Church Life
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Encouragement…from Satan?
I don’t remember the year, but I remember the thought. At one of the Freed-Hardeman University Lectureships I have been blessed to attend, I remember hearing about how God had placed a protective hedge around Job and his family. I remember someone praying for God to place a hedge around us, His people. And the sentiment stuck with me. Through the years, I have prayed the same idea for my family, especially my children. They are faced with so many challenges in today’s world and I pray that God will protect them from some of those temptations and dangers. Recently, I was trying to encourage one of the young people…
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What Is (and What Should Be) Expected of a Preacher’s Wife
For my entire life, I have been around preachers’ wives. My mom is one. My wife (of course) is one. My sister is one. My wife’s sister-in-law is one. In addition, our family has become good friends with many preacher’s families throughout the years. Also, I have read a great deal written by these sweet ladies and heard many conversations. All that said, one of the common struggles of these godly Christian women is that there are expectations placed upon them by a congregation that are simply not right. Sometimes, those expectations are spoken and overt, while at other times (I believe) people do not even realize what they are…
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Love Never Fails
Will you go on a journey with me for a bit? I’m asking you to leave the things that distract you and get in a quiet place and engage with me for a minute. I want to take you to the center of yourself to help you investigate something you already know. Life is confusing. We have all of these moving parts to deal with in just living it. All of the physical things are but vanity. All of the spiritual things matter but there is much conflict and doubt sometimes about what they all actually mean. We live and we experience things both inside our hearts and outside in…
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When Did I Become a Brand?
By the time one has lived as long as I have, there is an awareness of various phases of life. There are a few of them that I do not remember. I, of course, do not remember my birth. In fact, there is not much about the very early years of my life that I do remember. However, as time went on I picked up a variety of “labels” along the way. In terms of relationships, at various times I’ve been known as things like a son, a bachelor, a husband, a father, and a grandfather (all in that order, by the way). I’ve also been known as a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, teammate,…
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The Devil’s Newest Tool
Those who have heard me speak in the recent past will know what I am talking about. It has taken the place of several other things, all of which are still dangerous tools, but this one seems to exceed them all. It is convenient, small, very smart, and available to almost everyone. Of course, I’m talking about the cell phone. That little computer you can hold in your hand and take with you wherever you go. That thing that connects you to so many people on social media. That device that allows you to connect to sites about which no one else will know (or at least, you don’t think they will know about it). That…
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Two Free Resources for Overviewing Exodus with Your Kids [Free Printables]
It was announced last weekend that the book being emphasized by Lads to Leaders for the 2019 convention will be the book of Exodus. Even if you are not involved in Lads to california-muscles.net Leaders, however, we want to share two resources with you that you might want to consider using in your family Bible time or homeschool. Both of these are available for free and are in pdf format. Resource #1: Overview of Exodus This pdf contains three parts, each designed to help young people grasp the “big picture” of Exodus. In the following pdf, you will find: (1) “10 Facts about Exodus,” (2) a simple outline of the…
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How to Find God
During His early Galilean ministry, Jesus began to perform various healings. In Mark chapter 1, one can read of Christ casting out a demon, healing Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever, and restoring a man who was suffering from leprosy. These miracles placed Jesus in high demand, so much that while normal people would go home from work at sunset, this was when he was just getting started: “At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many…
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6 x 5
I recently had the privilege of listening to the president of Freed-Hardeman University, David Shannon, speak at the annual Leadership Workshop hosted by the Briensburg church of Christ in Marshall County, Kentucky. During brother Shannon’s presentation, he suggested that every Christian would do well to have three lists of people with five names on each list. I would like to share his idea with you. I suppose you could say that I would like to share our idea with you. Since hearing brother Shannon, I actually separated one of his lists into two lists and have added an additional list of my own. I’m thinking that it might be good for each of…
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What is a Christian’s Place in Politics?
We have all thought about the validity of the argument for the separation of church and state. We remember Jesus saying, “Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and give unto God that which is God’s.” We understand that what God approves and what mankind approves are often two entirely different things. We know from the New Testament we have a responsibility to obey laws and respect the government under which we are organized. The kingdom of God is in the spiritual realm while earthly kingdoms are in the physical realm – but the two touch shoulders and there is a place in earthly kingdoms for a Christian who is…
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Is It Worth It?
As far as I know, two men who never knew each other had a lot in common. I believe that there are many who also may have a lot in common with them. The first man I am thinking of has already left us. Fairly late in life, he enjoyed a good relationship with the Lord and with members of the Lord’s church. It was not always that way. Although he had been baptized fairly early in life, he spent most of his adult life estranged from the Lord and His people. After a lot of prayer for him and as a result of some good influences in his life, he was restored. …
