Church Life
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Are We Violating Hebrews 13:2 on Social Media?
Hospitality is, unquestionably, a Biblical subject. When we read the Old Testament narrative, we should be struck by how God’s people were to be welcoming and showing care for people. That concept did not change with the coming of the New Testament, however. The New Testament Church is required to be hospitable. It is interesting to me that the book of Hebrews contains one of the strongest statements about this subject in the entire New Testament. This epistle was written to Christians who had come out of that Old Testament law and, thus, would have known the emphasis on hospitality that was present there. Now, the writer is urging them…
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Kingdom Veterans
This past week my family has been involved in several Veterans Day celebrations. We have attended concerts and memorials and observances, all in honor of the brave men and women who have served in our country’s military. Attending these events is always such a blessing. They are replete with moments of appreciation, tears, and hearts being moved by the sacrifices and achievements of those who have served and who still serve to guard the freedoms we enjoy. At some point in each of these gatherings, all veterans past and present are typically asked to stand and be recognized. In order to qualify for this moment, you have to have served…
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The Wrong Question
In some ways, this is a “follow-up” to a recent post by Adam Faughn and a podcast he and Leah Faughn did together. He wrote and they talked about what I consider to be some very good thoughts about the criteria that should be used by parents as they consider youth programs of various congregations. In another way, this post reflects a long-held belief of mine. It is my opinion that too many parents ask the wrong question when their children come home from some activity. Before you think I’m getting too “preachy” or am coming across as “holier than thou,” please let me dispel that notion – quickly. When our children were…
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What are You Talking About?
The midterms are over. As I write these words, it is election day, but as they are being published, midterm election day is behind us. College basketball has started (thank goodness!). College football, the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL are all well underway in their seasons. Halloween is behind us, but Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming right up. On top of that, I’m sure there are new movies and new albums and new books being released that I just don’t know about. There is so much to talk about. There is so much that drives our larger conversations. We put in our two cents on Facebook. We share articles…
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A Poem to Remember the Next Time You Visit a Nursing Home
Recently, Ron and Don Williams presented some material the congregation where I serve as an elder. They provided some valuable information for people who are dealing with some diseases that most of us dread; specifically, cancer and various forms of dementia. The information was helpful for those who suffer from one of those diseases and for their caregivers. During one of his presentations, Don read the poem I am reproducing below. According to the information he provided, the poem was written by an elderly woman in a nursing home in Ireland and was found among her things when she died. With Don’s permission, I am sharing the poem with you. I am praying that,…
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Episode 111: What Parents Need to Look for in a Youth Program [Podcast]
https://media.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/content.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/Legacy_Podcast_111.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS(Player not displaying or working? Click here to listen.) Earlier this week, Adam wrote an article that dealt with the #1 thing that should be present in a youth program. On this week’s podcast, Adam and Leah sit down to discuss that from a parent’s point of view. More from A Legacy of Faith To subscribe to A Legacy of Faith by email for free click here. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Subscribe via rss Find us on Stitcher Radio Visit the show archives
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The #1 Thing to Look for in a Youth Program
Congregations are told all the time that families are looking for “vibrant, healthy, exciting” youth programs. Far too often, however, what passes as “vibrant” and “healthy” and “exciting” is not what should take the place of highest priority. Before I go on, let me make two statements. First, I have been a youth minister, so this is not an article to bash these faithful workers. For about 2 years, I was the part-time youth minister in Somerville, Tennessee and for about 7 years, I was the youth minister at the 9th Avenue Church of Christ in Haleyville. Since then, I have done my best to work with young people and…
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When a Loved One Dies
This morning, my grandfather passed away. It is a Monday as I write this and typically on the blog my articles post on Tuesday and they appear in our bulletin later in the week. But today is still Monday and so fresh on my mind is the death of my grandfather. He was my hero, by the way. He was the missionary, the preacher, and (to me) he was the greatest man I have ever known. I am sure in the next several months my writing and preaching will be very reflective of what my grandfather means to me. But for the moment just one thought I would like to…
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Thinking Time
I recently watched and listened to a portion of a panel discussion involving individuals who had been involved in a number of political campaigns. All of them had worked for the same person. All had been with him during both losing and winning campaigns. I know that some of them (I think all of them) had also been with this man during his time as our president. As they talked and reminisced, one thing became abundantly clear. People in positions like the ones they had and who have the responsibilities they had absolutely do not work either an eight-hour day or a forty-hour workweek. Neither does the person for whom they work. The fact that…
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A Flood of Memories
Very recently our congregation hosted a seminar entitled “Facing Dreaded Diseases with Faith.” Ron and Don Williams came and held a series of classes designed to help anyone who attended be better equipped should you find yourself or a loved one in this position. I benefitted greatly from the sessions I attended, and learned much about not only the diseases, but also about how to handle these diseases. However, I had another reaction. Listening to all of the advice for the caregivers of those loved ones opened up my memory banks and brought back some feelings I had kept inside for quite some time. I hope that sharing with you those memories and…
