Author Archives: ThePreachersWord

March 18, 2021 · 3:18 am

In Honor and Memory of Ed Harrell

Author, historian, University professor,  gospel preacher, and our beloved brother in Christ, David Edwin Harrell, Jr. passed from this life to his eternal reward last Monday afternoon, March 15th.

Today there will be a short graveside service for brother Harrell at 2:00 p.m. at Mandarin Cemetery in Jacksonville. Saturday, there will be an online service that you can register to view by linking here.

Almost 20 years my senior, I have known Ed Harrell since my college years. Like anyone who knew him, I was impressed with his unique intellectual insights combined with genuine humility. Sometimes preachers with educational credentials take simple truths and complicate them. Ed possessed the ability to simplify the complex. Continue reading →

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March 17, 2021 · 8:35 am

A Passage To Ponder: Luke 4:13

There’s an old joke about a young newly-wed sitting at his desk paying bills when he came to the credit card statement. As he scanned through the charges he noticed a charge of $250 on his wife’s card from a department store. He hollered for his wife to join him.

“How could you spend $250 at a department store?” he asked.

“Well,” she said, “I was standing in the store looking for a dress. Then, I found myself trying it on. It was like the devil whispering to me, ‘You look really good in this dress. You should buy it.’” Continue reading →

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March 16, 2021 · 8:04 am

Are You Hearing the Voice of God?

Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has received an inordinate amount of press coverage and publicity. Less so, was her interview Sunday with “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines.

Known as people of faith, Oprah asked them to explain how they hear God’s voice, Is it a “voice in your head, is it a feeling, is it prayer? Continue reading →

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March 15, 2021 · 9:00 am

Word of the Week: Finish

In “The Greatest Finish Fails in Sports History,” Andrew Daniels relates numerous stories of runners, cyclists, and ballplayers who celebrated their victory too early, only to lose.

In the men’s 800 meters at the 2014 Shanghai Diamond League meet, Algeria’s Taoufik Makhloufi stuck out his arms and his tongue just before crossing the finish line and watched his first-place finish get usurped by Kenyan Robert Biwott.

In 2015, The University of Oregon’s Tanguy Pepiot was set to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2015 Pepsi Team Invitational. However, when he urged the crowd at Hayward Field to cheer him on, he slowed down just enough for The University of Washington’s Meron Simon to sprint past him in the final meters and snatch a last-second win. Continue reading →

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March 14, 2021 · 3:14 am

Sunday Seed Thoughts: Using Time

“Daylight saving time: Only the government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket,” quipped one anonymous sage.

And so, the moans, groans, and debates begin over the efficacy of DST after “losing” an hour of sleep last night.

Although, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a supporter of DSL opined: “The next generation…would be better for having had this extra hour of daylight in their childhood.”

More importantly, however, is this issue: How are you spending your time? No, how are you investing your time Continue reading →

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March 13, 2021 · 3:13 am

Weekly Recap: March 7-12

Good morning from Beverly Hills, Florida

Someone quipped at church the other evening, “Well, do you have all your boxes unpacked yet?  Hopefully, they were joking.  But we’re making progress.

With the arrival of more furniture yesterday, Norma Jean said, “Now, our house is beginning to look like a home.”  Hopefully, we’ll soon be there.  I’ll be happy when I get my desk and bookcases and can set up my office.

In addition to the recap of this week’s post, I’ve added a bonus post, on this my 73rd birthday, dedicated to my generation who are getting older, but don’t feel old yet.  Hope you enjoy it. Continue reading →

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March 12, 2021 · 6:06 am

Friday’s List To Live By #30

The other day Norma Jean and I went to Ocala shopping and enjoyed lunch at Betty Cakes, which I highly recommend.

It’s a café inside a neat home decor and gift store, Your Heart’s Desire. While browsing I saw a plaque with nine simple rules for marriage that’s the basis for today’s list.

With just a slight modification and the addition of some Bible verses, here’s a list that can enhance and enrich your marriage every day.
Continue reading →

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March 11, 2021 · 6:50 am

Did Jesus Commit the Sin of Racism?

Brandan Robertson, a homosexual minister, author, and theologian, recently posted a Tik Tok video titled “Jesus a Racist? as reported by Milton Quintanilla a contributor for ChristianHeadlines.com

In the video Robertson claims that Jesus used a racial slur in his encounter with the Syrophoenician woman who asked Christ to heal her daughter from a demon (Mark 7:24-30).

Jesus’ response to the request was “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” Continue reading →

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March 10, 2021 · 8:31 am

A Passage To Ponder: Colossians 3:12-14

“Dress For Success” was a 1975 bestseller by John T. Molloy about the importance and impact of clothing in a person’s personal and business life. It was followed in 1977 by “The Women’s Dress for Success Book.” These two books popularized the concept of “power dressing.”

Based on scientific data, Molloy not only discussed wearing the right clothes for the right occasion but how one’s attire has a subconscious impact on others who judge you by the clothes you’re wearing. His works were so widely received that Time magazine called Molloy “America’s first wardrobe engineer.’ Continue reading →

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March 9, 2021 · 7:44 am

Honoring Women And Honorable Women

After writing and posting yesterday’s blog, I turned on the Today show and learned it was International Women’s Day.

If you’re not familiar with IWD, according to their web page “International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.” Their history goes back to 1911 to the first celebration in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.

In 1975 the United Nations celebrated IWD for the first time. In 1996 the UN adopted an annual theme. And in 2011 President Obama proclaimed March to be “Women’s History Month” and called upon Americans to celebrate women’s accomplishments. Continue reading →

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