One online dictionary provides the following as the first definition of the word “proxy:” The agency, function, or power of a person authorized to act as the deputy or substitute for another.(Dictionary.com) Some information I read not long ago caused me to wonder whether or not some of us are practicing what could be called “Christianity by proxy.” The information I read described the type of preacher a particular group of people were hoping to have working for them. The key word in that last sentence may be “for.” I intentionally used that word instead of “with.” This church was/is looking for a man “…to preach, teach, evangelize, do home Bible…

I know the holidays are over, and they were wonderful. Visiting with family, eating lots of good food, and just enjoying some time to relax are just a few of the reasons I love that season of the year. But they are not the only “most wonderful time of the year.” Next week, many of us will be traveling to Henderson, Tennessee for the annual Freed Hardeman Bible Lectureship. It will be the 84th annual lectureship and while I haven’t attended even half of those, it is still a much-anticipated week for Jim and for me. There are many reasons why we love it. Let me just mention a few:…

How far would you go to try to save someone from a dangerous, life-threatening situation? How drastic would you get to try to save someone from a burning building? Firefighters in the town of Camden, New Jersey recently had to make just such a decision. They received a call, hurried to the fire, and began to do their important work. Fearing there might be people inside the burning building, they knew they had to work very quickly. But there was a problem: a vehicle (on the picture, it looks like a minivan) was parked right in front of the hydrant they needed to use to fight this fire. Now, of…

When we throw some words around too casually their meaning and/or impact is lost. Do you really love your spouse, your car, your house, your favorite sports team, and ice cream equally? I’m sure that Donna would like to think that she means more to me than a big bowl of chocolate ice cream. (In case you’re wondering – she does – and it isn’t even close!!) I’ve been wondering lately if the word “forever” has lost its meaning to some of us? Could its impact have been diminished because of overuse, misuse, and/or flippant use? Did you know that, according to a commercial I hear on a local radio…

One might expect me to take the angle on this question that we, as Christians who are blessed beyond measure, should of course be satisfied! If we weren’t, wouldn’t we be ungrateful and a bit spoiled? After all, we have the blessings of the hope of heaven, access to our Father through His Son, and “the peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). While all of that is true, a recent Bible class made me rethink being satisfied. We were looking at the well-known passage in Philippians 3 where Paul says: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my…

I am certainly not a poet, but I have made this decision: If I ever write a hymn, it will not have four verses, because the third verse will rarely get sung! This past Sunday, though, we actually sang a third verse and I am so glad we did. Honestly, I am not sure I had ever sung the third verse of this particular hymn and, as we vocalized the words, they hit me hard. The song is sometimes called “Lord Send Me,” and sometimes “There Is Much to Do.” The hymn, written by M.W. Spencer, is old, but the message is absolutely timeless. While the whole song is important…

I love a room full of teenage girls –a classroom, that is. They are all so different. Some are vibrant and full of life, while others are quiet and seemingly lethargic. Some are tall and nearly fully matured physically, while others still look like younger girls. When they first come into the room, they are usually very quiet and don’t have very much to say – even if they are talkative in any other location. As you might have guessed, I (along with another elder’s wife) teach a Bible class for teenage girls on Sunday morning. We get to our classroom early so we will be there when the girls…

Love is not always a feeling. Sometimes it is a choice. I feel very confident that we have often acted in ways that could hinder God from having positive feelings towards us. We crucified his Son. And yet he has always loved us. He chose to love us. He made the commitment. Love does the most for what others need the most. This is Jesus. Now put this in the context of our interpersonal relationships within the church. We have been commanded to love each other with the same love Jesus has for us (John 13:34-35). How do we do that? There are no more crosses to die on. That…