Ask the people of Texas. Or those in Florida. Or the ones in all the areas of the raging wildfires. How long, how many days did it take before their lives were changed? I would suggest that the answer could even be shorter than days – maybe hours or even minutes. Sunday morning, my son, Daniel, pointed out an instance in the life of one of Christ’s disciples where things changed in short order. In Matthew 16, we read of the great confession Peter made of Jesus being the Christ, “the Son of the living God” (verse 16). For that confession, Peter was praised and given a new name. But…

I am typing these words on September 5, 2017. I thought I would provide that information for a couple of reasons. Neither of those reasons has anything to do with the fact that this particular date has any monumental significance. First, since I do not know when this will actually appear online, I thought it would be appropriate to provide a kind of “time stamp” for my thoughts. I also provided that date because, as I type these words, Hurricane Harvey is beginning to “do a slow fade” from the news headlines. That “slow fade” has actually taken place in a relatively short time.  It has only been eleven days since Harvey hit the…

Teach me Lord to wait down on my knees, Till in Your own good time You answer my pleas; Teach me not to rely on what others do, But to wait in prayer for an answer from You. Teach me Lord to wait while hearts are aflame, Let me humble my pride and call on Your name. Keep my faith renewed, my eyes on Thee, Let me be on this earth what You want me to be. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Teach me…

As I type these words, a new school year is beginning in our community. By the time you read these words that event may be ancient history to you, your family, and your community.  For some families, this becomes an almost “ho hum” experience. It is just another year with more or less the same students, buildings, activities, etc.  However, for some families, the beginning of a school year means that a child will be away from home for the first time as he or she begins the pursuit of a college degree. For others, the beginning of a school year is a time of transition from elementary school to middle school or…

As you read these words (if you are reading them early on Thursday morning), Jim and I are on our way to Sevierville, Tennessee for Polishing the Pulpit. This is one of our favorite weeks of the year for many reasons. We get to spend some time with at least one of our children and his family.  We also get to see so many people we have come to know and love over these many years in ministry.  The singing is phenomenal, and the lessons put you on a spiritual high.  There is no bad language or immodest apparel.  It’s really a little taste of heaven here on earth. I have…

I think it was the great “philosopher” Yogi Berra who said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.” In his unique way, he said something that is really true. The following thought may not be quite as profound as that, but I think that it is also true. I think one can hear a lot just be listening. It might be a bit more accurate to suggest that a person can learn a lot just by listening. It seems that real listening is happening less and less. All you have to do is to watch and listen to some of the “talking heads” on cable news channels. They all talk at the same time. Nobody…

In 1972, a singer by the name of Billy Paul recorded and released Me and Mrs. Jones. Even if you have not heard the song, you might guess that, in the words of the song, “We got a thing going on.” I’m sure that, when that song was released, both preachers and English teachers were disturbed. Preachers (and anybody else concerned about biblical morality) were probably and justifiably concerned about the open way in which two people who had no right to be meeting were, in fact, doing just that at a designated place and time every day. English teachers probably pulled their hair out because of at least two phrases in…