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I Need to Apply Verse Three More Often (Especially One Phrase)
I am typing these words on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I’m just getting kind of settled in after worshiping with our church family and going with some of them to sing at a local nursing home. I hope that I can get what I’m thinking finished before it is time to worship again this evening. Somewhere along the line, it seems to have been a common practice to omit the third verse of a hymn that has four verses. I’m not sure when or where that practice started, but it is not an uncommon one. This morning, our song leader led us as we sang a hymn that is probably familiar…
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Constellations
We just finished a unit on space in 3rd grade. Maybe that’s why this thought popped into my head as I was studying Philippians 2. Maybe it was because I have seen (and been) people who seem to get what I am about to write. Philippians 2:15 tells us we can “shine like stars as [we] hold fast firmly to the word of life” (NIV). As I was studying for our ladies’ class from this chapter, one point made by the author of our book was about Paul’s “companion stars.” In one of my Bibles I have marked the four examples of humility that Paul gives in chapter 2: Jesus,…
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Can You Call Him Your Friend?
At Central, we quite often sing the old hymn, “How Long Has It Been?” This song, which talks about our prayer life, asks a series of questions that, basically, is meant to cause the singer to reflect on the frequency and fervency of their prayers. I recently referenced the song in a sermon and used the opening lyric/question to remind people of the song. The song opens by asking, “How long has it been since you talked with the Lord / and told Him your heart’s hidden secrets?” After quoting that line, I then admitted that, sometimes, I don’t like singing that song very much because I don’t like the…
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What Draws ‘Em Keeps ‘Em
I was sitting in a Bible class recently when the teacher was having difficulty remembering something he had heard me say before. Because of the material he was dealing with, I thought I knew what it was. The phrase he had on his mind was not original with me. I’ve “borrowed” it from a former teacher of mine. My former teacher has been gone from us for many years. The fact that I still remember his phrase and that others have heard it because I’ve used it may serve to demonstrate that our impact on others may not die with us. The two classes were separated by many years and…
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No Respect
I was taught respect at an early age – respect for parents, respect for property, respect for other people and their belongings, and respect for God and His word. I can’t tell you how many spankings I got if I did not show the proper respect for others. I was spared one time from the spanking because my brother was the one who had not spoken to an older person when they had spoken to him. My little mother gave him a “talking to” and a spanking about showing respect for your elders. I learned the lesson! As I view the world today, and the lack of respect for so…
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A Christian Response to Transgenderism [Video]
A couple of weeks ago, I preached a sermon dealing with the difficult subject of transgenderism. The topic had been requested by several people of various ages, so I decided to tackle it. Today, for my “article,” I’m simply sharing the video of the sermon. You can watch it below, or click here to watch it on YouTube. If the “timer” is not working, the sermon begins at the 21:20 mark of the video.
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The Present of Presence
What could a big, tough football player and a cute little girl have in common? As you read on, you may find out. I don’t know if the name “Donna Kelce” means anything to you or not. It didn’t to me until I recently saw a video in which she was featured. From what I’ve understood since seeing the video, Donna Kelce made history in this year’s Super Bowl. According to what I’ve found out, she is the first woman to have two sons playing in the same Super Bowl. On top of that, the two sons played for different teams. One played for the winning Kansas City Chiefs and the…
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When The Going Gets Tough…
I’m sure most people read the title of this brief article and finished with “the tough get going.” That’s what we as Americans do, right? We “pick ourselves up by our own bootstraps.” We forge new frontiers and rely on our own strength. Thankfully, I’m not considering this through eyes exclusive to Americans. (Sidenote: I love being an American but that is not the focus of this post.) I want to end the titular quote with some other suggestions: When the going gets tough … pray. Ephesians 3:14-16 reads, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,…
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What I Saw on Super Bowl Sunday Night
Each year, I find myself wondering how to act and what to say leading up to–and on–Super Bowl Sunday. Every congregation I have ever worked for has, thankfully and rightly, not moved or canceled services just for a ball game. But I also brace myself for lower attendance numbers and for the inevitable stream of social media posts by members of the church who are watching the game instead of being at worship, despite reminders to assemble (Hebrews 10:25) and follow the leadership of elders (Hebrews 13:7). Yes, that part is disheartening. Very disheartening. But there is another angle and, this year, I really tried to see some other things.…
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A Short But (at Least to Me) Soul-Searching Post
Let me begin this by stating that what will follow is not an original idea with me. I honestly cannot remember where I got the idea. What I know is that, once I heard or read it, it has not left my mind. Maybe it will have the same impact on you. The suggestion was made to substitute my name for the words “love” and “it” in a portion of 1 Corinthians 13. Specifically, the portion of that chapter are verses four through the first part of verse eight. Most of us recognize this section as one which describes “love” or “charity.” The exercise that was suggested made it personal. It challenged me…
