[Each Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. If you would like to add your favorites to our list, please leave your list–up to three–in the comments, and we’ll get to it.] A song that is often sung with great excitement, “Higher Ground” has become a great song of faith. Christianmusic.com begins a short article on the song with these words: The hymn “Higher Ground” has a secure place in the American hymnology. The scripture reference is found in Philippians 3:14 of The Bible’s New Testament: “I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)…

Today is Turner’s third birthday. My not-so-little buddy was born at 3:50 in the afternoon in Birmingham three years ago today. We are having a birthday party for him with several of the other little ones from church. Leah has put in a lot of time planning the Super Why party, and Turner is really excited. We hope he likes it, because he really is special! On to the links for this week: 1. It seems that the health care bill is on everyone’s mind right now. Reactions have been varied and quite strong. Scott McCown shares a different take on it in “Universal Care.” 2. Preaching is minimized in…

[Every Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. To add your favorites to our list, leave a comment with no more than 3 suggestions, and we’ll reflect on it in the future!] In our uncertain times, this song seems to be regaining some level of usage. A great song of faith, “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” helps us express something that only Christians can have in dark and difficult times. Written by Ira Stanphill, the song shares statements of trust in unsettled times. The song focuses on two reasons why Christians can have strong faith in times that are difficult. First, the song suggests that we are…

Was yesterday the greatest opening day of the NCAA tournament of all time? It’s hard to say it wasn’t. Upsets all over the place. Buzzer-beaters in several games. A 2-seed that barely survived. Three games into overtime. Needless to say, I’m a bit tired, but ready for more today! We’re in Kentucky for a singing tonight at the Central church of Christ in Paducah. Tomorrow, we’ll be going to the Briensburg church of Christ for a leadership workshop. Both of these are great events that we try to attend each year. If you’re in the area, you’d do well to attend either or both! On to the links for this…

[Each Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn. If you would like to add your favorites to our list for future posts, leave a note in the comments with  no more than 3 songs.] One of the most haunting songs ever written, this simple song is one of the most motivating hymns we regularly sing. Or, maybe we don’t! It may just be me, but it seems to me that we don’t sing this song as much as we used to. Could it be out of guilt? The lyrics to “You Never Mentioned Him to Me” were written by poet James Rowe, who is probably more well-known for his hymn “Love…

It’s raining today. There’s loads of basketball on espn360.com today (including Duke and Kentucky). I have two computers. I love rain! That is all. On to the links for this week: 1. Since I mentioned sports in the introduction, I’ll start with a helpful post about making those sports figures our heroes. Becky Welch gives some lessons she and her kids are learning about those “heros.” Read and enjoy “Heroes are Humans.” 2. Sexual addictions (such as pornography) are running rampant in our society, but they can be overcome. The Covenant Eyes blog gives us “10 Tips for Maintaining Sexual Intergrity.” Preachers and elders, this would make some good material…

[Each Thursday, we “reflect” on a hymn suggested by our readers. To add your favorites to the list, submit a comment with no more than three suggestions.] Written in 1984, “Come Share the Lord” has become a often-used song before the Lord’s Supper. The idea of “sharing” is the overarching theme of this simple song, and it brings to mind the concept of unity that is seen so strongly at communion, as we are sharing not only with each other, but also with Jesus. The writer and composer, Bryan C. Leach, struggled to write this song, though. These are his own words: In the autumn of 1982, I made an…

This weekend provides a great number of opportunities for us. We are headed to Missouri this weekend and Leah and I will both be teaching classes at the Inspiration youth rally in Dexter. I’m excited about this, but it is the start of a very busy weekend. On Sunday, we are having a Ministry Fair at Lebanon Road to encourage involvement. We have lots of folks working on this and we are truly excited. Our elders set involvement as the basis of one of our goals for 2010 before us, and this is step one in fulfilling that goal. Hopefully, we’ll post some pictures later. Also on Sunday, we are…

Ranking in a tie for #30 on “Where Do I Start?”, Mac Layton’s book is an absolute must-read. It is rare that I begin a book expecting great things. I try to start a book with an open mind and then decide, as I read the book, whether or not I like it. However, I had heard so much about this book that I was excited about reading it. Thankfully, the book did not disappoint. How to Build a Great Church lays out basic Biblical principles to encourage leaders and members alike to see the big picture and to work together to help the congregation grow. Layton’s style in the…