I’m going to get in trouble for this article. I know I am. But, at some point, you have to just step out of your comfort zone–for me, my comfort zone is being non-confrontational–and say what needs to be said. This post really has been in my mind for awhile, and it wasn’t nerves that kept me from writing it, but it was just how to start it. I knew where I wanted to go…I just wasn’t sure how to get there. Then I watched a little TV and checked social media for just a few minutes over the weekend, and it clicked. Late on Saturday afternoon, I watched the…

I’ve been doing some study lately about the names for God in the Bible. The book entitled God, Pass By Me: Seeing God’s Glory through His Names, Titles, and Descriptions by Casandra Martin is a great study of this topic. Jehovah-Nissi is one name that really caught my attention. Lately, it seems as though every direction I turn there is something to raise my stress level. There are health issues, time crunches, people who claim to be Christians who are sowing discord in the church, people are grumbling and complaining. Along with all of this there are national disasters, loss of life, and the list could go on and on.…

I’m so thankful God is in charge of making the big decisions! I just know how I often I get smaller ones wrong. In particular on my mind today, is the concept of God knowing who deserves rewards versus punishments.  Everyone likes to think about the rewards and very few like to think about the punishments, but I would argue those have to handed out correctly for things to go well. What if there were no judges who fairly handed out even the most straightforward of sentences? Our roads would be even more full of drunk, reckless drivers. Our streets would be filled with known murderers and worse!  We are…

I was recently involved in a conversation with a brother in the Lord. We used to live in the same town, but that is no longer the case. In fact, it has not been true for over a quarter of a century. Thankfully, we haven’t let a “little thing” like geography keep us from having a close relationship with one another.   Part of that conversation had to do with a congregation with which both of us are very familiar. As the conversation moved along, the name of one particular man came up. He is now in eternity and has been for some time. Even though he is no longer a member of that congregation, his…

It is true that not everyone can, or even should, teach a Bible class (see James 3:1). Some do not have a desire while others do not have the skill. To be honest, though, more can teach a Bible class than probably think they can! No matter if you are a seasoned teacher, someone who is nervous every time you walk into class, or someone who is not sure you can do it, there are some things you can do to make your class a wonderful environment. Whatever your “skill level” of teaching, here are 4 things you can do. Be Early. It is a great encouragement to children (and…

I read something recently that caused more than a little concern for me. Various people were being interviewed about an issue that is clearly dealt with in the Bible. There is absolutely no ambiguity in that divine volume about the fact that people who engage in a particular activity are in direct violation of the will of God. I know that I’m going to be criticized for using an old-fashioned and outdated word, but the Bible is clear that this activity is a sin. The primary focus of the material I was reading had to do with how people involved in this sin should be treated. One man who was interviewed would, in…