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A Picture That Made Me Ashamed
I doubt I’m in the minority of preachers when I say that I don’t really enjoy preaching on attendance. It would seem to be just about the most basic concept of the faith; after all, it’s just showing up. However, it seems that it was an issue even in the First Century. After all, the “attendance verse” that everyone seems to know–Hebrews 10:25–even says that, back then, “forsaking” was “the habit of some.” Still, even though I mention it in sermons at times, I don’t enjoy feeling like I have to do so. It would seem that just being present should be a given for those who claim to love…
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Smile for the Camera
The picture that accompanies this post may mean very little or nothing to most of the people reading this. I would ask you to take the time to allow me to explain why it is important to me on a personal level. The fact that the picture means something to me personally is not the only reason I am taking the time to type these words. I am hoping that the words you read will be both instructive and encouraging. Before I go any further with this, it might be helpful to provide a little background to the picture. It is more than a picture of a rose between two…
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That Was God’s Gift to Us
While our youth group was on retreat this last weekend, they had a devotional outside under the stars. I was told that it was a beautiful night and the stars were shining brightly. Our youth and family minister told everyone to look up at the sky. When they did that, a falling star raced across the sky. One of our little girls made the statement that serves as the title for this post – “That was God’s gift to us tonight.” What a precious thought from a six year old! It caused me to take pause and think about all of the gifts just like this one that we take for granted.…
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Some Quick Thoughts on 1 Peter 5:7
I use 1 Peter 5:7 in sermons and lessons a lot, probably because I need the reminder as much as (if not more than) anyone else. In that famous verse, Peter reminds us to be “casting all your anxieties on Him; He cares for you.” That verse is often used in lessons on prayer, worry, faith, and many other subjects. But, just for a moment in this post, I want to ask you: have you ever considered what the word “anxieties” means in that verse? Obviously, Peter was not specifically addressing what we might call “clinical” anxiety. He wasn’t writing about taking some diagnosis to God. Instead, the original word…
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Saul’s Horse (And Other Things Not in the Bible)
Those who are somewhat familiar with the Bible have heard sermons and lessons about the encounter that a man who then was known as Saul had with Jesus. The events are recorded in the ninth chapter of Acts. As you may remember, Saul (later known as Paul) was on his way to Damascus when a very bright light appeared. Some preachers (I suppose in an attempt to add some drama to the Biblical account) have informed their listeners that the light was so bright that it knocked Saul off of his horse and onto the ground. While the text says that Saul did indeed fall to the ground, there is…
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Roller Coaster
I was blessed to sit in Adam’s Sunday morning Bible class this week where he began leading a study of Ruth. This great book is set during the time of the Judges. As part of our discussion, he mentioned the idea of a roller coaster with the ups and downs during the days (years) of the judges in Israel. I would like to expand that thought a bit and then make application to our lives. Any good roller coaster rider knows that in between the super highs and low lows, are times that are essential to make those occur. The good old-fashioned coasters are the best with the buildup of…
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The Stench of Sin
Sin stinks. We don’t like foul odors, and one reason that is true is because they often just seem to hang in the air. It’s like you can’t get rid of them fast enough. I had the idea for this article for some time and then, just recently, the US Open tennis tournament gave me the opening I was looking for to illustrate it. As that huge tournament got underway, one of the things that began to make news was that some of the players were complaining about a smell. It was lasting throughout entire matches and, some players said, it was distracting and even gross. It was marijuana. There…
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What’s Your Why?
I just recently became aware of the question that serves as the title of this post, but I discovered that it has been around for quite a while. Apparently, it is used in many circles to assist people in finding purpose in their lives, to provide motivation, and to do a host of other things. The question is even used in some circles to help people discover what they are really, truly passionate about. The idea seems to be that we all need to examine our purpose for doing what we are (or are not) doing. I suppose that this could be illustrated by two people working for the same…
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Count Your Blessings
There are times in life when it seems difficult to count your blessings. It seems as though everything that comes your way in life has a negative effect on your thoughts and emotions. It may even seem at times like God has left your side and is letting you flounder in life. By the way, nothing could be further from the truth! God doesn’t leave us; we turn our backs on Him. Satan is at the center of our behavior because we have forgotten to count our blessings. The more we focus on the negative things, the more he enjoys seeing us suffer. I’ve just come away from a week with…
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Eyes on the Goal
College football is back, which means one thing: we are closer to college basketball (the sport that doesn’t take 5 hours)! When watching a basketball game, you will often hear a commentator talk about how a shooter was able to make a tough shot. Maybe the commentator talks about how the shooter kept his shoulders “square” to the goal, or maybe there will be a comment about the balance that the shooter maintained. But ask any great shooter or coach and one of the things they will talk about is how, to consistently make shots–especially tough shots–, you have to keep your eyes on the rim. That is one reason…
