Church Life

  • Bible study,  Church Life,  Evangelism

    Try to Imagine…

    It goes without saying that our world is terribly divided. Nations look with suspicion at one another. The leaders of those nations make threats and take actions that make things worse. Sadly, division is not limited to various nations. Our own society is seemingly hopelessly divided along political, regional, racial, moral, generational, and other lines. At times, the division even exists within families. While all of this is sad to me, the saddest of all of the divisions that exists today is the division that is easily observable among people who call themselves “Christians.” One can drive a street in a town or city of almost any size and find places where people who…

  • Church Life,  Family,  Parenting

    It’s Sunday Morning; Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

    Some of us may remember a message that would appear on our television screens almost every (if not all) evening. As I remember it, just as the 10:00 pm news came on, these words would appear:  It’s 10:00. Do you know where your children are? I grew up in a home in which the parents did not need that “little reminder.” I guess that I kind of resented that at the time, but I’m very thankful now that my parents loved me enough to try to make sure they knew the answer to that question.   I’ve been doing some thinking lately about another question that might need to be asked. What would your answer…

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  • Church Life,  Legacy of Faith Podcast

    Episode 163: Why We’re Excited About PTP [Podcast]

    https://media.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/content.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/Legacy_Podcast_163.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS (Player not displaying or working? Click here to listen.) After not being able to have Polishing the Pulpit in 2020 or 2021, this wonderful event is back, and it starts next week. So, to celebrate, Adam and Leah are joined by their children, Mary Carol and Turner, to talk about why each of them is excited about the return of PTP. For more information and to view the full schedule–because it’s not too late to register–visit the PTP website here. Find our podcast on… Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Stitcher TuneIn Radio RSS

  • Bible study,  Church Life,  Evangelism

    A Budget Item Every Congregation Should Consider

    There are many reasons I love worshiping at Central. To list them would take awhile. Do we have problems at times? Of course! We are people, and people have problems. But this is a loving family and those who worship here see that on display all the time. One reason that is the case is because of our elders. These men are truly shepherds who “feed the flock.” There is not a soul at Central who wonders about our elders’ love for the Truth, and no one questions if they care for each person. Those two things–love for the Truth and love for each member–even show up in our budget.…

  • Church Life,  Family,  Homeschooling,  Parenting

    I Think That I Was Better Off In The Dark

    I guess that some people would say that I grew up in the dark ages. A new elementary school opened just as I was old enough to attend. I was in the first class to complete eight years in that building. (For those who are familiar with the area around Metropolis, Illinois, I am talking about Franklin Elementary School.) Did you notice that I completed eight years there? At least where I grew up, kindergarten was an idea that apparently had not caught on yet. At the age when children today are attending kindergarten, I guess my biggest concerns were things like how long I would be allowed to stay outside playing, what chores my…

  • Church Life,  Family

    Does This Describe You?

    In preparing for Polishing the Pulpit I came across a term that intrigued me. The term describes a feeling that has been in our world almost from the beginning of time. Cain suffered from it. Esau had a bad case. David’s brothers had a touch of it. King Saul really had it! I have friends who suffer from it today. I read a little story that talked about a disease called “grudgitis” and gave an example of how one creature dealt with the disease. A grizzly bear lumbered into a clearing where garbage had been dumped. Tourists noticed that there was only one animal the grizzly would permit to eat…

  • Church Life

    Slow Down the Scriptures

    I was practicing a sermon a few weeks ago. (Yes, I do that…yes, it’s out loud…but, hey, it works!) As I did, there was something I noticed, and it was something that I have worked on before but it obviously needed work again. It is also something I have noticed other preachers doing. At least that means I’m in good company. But, maybe it is not the best practice when delivering a lesson from God’s Word. It is this: when we get to a verse in Scripture to quote (or even read), we put things in about 5th gear and fly through it. Then, when we are done with the…

  • Church Life

    About Is Easier Than To

    From what I understand, it appears to me that the main item on the menu for some people is roast. I’m not talking about roast beef or roast pork. I’m talking about people being roasted or sometimes skewered.  Sadly, this seems to happen right after people have been to worship on Sunday. The topic of conversation all too often consists of roasting/skewering the preacher, the elders, the song leader, the Bible class teacher, or some other brother or sister. The subject may or may not have anything to do with what just happened at the worship service. It could have to do with something else.   The “something else” subjects many times have to do with…

  • Church Life,  Evangelism,  Tech

    A Tale of Two Social Feeds

    Feed #1 This is my social media. On it, I want to tell you what I have done. I want you to read what I think about things. I want you to know where I am, what I am doing, and who I am with. Through my feed, you will see who I am wishing a happy anniversary and who I am telling “happy birthday” to. On here, you will see pictures of me. You will see my new clothes and you will see me standing by my new car. You’ll know that I voted…and who I voted for (or against). Through my social media feed, you will know what…

  • Church Life

    “The Mick” and “The Man”

    He had a number of nicknames, but his most well-known nickname was simply “The Mick.” All that a fan of baseball has to hear is “The Mick” and we know that the person being discussed is Mickey Mantle. Likewise, those same baseball fans know immediately who is being discussed when somebody says “The Man.” Stan “The Man” Musial was my first sports hero. I can’t see any possibility of anybody ever taking his place in my mind.  Recently I watched a clip of an interview with Bob Costas. He was discussing an evening during which he, Mickey Mantle, and Stan Musial were together at Mr. Costas’ house. Bob Costas had invited Mickey Mantle to St. Louis for some…