This past Sunday something happened that no preacher ever wants to witness. Two people walked out of the building right in the middle of my sermon. I knew that it was a mother and daughter who were visiting. They came in just at the start of the service and I was across the building from them. So I did not have the opportunity to get their name or to find out what brought them to us or where they were going. All I know is that they partook of the Lord’s Supper, and in the middle of my sermon, at about 40 minutes past the hour, they walked out. I…

This post will be quite a bit shorter than most of the ones I write. There is a kind of “method to my madness” in doing that. Recently, I made an unsuccessful attempt to visit one of our elderly ladies who now resides in a nursing home. I later texted her daughter and found out where both of the ladies were at the time. I told her that I’d give it “the old college try” later.   The daughter thanked me for my attempt and for the fact that I check on her mother from time to time. She also shared with me the following information: “She has received cards from some and it…

The Bible, from beginning to end, speaks regularly about the need to control our words. James 3 is a classic text that helps us know how difficult, but also how necessary, it is to control our words. Additionally, many of the Proverbs deal with our words. But Jesus Himself may have given the most direct and potent teaching on the use of our words. After He said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34), He stated: “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by…

For two weeks my wife and children are/will be on fall break. During this time we typically take some type of vacation out of town. If you are like us, a part of your plan includes trying to figure out where you are going to worship on Sunday and what you will do for some type of mid-week Bible study. This set of circumstances begs the question, “What are the correct attitudes and practices concerning worship for Christians when they are temporarily away from home?” First of all, we need to educate ourselves on what God’s word reveals about our duties for worship. It should not take much study for…

As some who read this may know, I had a couple of issues with my health within a relatively short time frame a few years ago. It was during that time that I learned the difference between “How’re you doin’?” and “How are you doing.”   After my health was better, Donna and I were steroid-usa privileged to spend a few days at the Freed-Hardeman University Lectureship. It is always a profitable experience for us.   The wonderful fellowship we get to enjoy with people of “…like precious faith…” (2 Peter 1:1) is one of the highlights of our year as well. We are looking forward to another highlight in February of next…

Many years ago when I was in college (ouch, that hurts to say), I took a class on “Marriage and the Family.” I still have all the notes from the class and just recently I was dipping back into my folder for the sake of reviewing God’s allowances of divorce in the Old Testament. This, of course, would have been in regard to the question the Jews posed to Jesus about divorce in Matthew 19. Well, sometimes the search for something specific leads to the discovery of something else for which you were not looking. Instead of reviewing God’s thoughts about divorce I ended up pouring over some notes I…

Driving down Willow Avenue towards the church building for work on a Thursday morning I saw something that made me pause and be thankful. It was a flag at full mast. The day before, our country had commemorated 9/11 and every flag was flown at half-mast. We were remembering and still mourning a terrible event that happened in America 18 years ago. There are certain days that will always be half-mast days. Have you ever seen a flag at half-mast and not know why it had been lowered? If you have, then perhaps you found yourself quickly checking the news. This reminds me that oftentimes people are in mourning over…