Church Life
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There Will Be No Cover
A middle-aged man in South Carolina was recently pulled over after he exhibited driving behavior that appeared to show he was intoxicated. He was, to say the least, as police found 10 partially-drunk cans of beer in his car, including one between his legs. But the 49-year-old man tried to figure out a quick way to make it look as if he was not intoxicated before the officers approached his car. His solution? He sprayed Axe body spray… …in his mouth. When I came across that story, I smiled a little bit and I shook my head. How could anyone be so dumb as to think that spraying body spray,…
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The Consequences of Just One Decision
I was recently explaining to my children that years ago my grandfather told my dad (when he was a single teenager) that he should ask my mom (when she was a single teenager) out on a date. We have said over the years that this nudging set into motion a multitude of events that resulted in my parents’ marriage and subsequently the existence of all of their children and grandchildren. If my papa hadn’t nudged my dad, then it is likely that I would have never been born. One decision can really have an impact that is more far-reaching than any of us can ever imagine. Which brings to mind…
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A Big Deal
When the phone rang, Donna immediately recognized the name. The caller and her family used to worship with our family years ago. Neither family lives in that location now. Both families moved over thirty years ago. As a result, we don’t see each other as often as we used to. Our friendship seems to be one of those unaffected by time and/or geography. The caller and her husband are the kind of people with whom we can sort of “pick up where we left off” on those occasions when we do have the opportunity to be together. When we did worship together, our children were just that – children. Obviously,…
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The Ants Go Marching…
If you are like me, when you think of ants, one of the things that pops into your head is the song referenced in the title of this article. You’re welcome for getting it stuck in your head, too! Another thing that immediately comes to mind is the well-known lesson that the grasshopper learned in Aesop’s famous fable … that was already referenced in Proverbs. Proverbs 6:6 tells us, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise.” Again, in Proverbs 30:25 we can read, “The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer.’ Ants are often admired for their strength…
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The Badge of Busyness
I am busy. You are busy. We live in a busy culture. So, this article is pretty much for everyone. For most of us, from morning until night, we have to-do lists (yes, I’m one of those nerds that makes one for every day) and we fill them with so many things that we scramble our minds trying to get it all done. However, I will make a confession. Too often, I wear my busyness as a badge of honor. Leah and I talked about this (among other things) on last week’s podcast, and I’ve tried to take some time to reflect on that since. (But, of course, I’ve been…
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Is There a Cross in Your Dumpster?
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, what did Lazarus contribute? I would suggest that he contributed nothing. Lazarus was dead. He was entombed. He was useless, worthless and hopeless. It was only because of the love of Christ and the grace of God that Lazarus lived again after dying. I imagine that is what Paul meant in a spiritual sense in 1 Corinthians 15:10 when he said, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” Paul also wrote of Christians once being dead in trespasses and sins but being made alive and saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:5-8). He was merely pointing out that without the…
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The Middle of the Road May Not be So Dangerous After All
I often think of a comment made a few years ago by a friend of mine who preaches. Somehow the subject of extremes came up in the discussion. His comment was, “I try to stay in the middle of the road. The only thing wrong with that is that I keep getting run over.” We both enjoyed a laugh over that comment, but, over the years, I’ve thought a lot about the middle of the road. Please allow me to share some of those thoughts with you — especially as it relates to those who are seeking to find a proper relationship with the Lord and/or a “church home.” In…
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Satan Tried to Ruin the Ladies’ Day
Recently I had the pleasure of speaking at a Ladies’ Seminar in Neosho Missouri. I was blessed to meet some wonderful sisters in Neosho and from the surrounding area. They had planned every detail of that Friday night/Saturday morning event and they were ready to show the great hospitality that I’m sure they show on a regular basis. The decorations were beautiful, the snacks they had prepared were wonderful, the lunch on Saturday was great, and the young ladies who led singing for the sessions and presented their Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes speeches did a fantastic job. Now you may be wondering why I entitled this post “Satan Tried to Ruin…
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Remember the Youth Rally?
Last weekend, my family made a quick trip back to the town in Southeast Missouri in which I was raised. We were there because both Leah and I had graciously been asked to teach classes at “Inspiration,” a weekend youth rally that has been going on now for around 40 years… …and still has well over 300 attend each year. Let me say at the outset that this article is not intended in any way to speak against the “big” rallies and youth events that have popped up around the country, where sometimes thousands gather. Those events like CYC and Exposure Youth Camp are amazing, and I am grateful for…
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Is the Clock Your Enemy?
Maybe you love getting up in the morning. If so, then this past weekend was no trouble for you even though you had to spring forward. My daughter, who is not great at waking up in the morning, asked this question – “Why can’t we fall back both times?” Maybe she can start some legislation to that end. I’m sure she would get some support. We are all limited by time. We live inside a framework that was chosen for us by our Creator. Read Genesis 1 and you will see that God divided earthly life into days and months and years. We get accustomed to this framework. Therefore, in…
