"Watch your life and doctrine closely"
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” This quote, commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, is applicable in many areas of life. I believe one of those areas is our Bible reading plan. Many good New Year’s resolutions to read Scripture have failed because of lack of direction. You may choose to read…
It’s hard to believe that it’s already Thanksgiving! This Thursday we’ll set aside time to gather with family and friends to feast and give thanks. As Christians, we give thanks to God for all his blessings in our life. However, sometimes it can feel forced, can’t it? Sometimes we go through a difficult time or…
In the beginning was darkness . . . then God spoke. He stretched out the heavens like an artist preparing his canvas, then draped them with the sun, moon, and stars to light the earth. He spoke and the oceans gathered so the dry land could surface. At his command, plants and trees sprang from the earth like…
We like to think we are the exception to the rule. We don’t claim to be exceptional, but we tend to think that what’s good for others isn’t always necessary for us. I see this most often regarding the commands of God. The laws of God are good (Romans 7:10) and help us live according…
The news coming from Israel is gut-wrenching. Reports of mass murder, kidnappings, women being rapped, and ongoing hostage situations continue to shock us. Graphic videos flood the internet with atrocities we can’t even imagine. Then, we find out that forty babies were murdered, some even being decapitated. Soldiers found forty small bodies that had been…
For years I sat a few pews back from Mrs. Maggie every Sunday morning. I would walk into the auditorium, and she’d already be in the front row with a smile on her face and her portable breathing machine next to her. I’d lean over her walker to hug her while she said in her…
Technology is advancing faster than parents can keep up. Every new gadget promises new opportunities, but also provides dangers and temptations. Here is a list of resources to help you navigate such difficult questions, provide accountability, and protect your children. Filters/Accountability Software: Canopy– Creates a VPN that monitors all activity on your device (including text…
I had recently become a pastor in a new town and wanted to meet some church members living in the local nursing home. I walked through the doors and immediately heard the TV in the lobby blaring loudly. Some residents slept on the couch while others rested comfortably in their wheelchairs watching “Wheel of Fortune.”…
Human beings are people of extremes. The pages of history give testimony to our ability to diagnose a problem and then overcorrect to an opposite error. Children raised under the pressures of legalism often gravitate toward licentiousness. Reacting against an overemphasis in logic, some have gone to the opposite error of relative truth. The church…
Everyone seems so busy in our fast-paced society. There’s always more work to do or places to go. We fill our calendars with appointments and tasks while marveling at our administration skills. We complain about our lack of rest but we seem more afraid of down time, and the threat of burn-out always looms. God…