I remember one of the first days I was pastor of Wyatt Baptist Church in El Dorado, Arkansas I called on a man to pray, and silence followed -much silence. Finally, I heard the man say, “I pass.” I was a little stunned to say the least. I didn’t know you could “pass” on public …
Category Archives: Christian Living
The Triple-Word-Score of Providence
Have you ever caught a glimpse of something God is doing? Maybe you’ve observed an experience where what once seemed to be coincidence was clearly providence. Perhaps you met your spouse in the most unlikely of places and later realized God had planned the entire event. Or maybe the kind soul who stopped when your …
Does God Hate?
Does God Hate? This topic probably didn’t get a lot of airplay from your childhood Sunday school teacher –and understandably so. Generally speaking, it is wrong to hate. The issue of God’s hatred is not just a theological riddle. The way we answer this question cuts to the heart of our understanding of God and …
Did Jesus Battle Depression?
Did Jesus battle depression? Seems like a strange question at first, but consider Isaiah’s prophesy of the coming Messiah: “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). That certainly sounds like someone dealing with the symptoms of depression. So why do we immediately push back at …
Take it Home, Church!
Read the following list of Scriptural commands and ask yourself, “How well can I obey this commandment in a crowded Sunday morning worship service?” Gal. 5:13 “serve one another” Gal. 6:2 “carry each others’ burdens” Col. 3:16 “teach and admonish one another” Jam. 5:16 “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other” …
Baptisms, Breakfast, and God’s Mission
This morning I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in Nicaragua with my friends, Tami and Oscar. Oscar directs the mission work of the Baptist Missionary Association for this beautiful Central American country. After our meal, we reminisced about experiences we have shared in the past through mission trips and other events. Our conversation went back to …
Oh Behave!
Something really bothers me when I hear a church member scoff at a young person and say, “they just don’t know how to behave in church.” In my opinion, this statement is wrong on several levels: 1) What in the world does “In Church” mean anyway? Remember, the church is people –not buildings and services …
The Most Cherished Moments are the Most Difficult
First baseball practice of the season. Bryce has moved up from tee ball to pitching machine league. As I watched him take infield with the team, I was struck by the absence of Jill. She should have been there with me to cheer him on. It should have been a moment where together we enjoyed …
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Hope for Families Touched by Suicide
Yesterday I listened to callers on a local radio talk show discuss whether or not suicide was an unpardonable sin. (Whether or not a person can commit suicide and still go to heaven) Its always interesting to me how a subject like this can spark heated discussion among people who ordinarily wouldn’t discuss spiritual things. …
Behind the Scenes
In large cities, traffic is often monitored and controlled from a central office. Behind the “Authorized Personnel Only” door, controllers watch screens displaying current images and data from traffic cameras and sensors. When they notice congestion building up, they can change the traffic flow in several ways. They may alter how long certain traffic lights …