concerning God’s Word and focusing on offering your worship to God. Oh, I’m way ahead of you. I have a feeling at this point in this post some of you are thinking, how does she know they’re not paying…
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The Big Three (or One)
The shelves of bookstores and libraries are full of the latest ideas, tips, methods, techniques, etc. which are designed to help people succeed in their chosen professions. Courses, gadgets, gizmos, seminars, websites, podcasts, and workshops are numerous that ostensibly help people to find a job/career and “move up the ladder” quickly in the workforce. “Life coaches” are more than willing (for a fee) to help prospective employees and/or current employees who want to make a name for himself or herself in the corporate world. Advice and instruction is provided on all sorts of subjects and comes in a variety of forms. Have you ever wondered what a real expert has to…
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Sometimes, It’s Okay to Just…
This time of year, there are many reminders about gratitude. I think we all know that we need those reminders every so often, because it can become far too easy to slip into complacency and not be grateful. One of those reminders that we often get is the song “Count Your Blessings.” I suppose that, for many people, this hymn is a favorite. I like it a lot, too, and it helps me to think about how much God has done for me. And before going on to the gist of this article, let me say that counting your blessings is a wonderful habit. As the song states, “It will…
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Week of November 25 “Into the Heart of the Bible” and “Something from the Margin of My Bible”
Leah is taking a mini-break for Thanksgiving, but there will be a new episode of her video series really soon (she is deciding between December 2 or December 9). If you’d like to take this opportunity to catch up, check out her YouTube channel–and subscribe–here. On “Something from the Margin of My Bible,” Adam was joined this week by Matt Wallin, who shared a great note on John 12:16. To listen or subscribe, click here.
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Neither Seasonal nor Optional
I understand that most of us are fairly (or quite) busy this week. We are doing things that, hopefully, will enable us to enjoy the day on our calendars designated as Thanksgiving Day. For that reason, I won’t write something here that will take much of your time to read. It might suggest something to all of us, though, that we might want to take some time to consider. The phrase I have in mind and which shall serve as the concussion to my thoughts is included in some very direct statements found in the Bible. None of them appear to be suggestions. During this time of the year, we…
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The Power of Music
Some of you reading this know that my life has been consumed with a theater production lately, as my daughter has been Maria in “The Sound of Music.” Although that has been an amazing experience and is related to the catalyst for this article [read exhaustion], it is not the inspiration. Last week, the only time I could fit my monthly hair appointment in was at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. For those of you who know me, you know this was truly a sacrifice. I don’t give up my Saturday mornings for very many things … especially to be somewhere by 7:00. That morning, as I was driving, some…
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