For as long as I have been preaching, when it is around holiday time, I will hear some tell me that the reason they weren’t at church services was because they had “unexpected visitors.” This explanation is usually offered without any shame or embarrassment, indicating that in their way of thinking, their behavior was totally […]
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If I Could Start Again as a Father
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4). Contextually, John is most likely referring to Gaius (and others whom John knew) and his faithful obedience and devotion to God. As a father of three grown children (along with their spouses), I can understand the joy of […]
If I Could Start Again as a Husband
Regret has been a perpetual refrain for humanity since our beginning; I have no doubt Adam and Eve must have thought, “If only we could go back to the garden, we’d never touch that fruit again!” I sometimes wonder if Nicodemus’ words in John 3:4 held a wistful tinge of “If only I really could […]
If I Could Start Again as a Christian
Have you ever considered your life and thought, “If I could start all over again, I would …”? I believe we all do that at some point or another, perhaps quite often. It is natural to allow retrospect to dictate what might have been if given the chance. Usually, we apply this thought to something […]
The Wisdom of Listening and Learning
On the whole, American culture displays a tragic lack of wisdom. One could likely identify a number of reasons why such is the case but perhaps the greatest reason is actually quite simple–people refuse to listen and learn. Wisdom desires to be heard. She “calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open […]
Cliquishness
A common criticism leveled against congregations by visitors, new members, or even those who have become dissatisfied with their identification with a particular local church is the charge that it practices “cliquishness.” A clique is “a small, exclusive group of friends or associates” (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language). The reason the charge of “cliquishness” is […]
Who Wrote the Bible?
Down through the years there have been those who have doubted the inspiration of the Bible. There are those who look upon the Bible as being nothing more than a dead letter, or some fable, or a group of fables that have been passed on from generation to generation. Others feel that the Bible is […]
Christian Persecution and a Civics Lesson for our Woke Culture
Is being a Christian and adhering to God a bad thing? Apparently in our modern culture it is. Our children are growing up in a nation that has a growing disdain for Christianity—and parents need to wake up and realize how bad the situation truly is. Consider a recent Politico report written by Alexander Ward […]
Forgiveness (2nd in a series)
Last week we learned that unilateral forgiveness can and should be offered when situations arise that do not involve sin. For instance, if someone ‘hurts my feelings’ or does something that leaves me feeling slighted – these may reflect bad judgment or carelessness, but there is no sin, and I can just let those things […]
No Reason To Believe The Atheists . . .
If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of man was an accident, too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents – the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms. And this […]