Church Life
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How Soon We Forget
I just attended my class reunion for the class of ‘67… yes, that means that I graduated from high school 55 years ago… and yes, that means I’m getting old. I had a wonderful time with those classmates who were able to come and we reminisced about those happy high school days when we were young and full of energy. I remember hearing the phrase “remember when” a great deal on both Friday and Saturday evenings. There were some things I had forgotten about until someone would give the details and it would all come flooding back. We enjoyed being with one another again, reliving the past and hearing about what is…
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Words Matter, Literally
I’ve had the idea for this article for a long time, and have just waited for something newsworthy to use as the basis for getting it on paper. Recently, that happened, and I hope it shows the power of one word and how the meaning of words really matters. Words mean things, and those meanings can change over time. However, there are some changes in meaning that can have serious consequences if we do not think them through. If you look up the word “literally” in a dictionary, you know what to expect; or do you? We know what that word means. We use it to emphasize something that might…
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Little Things Can Be Big Deals
On a recent afternoon Donna received a call unlike any other she had ever received. Our oldest granddaughter was out doing some job hunting and called to ask if she could come by for a visit. That may seem like no big deal to many who read this, but it was a first for us. You see, once our children “left the nest,” we had never lived in the same town with either of them. None of us had any opportunity to stop by and visit. All of that changed about four years ago, when our son and his family moved to Paducah, but, at that time, neither of his children were old…
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Bible Heroes
When you think about the heroes in the Bible, who comes to your mind? Maybe you think of people like Moses or Joshua leading God’s people out of Egypt and into the promised land. Perhaps Daniel or his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego come to the forefront of your mind because of their bravery in a foreign land. Maybe Esther or Ruth. Maybe you just turn to Hebrews 11 and read through that great “Hall of Faith.” Sometime in the past, I made a note on my phone referencing 2 Corinthians 4 with this thought: God is the hero of every story–even ours–if we keep our eyes on Him. All…
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When the Desire is Gone
How would you like to have been a newspaper reporter during the Great Depression? Can you imagine trying to cover that era and find new angles to something that lasted year after year? Recently, I was reading a book about some events in 1932 and came across a quote from a Chicago newspaper that was truly powerful. A reporter was talking about a posh and exciting event being held in that city, but it was basically right across the street from a park. In that park, many unemployed gathered. Some were homeless, while others just sort of were there to be with others who were in the same pit of…
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Chameleons — Fascination and Frustration
I cannot remember a time when I was not fascinated by chameleons. Among all of the defense mechanisms that the Creator built into some of His creation, the ability to change the appearance in order to blend in with the surroundings is one of the most remarkable. From a very early age, I’ve read about chameleons, seen pictures of them, watched videos, etc. At times, it takes some effort to distinguish this lizard-like creature from a leaf, the bark of a tree, and/or whatever else is in the background. It is my understanding that some species are more adept at this transformation than others, but merely the ability to do this is interesting…
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I Have No Desire to be Anywhere Else
Isn’t it wonderful to be content with where you are? Maybe it’s your time in life and you are happy with what you are doing at this particular point in time. Maybe it’s the home in which you live, or maybe it’s the town or state where you are located. I recently heard someone say, while talking about the state in which they live, that they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I understand what they meant, because I’m somewhat like them, but their statement made me think. Would I really want to be on this earth forever? A song came to my mind, and I’m sure you can guess…
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Preachers Are People, Too [Repost]
The following post is the first “rerun” I can remember doing for A Legacy of Faith. The reason that I am doing this has to do with a conversation I had recently while attending Polishing the Pulpit. A brother asked me to send him a copy of this post, but I couldn’t find it at the time. When I did find the post, I could no longer find him and I had no contact information for him. One of the reasons that I couldn’t find the post was that it was written far enough in the past that I was still preaching “full time” when I wrote it. While that is no longer true…
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A Hidden Message?
I have had the privilege to be co-coaching our junior high girls at church for Bible Bowl this summer. We have been studying the book of Joshua and recently finished going through the book so we began reviewing. That’s when I noticed something that struck me differently and I wondered if there could be a “hidden message” for us today in some instructions given to the Israelites all those years ago. [Side note and this part is for free: I tell the girls often that these “hidden” gems are part of why I know the Bible is from God. A person can read parts of it for the very first…
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When You Can’t Shake the Dust
It’s happened to me several times, and I would guess it has happened to you also. How do you handle it when you have tried and tried to reach someone with the Gospel or to win someone back to the Lord, but there just seems to be no change–no movement–on their part? When I have struggled with that, people will just say, “You’ve just got to shake the dust off your feet and move on.” I know what they mean. There is just a time to move on and try to reach someone else. I get it. (It’s possible I’ve even given that advice at some point, although I can’t…
