Okay, so this post has nothing to do with the Bible, but we all need to laugh every once in a while. I love March Madness. It’s pure entertainment by guys who are playing for the love of the game of basketball… …and they are better than this guy. As least the judges got the scores right!

The Central church of Christ in Paducah, Kentucky, is a special place. My parents and grandmother are members there, and my dad, Jim Faughn, preaches for that good church. They are great supporters of our youth rally each January. Each year we know that the Central van (and other vehicles) will pull into Haleyville with 15-20 people from Western Kentucky. We are thankful for that kind of support! Now, we want to return the favor by advertising their first youth rally. Mark April 28th on your calendar. Todd Walker, from Murray, Kentucky, will be speaking. The youth rally will last from 10 AM until 3 PM and will be a…

[NOTE: The following article first appeared in the February 18, 2007, edition of The Central Message from Paducah, Kentucky. My dad, Jim Faughn, is the author. I used it for my column in our local newsletter this week, and wanted to share it on here. It is used with his premission. Thanks, dad, for another great article!]Many of us are familiar with the discussions we have from time to time about the little word “for.” Some of our religious friends try to convince us that “for” in Acts 2:38 means “because of” and that we are baptized because we are already saved. We often reply (correctly) that “for” can mean…

Yesterday at the area-wide preachers’ meeting, I was making a presentation about building a preacher’s library (on a preacher’s salary). Near the end of that discussion, I mentioned that, as with anything that costs money, one should “shop around” when looking for books. After all, building a library is not cheap. Brother Ted Burleson, from the Hamilton church of Christ, mentioned a website that I had not previously visited. It is Best Book Buys. You simply type in the book (or author or ISBN) you are wanting, and the site finds matches. Then, click on and you can see what several websites are charging for the book–including shipping! The site…

Literally hours after we posted the story of Amelia, the preemie who was in a hospital in Miami, she was able to go home. To read the story from the Orlando Sentinel, click here. The picture above was taken in October, soon after Amelia’s birth. She may be small and may have had some health problems, but she is a baby!

The following article is from the New Zealand online newspaper Stuff. It deals with the youngest baby ever born to survive. While the release from the hospital has been delayed, it is only because the doctors believe the baby could get an infection and don’t want to run that risk. The Baptist Children’s Hospital in Miami said Amillia Sonja Taylor was born at 21 weeks and six days on October 24, making her possibly the most premature baby on record to survive. The claim was based on the University of Iowa’s registry of the tiniest babies. The university bases its registry on media reports and medical journal reports and says…

Publishing Designs of Huntsville, Alabama, produces some very good material. Their books are well-written and also (as the name would imply) well-designed. Voices of Calvary is a great book for personal study or for an adult Bible class. Many have heard lessons on the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross. This book, though, adds to that list. Along with those famous words, Pharr leads the student through a study of what others had to say during those all-important hours. The 13 chapters in the book each end with a series of questions, making the book helpful for classroom use. The 13 chapters are: The Word of Judgment: “Weep for…

I just wanted to share three articles from other blogs that you will want to take a couple of minutes to read. (The links take you directly to the article) First, from Dale Jenkins’ “The Blog that Binds,” read this article: “The Church that I Grew Up In.” Next, from Phil Sanders blog (PhilAnswers), take the time to read “Don’t Be Ashamed to be a Christian.” Finally, from Paul Kelsey’s “Train Up a Child,” read “Bring those Babies to Church.” All three of these articles should be encouraging to you. Enjoy!

On Monday, February 26th, I will be addressing an area preachers’ meeting. I am excited about the opportunity, but I am nervous about the assignment. I have been asked to address the basic topic of “Building a Preacher’s Library.” Specifically, I have been asked to give some practical suggestions (which I think I can do) of how to build a decent library on a budget…and not Bill Gates’s budget, either! Now, here’s where I am looking for your help. I have also been asked to lead a discussion dealing with books every preacher should own and, if time allows, books every young preacher should own. I have a very short…

I had heard of and read some about Spiros Zodhiates. I decided to buy one of his books as a sort of “introduction” to his writing. I had been trying to buy several books about the Gospels and thought this book would make a nice addition. I was wrong. The book is helpful in some ways, but much more a disappointment. If you are looking for a few quotes and some interesting illustrations, this book will be helpful. If you are looking for scholarly work, in my opinion, this book is not what you are after. Of course, there is much false teaching, especially in the section dealing with the…