Church Life
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Polishing the Pulpit and Prayer
It’s that time of year again – time for Polishing the Pulpit, or PTP as most of us refer to it. It is a busy time as many prepare to attend this week-long seminar in the Smoky Mountains. Some are preparing meals to bring and use in their cabins, while others are preparing lessons to present to those who will attend. There may even be some who are doing both! I hope that whether you are attending this year or not, you will take the time to pray for this great endeavor. In the midst of all that is going on in our country, this gathering is a bright and…
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How Will You be Remembered?
Last week, three people died who all impacted my life in a positive way. I am thankful to say that none of these three people ever did or said anything that impacted my life in a negative way. I can’t say that about everyone I know, even concerning brothers and sisters in Christ. So I feel very blessed by these three friends that I have lost. I believe all three of them will always be considered by me to be caring, serving, compassionate, and genuinely good. They will be remembered this way because their lives were mostly about other people. How will you be remembered? I have often heard it…
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Are You Living a Coinstar Life?
Not long ago, I heard and read about an interesting trip a man made to a Coinstar kiosk. As many who read this already know, you can take your loose change to one of these kiosks and dump it all in there. You can then receive a voucher for the total amount (minus the 11.9% that the company keeps). If you don’t choose to receive the voucher, you have the choice of getting an eGift card or making a donation to charity. I’m guessing that most people opt for the cash (or the voucher for cash). Apparently, that is what this particular man I heard/read about had in mind when…
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Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Most of us are familiar with the overall story of Jonah. However, in a recent sermon, Jeremiah mentioned a small fact that I have often overlooked in the story with a potent application to our lives. In chapter 1, as Jonah has tried to run away from God, the sailors cast lots to “ … know on whose account this evil has come upon us” (1:7). After God allows the lots to identify Jonah, he ‘fesses up that he is running from God, Whom he identifies as “…the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (1:9). Jonah tells the sailors the way to stop the storm…
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Is It Possible that We Know Too Much?
I am so grateful to be living in the information age. While I can try, it is so difficult for me to imagine living in the Dark Ages, or some other olden time when information was scarce. To have books and the Internet and other sources of information readily available is such a blessing. However, is it possible that we simply know too much? I was thinking about this just a few days ago. I don’t watch the news on TV, and I really just read headlines and a handful of articles from time-to-time. But I noticed that I was checking a couple of different news sites over and over…
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Spiritual Earplugs
Do you like it when somebody else tells you what to do? How do you respond when others tell you that you are wrong? I don’t think any of us like a steady diet of directions and objections. But in reality, that’s exactly what we need. I remember years ago working with a church that had a group of elders who would do a yearly evaluation of the ministers. One of the things those elders told us prior to the meetings was that some of the things they were going to say to us were not going to be very easy for us to hear. I also recall from time…
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Broad Generalizations Can be Dangerous
Did you spend any time in school learning about broad generalizations? You know, those statements that cover a great deal of people or territory or actions, when only a few were involved in whatever happened. What about the statements some teachers make, like, “The behavior in this class of mine is outrageous,” or, “They are just bad kids!” How about, “My whole class failed that test.” Now, you and I know that not ALL of the kids are bad kids, behave badly, or fail the test! There might be a majority as times, but ALL is a big word! When it comes to parenting, how about statements like: “My kids won’t listen…
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Ministry is Messy
I am an orderly person. (Well, except for my office, but that’s a different story.) I like schedules and plans. I like to know how long something is going to take. I’m the kind of person who, when I’m in charge of a meeting, promises the length of the meeting…and sticks to it! But I am also one who tries to be faithful to the life that God requires as a Christian. As a disciple of His, I am in ministry. No, I’m not talking about my “job” as a preacher. Every Christian is a minister, since that work basically just means “servant.” Knowing that, I have to understand that…
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Serving God, Not Obeying Him
Back in December of 2003, I wrote an article with the above title. I actually wrote two articles back to back with this title. They originated from a lecture I heard given by my good friend William Woodson. He had made reference to an article written by David Lipscomb back in 1897. In the article, Lipscomb was responding to a question regarding the possible withdrawal or disfellowship from Christians (individuals or groups) who were not in keeping with New Testament doctrine. In summation, his thoughts were that we should be patient and bear with any Christian who is trying to do the will of God. The breaking point for Lipscomb…
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Remission is Possible
That’s what the commercial on television said — remission is possible. It was touting the benefits of a medication that gives hope to people with a serious medical condition. Fortunately, I do not have the condition that is supposed to be helped by this medication, but I believe I know how I would feel if I did have this condition. I believe that I would find this information to be very interesting. In fact, I believe that I would be excited about the prospect of overcoming the chronic condition it is supposed to help with. I can easily see myself thoroughly investigating the claims. I have no trouble believing that, if the claims…
