Church Life
-
Don’t Just Call Him “Jesus”
I was recently having a conversation with a friend of mine who was very closely associated with a man of South American descent whose name was “Jesus” (hay- SOOS). Those of us who are English-speaking have a hard time understanding why anyone would name their child Jesus, because for us there is only one Jesus, and he is the Son of God. We would say that only one individual has the right to be given that name (Matt. 1:21). But in other cultures, names and the origins of names have different pronunciations and meanings. The original Hebrew equivalent to Jesus is Yeshua, which is closely associated with Joshua, and the…
-
Fountains and Drains
On the day that I am typing these words, I heard a man use an interesting expression as he was interviewed on a radio program. I found out as I listened to the man who used it that it is, as he said, one of those “old sayings.” I suppose that I need to do more reading, listening, and/or something because it was the first time I’d heard it. I am quite sure that it will not be the last time I think about it. The man, who is a coach of an athletic team I don’t even follow, was talking about how some people are fountains and how others are…
-
Time to Prepare
Jim and I were privileged to attend an annual holiday dinner for those over 65 years of age where our son preaches. We enjoyed the visit with those people so much. The food was delicious and the talent show that followed the dinner was so much fun. One of their older members led the prayer before dinner and I appreciated all that he said in that prayer, but one statement really caused me to begin to think. He thanked God that He has given us time to prepare for eternity. I’ve spent some time pondering on that and I began to wonder if I fully realize that whatever time I spend here…
-
5 Lessons I’ve Learned from Surveying the Old Testament
About 2 years ago, the class I teach on Sunday mornings at 9th Avenue started a major project. We began a survey of the entire Bible. The key word is “survey.” We are not going verse-by-verse. I prefer to say we are going “chunk-by-chunk,” as we are trying to simply see the big picture of Scripture and the major movements of each book. Last Sunday, we completed the Old Testament, as we surveyed the book of Malachi. I am really proud of the students who have been there for these two years. I know I have struggled to teach some of the portions of the Old Testament, but I have…
-
People of the Book
God has always wanted His people to be “people of the book.” He had Moses write down the book of genealogy so that man could trace himself back to Adam and thus remember his Creator (Genesis 5:1). He had Moses read the book of the law to the Israelites so they would vow to keep every word (Exodus 24:7). Joshua also read the book of the law to God’s people, including every blessing and every curse (Joshua 8:34). Providentially, God allowed Hilkiah, the priest, to find the book when it had been neglected and lost (2 Kings 22:8). Later, after the Jews had returned from captivity, the book was read once…
-
Twenty-Six
One would like to think that a place of worship would provide a safe environment for people. Sadly, that no longer seems to be the case. Not long ago, the largest mass shooting in the history of the state of Texas took place on a Sunday morning at a relatively small church in a small town. According to one report I read, every person who was in attendance that Sunday was either killed or wounded. As the news began to spread, it was widely reported that a total of twenty-six people lost their lives that day. I was intrigued by the wording of a report posted a week later on nytimes.com. I found one…
-
What Makes a Day Good?
Do you ever have one of those days where you just realize all is going well and things are good in the world? I had one of those today and as I sit here tonight trying to reflect, it makes me wonder: what was so special about today? What made today so good compared to yesterday or tomorrow? Nothing spectacular really happened. I did manage to get up on time, which is always a nice start for me. It was a normal day at school with a positive start celebrating a recent success of some of my kids. I still had lessons to teach and paperwork to complete. Some of…
-
How Titus 2 Will Transform a Church (and Save a Bundle of Money in the Process)
Families are struggling. Even in the church, families are going through rough times. We can act like it isn’t happening, or we can face it head-on. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, for many congregations the default response is to hire someone. “Let’s get a younger preacher who can relate to these families.” (Never mind the fact that, since he’s young, he’s probably struggling, too!) “Let’s add a family minister to our staff.” “We need to add a counseling center.” Trust me, none of these are necessarily bad things, and in many cases, they can provide a great help to a congregation. But in our rush to think…
-
3 Ways to Stay Positive When You Are Depressed
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year….It’s the hap..happiest season of all.” That’s what the song says anyway. It would be great if this were truly the case in every situation. But in reality, the holidays can be stressful. There are so many things to get done, and the weather turns dark and dreary and cold. People are more depressed from December to February than during any other time of the year. And if there have been major disappointments or if there has been recent loss of life, Christmas can be far from cheerful. So here are a few tips on how to stay positive when all of the…
-
Huge Leadership Principles in One Short Verse
Most of us are at least somewhat familiar with the unusual tactics employed by Gideon to win a battle against seemingly insurmountable odds. We are given this information in Judges 7 about the size of the opposition to Gideon and his men: …the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance (Judges 7:12). As the events recorded in Judges 7 progress, we learn how Gideon’s army shrank from 32,000 to 300. Those of us who are familiar with this material are aware of how that…
