Ecclesiastes 12:10

   I’m a bit worried we have gotten a little too obsessed with how bad the world is.  I hear so many discussions about how bad things are getting, so many posts about warning about this wicked new twist, so much indignation over a famous person’s wicked behavior.  It seems that some Christians spend most of their time watching the world so they can report on it's behavior.  It has become an almost voyeuristic pastime to look at the world and comment on how wicked it is. Of course its wicked, it is the world. Do we really need to be told that?    I understand we get concerned about these kinds of things because we want our country to be better and are worried about the future for our children.  But we need to remember the world has always been the home turf of the devil (1 st John 5:19) and will always be.  Wickedness will be around us no matter how hard we try to avoid it.   Consider what we read in 1st Corinthians 5:9-1...

The woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, "My dearest, you have been with me all through the bad times. When I was laid off, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I was robbed and got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side. You know what?" "What dear?," she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth. "I think you're bad luck."   Sometimes, like this fellow, we jump to the wrong conclusion. Rather than see things for what they really are we put our own spin on things. Like when we say: God wants me to be happy, so it is fine to stay in this sinful relationship. This is a sin but  we should go ...

    Well you know they say lightning never strikes twice in the same place.  You know what they say Rome was built in a day.  You know they say that all that salt will kill you.   You know they say you can't go home again.  You know they say we are in for a bad winter…        I sure you have a onetime heard something “they” say.  You might have even quoted back something “they” say.  They seem to have a lot to say about a lot of things.  And if they say it, well it must be true right?  So exactly who is “they”?      “They say” has become a common expression because it lends credibility to a statement by appealing to the majority.  If a group of people are saying it, well it must be true.  This logical fallacy is one that is prevalent in our world.  We survive as a group.  We trust safety in numbers.  So by nature we tend to go a...

   Something has gone wrong in your home congregation and you are thinking about packing up and heading someplace else. Should I stay? Should I go? You don't want to leave the place that has been your home, but could that be what is best?  Here are five reasonable considerations on why it might be best to go. 1.       The Church Is Unscriptural And Will Not Change    We all make mistakes, even churches.  They use bad judgment and don’t consider the consequences of their actions.  But when we do wrong and refuse to make it right, it becomes willful rebellion.  When a church embraces something that goes beyond the Word of God, a faithful Christian can’t be part of it.  Our presence is a form of acceptance and that makes us participants in the error (2 nd John 9-11).  If we stay too long, there is temptation to give up right principles and go along.  I've seen many sound Christians p...

   Something has gone wrong in your home congregation and you are thinking about packing up and heading someplace else. Should I stay? Should I go? The answers might not depend on what happened, but on the reason you are making that decision.  You have your reasons for wanting to leave, but are they good reasons. Here are five terrible reasons to leave a congregation. 1.        Someone Made Me Mad! It might have been the preacher, or the elders or the little old lady that took your seat, it doesn't matter you’re mad and you don’t have to take it. You can pack up and move to where you will be treated right!  You will “get back” at them by leaving!  But if you are moving because you are mad, chances are you will be moving again pretty quick regardless of where you go.  No place is perfect. No place will do everything right all the time. If you don’t learn how to deal with your anger it won’t matter what they do, yo...

    My best friend growing up was a baseball player through and through.  I’ll never forget the story for his first “real” home run.  He had been playing high school ball for a year or two and was a good hitter but had never hit one over the fence.  Until that one day when he turned just right on a fast ball and sent it out of the park.  As he round the bases, you could see his smile on his face from the stands.  When he turned past third, his teammates pilled out of the dugout to meet him with a chorus of high fives and pats on the pack.  The jubilation continued until he stepped back in the dugout and was promptly called out.  You see in in all the congratulations and excitement he never stepped on home plate.  So when he left the playing field, he put himself out; the only person on the field that could do so.     I’m sure Josh hates that story, but I bring it up a reminder of very important spiritual point. ...

    According to modern thinking it is a wonder that any of us survived childhood.  We rode our bikes without helmets.  We climbed on metal monkey bars over unpadded hard ground.  We somehow didn't electrocute ourselves with uncovered outlets.  We rode in cars without car seats.  We went to every house in town to “Trick or Treat”.  We spent the afternoon in fields and empty lots without any adults in sight.  We played sports without proper safety equipment and without any organized leagues and official rulebooks.  Sometimes we even talked to strangers. How did anyone survive!    Today, it seems that safety is a top priority for parents.  We will go to extreme lengths to make sure our children are protected.  We pad all the corners, childproof all the caps and read all the warning labels.  We love our child and want to protect them.  The thought of allowing anything, even the smallest and most unlikely ...

  Ok I know it is dirty word to some.  Some folks might to get upset that I am talking about it but I think it something that must be taught in the Lord’s church.  It’s a Biblical concept that is you have to work to avoid in the New Testament. It is the idea of submission.   The Bible has a lot to say about submission.  It tells us we need to submit to God (James 4:7), human institutions like governments and police (1 Peter 2:13), our church leaders (Hebrews 13:17), our masters, like bosses and teachers (1st Peter 2:18, Titus 2:9).  It even commands submission on a personal level, wives to their husband (1 st Peter 3:1), young men to their elders (1 st Peter 5:5), and even to each other (Ephesians 5:21).   Now I know we live in a world that demands our “rights” and refuses to take a back seat to anyone, but for a true Christian submission isn't just a suggestion, it is a command.   I know what you’re thinking submission is need...