Friday Links Roundup: Tear-Jerker Edition

I’m not much of a story-teller. While I try to be as much like Jesus as I can, He was the master story-teller and that is one trait I do not have!

Sunday, though, I am going to try to tell a story. I’m planning on presenting a sermon at Lebanon Road that deals with one of the most moving events of my life. It deals with how Mary Carol came to be a part of our family. While I’m not planning any crocodile tears, it’s hard to tell the story without some tears. It truly was a special time, and I hope to use it as the backdrop to a sermon that will touch a lot of people.

On to the links for this week:

1. Joey Sparks takes a VERY recent speech and contrasts it with a far more important speech in his post “Hope, Change & A Lot of Good Quotes.”

2. I often focus on how we treat visitors to our congregation. We are blessed with many each week, and I hope we treat them well. My dad, Jim Faughn, wrote an excellent reminder in his post “Is Gandhi Visiting Today?” (Great title, dad!)

3. Church attendance. It’s every one’s favorite topic, right? Well, it means far more than just “showing up.” Read Mitchell Skelton’s article, “Where Are Your Priorities?” and do a little soul-searching.

4. When we are baptized, the Lord adds us to His church. What then? Read Neil Richey’s post “Some Responsibilities We Have as Church Members.” (Good preaching material here.)

5. Have we stopped preaching about grace? Have we ever preached it? If we preach the “whole counsel,” we do. Steve Higginbotham writes an interesting perspective in “Graceless Preaching.” [NOTE: There is an article in the most recent Gospel Advocate that deals with this same idea.]

I hope you have a wonderful week. Make sure you look for the new iPreach podcast later today by clicking here (it will be episode #11). We are having a round-table discussion about the upcoming FHU lectures with some special guests.

If you are in our around Nashville, we hope you’ll stop by and see us this Sunday. No matter where you are, don’t forget the Lord–especially on His day.