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When “Reality” Sets In
I love being a dad! There are days when it is difficult, but, as we look at the “big picture,” it is a very rewarding work. As children age, though, there are certain things that are harder to explain. Recently, my family got in our car and headed toward the church building for our evening worship assembly. We left at about our usual time, backed down our driveway, and started down the street. My two children usually sing or just enjoy the regular sights. On this trip, however, we got a teachable moment that I wish we didn’t have to have. My daughter, age 4, spoke up and said, “Daddy,…
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Being Apathetic: It's Pathetic!
I’ll be the first to admit, I have my lazy moments. There are days when I don’t want to do anything but watch a ball game or just relax. This post isn’t about running 100 miles per hour 24 hours each day. Each person needs time to relax his mind and his body. This post is about apathy, the desire to avoid work. I hate it when I waste a good opportunity. There are so many things I want to accomplish in a day, a month, a year, and (of course) in my lifetime that I hate it when I don’t get something done. It’s more than just being “driven,”…
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Guest Post: "The Church and Joy"
[Today’s guest post is from Trey Morgan, who preaches in Childress, Texas. Trey’s blog, found here, is one of my daily reads, and includes brief but thought-provoking posts several times each week. Trey is married to Lea and they have four boys. We are grateful that Trey took the time to write this next-to-last post in our series “The Church and…”.] I love hanging out with happy people. People who are full of joy and life are my kind of people and I find myself drawn to them. I’ve also noticed that in the same way that I love being around joyous people, I find myself naturally avoiding people who…
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Guest Post: The Church and Her Elderly
[Continuing our “The Church and…” series, we are glad to have brother David Lemmons as our guest writer. David now preaches for the Bellevue Road church of Christ in Dublin, Georgia. He is in his 27th year of ministry, having preached in Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky. David is a graduate of the Brown Trail School of Preaching and Freed-Hardeman University. He also is a graduate of the Memphis School of Preaching’s 3rd year degree program. David is married and has three children and one grandchild. We are grateful for David taking time to write today’s post. Make sure you check out his blog, LemmonsAid, here.] In an unscientific examination…
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Guest Post: The Church and the Community
[Today’s post is the 5th in our “The Church and…” series. The author today is Joey Sparks. Joey is the youth minister for the Midway church of Christ near Jasper, Alabama. He started his work there in 2003. Joey is married to Amanda and they have one pet: a dog named Lucy. Joey graduated from Freed-Hardeman in 2005 with a degree in Biblical languages and a minor in history. He is currently pursuing an M. Div. from Amridge. You will want to visit Joey’s blog by clicking here.] 4 Body Parts the Church Must Use to Reach the Community I’m thinking that the word “community” was created by the Department of…
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Guest Post: The Church and Technology
[Today’s post is the 2nd in our series entitled “The Church and…”. The writer today is my friend Dale Jenkins. Dale preaches for the Spring Meadows church of Christ in Spring Hill, Tennessee. He wears many hats, including cohosting iPreach the podcast with me. It is a joy to work with Dale in this way. Make sure you check out his “Blog that Binds” here.] “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Somewhere between 1436 and 1450 Gutenburg is credited as having invented the printing press (wonder how many people…
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11 Tips for Better Meetings
It is well-known among the office staff at Lebanon Road that I despise meetings. Yes, I attend, and I am in charge of a handful each year, but I am not a fan of meetings as they are usually done. I often refer to them as a “necessary evil.” I know meetings are literally “evil,” but I think we waste a lot of time with many meetings. I love reading things that help me focus on how to make meetings better. The following list of suggestions are things that are not original with me, but that I’ve picked up over the years from various sources. If you know where these originally…
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I Love Church Vans!
Sunday and Monday nights, I got to continue an odd “love” I have. We were at the Area-Wide Gospel Meeting in Paducah and, as we walked up to the Carson Center (a performing arts building), there were lots of church vans in the parking lot. When I see that many church vans, I read the names of every one I see. I saw vans from Fulton, Kentucky; Dexter, Missouri; Paducah; and many other places. Whenever we host something at Lebanon Road–and when we used to host things like our youth rally at 9th Avenue–it was my tradition to walk around the parking lot and look at all the congregation’s vans…
