Monthly Archives: February 2012

February 9, 2012 · 6:22 am

Do You Really Understand the Theme of the Bible?

“Why did Jesus die?’  “What does that have to do with sin?  “Why is the Bible such a bloody book?” These are some of the questions asked and answered today by Ken Craig on the Florida College lecture program. He also addressed the issue of the relevance of the Old Testament for a 21st century generation that must find relevancy in everything.

I knew of Ken Craig through my friend Dan DeGarmo.  And was familiar with his book “The Big Picture of the Bible.”  But today I was privileged both to hear and meet him. His lecture, “The Sacrificial System: The Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ Once and for All,” was a demonstration of his “Big Picture” view of the Bible.  It is an excellent approach.

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February 8, 2012 · 7:29 am

Tributes to Christ and the Cross

This week I’m attending the Florida College Lectures.  The theme is “Of First Importance: He Died and was Buried.”  It is a series of studies on the crucifixion.  In his forward to the lecture book, FC President Buddy Payne asks, “What could be more important to believers than this glorious message of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified?  What message is more desperately needed by a lost and dying world?  What better way to be motivated and strengthened in our service to the Lord than to reflect upon his sacrificial death?” Continue reading →

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February 7, 2012 · 7:03 am

People Matter to God

Karen Hill is an Administrate Assistant in Austin,Texas. In the book “A Gentle Thunder” the story is told when Karen underwent surgery in a local hospital.  When Karen awoke in the recovery room, she could hear the moaning of a fellow patient.  She could hear a sympathetic nurse trying to Continue reading →

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February 6, 2012 · 5:52 am

Five Traits of a Spiritual Champion

Last night several friends and I joined 117 million other people and watched The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.  The food was good.  The companionship very enjoyable.  And the game was exciting.   As I watched I thought about how the qualities that make for success on the athletic field are similar to those we need to acquire in our Christian lives.  In fact, the apostle Paul wrote it about using the imagery of the sports world.

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February 5, 2012 · 6:16 am

Four Expectations from Worship

In his book, When GOD Builds a Church, Bob Russell suggests there are four things we should legitimately expect from authentic worship. (1) A sense of God’s Presence. (2) A Conviction of our Sinfulness.  (3) A Joyful Reminder of God’s Grace.  (4) The Inspiration to Serve. While there may be other expectations, I can’t disagree with these four. Continue reading →

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February 4, 2012 · 5:16 am

The Treadmill of Life

The other day I posted some reflections about life’s daily pleasures that were sparked by walking the dog through the neighborhood.  Today finds me at the Temple Terrace Recreation Center on the treadmill.

Now, this is not one of those new state-of-the-art exercise centers.  I’m a small room with concrete walls and a few narrow windows to see out.  In front of me are two Middle Eastern men carrying on a conversation in a language I can’t understand.  To the right, an elderly gentleman got on a treadmill carrying a book.  I greeted him with a cheery, “Hello.”  To which he uttered not a word. Not even a grunt.  He promptly put the machine on a slow speed and began reading.  To the left of me is a woman in a trance-like state, looking straight ahead.  At least, I have a small TV where I can watch some fair and balanced news on Fox!

All of this got me thinking about how walking the treadmill is like life. Continue reading →

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February 3, 2012 · 12:05 am

Turning Trials Into Triumphs

Sometime ago there was an article in USA Today entitled “Bad Times Spawn Great Start Up.” It documented some notable successes that have been generated out of the ashes of economic downturns.  Sixteen of the thirty corporations in the Dow Jones industrial average trace their origin to a time of recession.  Walt Disney lost an acting job as a movie extra and started his famous cartoon company in a garage during tough times between 1923-1934.  William Hewlett and David Packard teamed up in Silicon Valley in 1938 during the Great Depression.  And the world’s richest man, Bill Gates, dropped out of college during the recession of 1975 and began Microsoft. Continue reading →

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February 2, 2012 · 6:25 am

John 3:16–The Heart of the Gospel

John 3:16.

It is probably the best known verse in the Bible.  Years ago you would see a guy at a football game wearing a rainbow-colored wig holding up a John 3:16 sign.  Back in the 1970’s, there was a man in St. Petersburg, Florida, John Michael Cook, who legally changed his name to John 3:16 Cook.   He operated a mission downtown and ministered to the homeless, alcoholics, and drug addicts. Continue reading →

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February 1, 2012 · 6:01 am

Enjoying Life’s Daily Pleasures

I needed a break.  I’ve been working on some sermon series for my Spring meetings.  And just need to relax my mind a bit.  So, I brewed some coffee and decided to take the dog for a walk.  During that 45 minutes I started thinking about the enjoyment of the little things in life.  Things that, if we don’t slow down, we rush through and fail to savor. Continue reading →

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