Did you miss ThePreachersWord yesterday?
It was an unintended blogging break due to technical difficulties. Let me explain.
Upon returning from Costa Rica we wanted to spend a little time with our kids and grandkids before heading to South Carolina. We left Temple Terrace on Wednesday morning and drove up to Homosassa. Later in the afternoon when I went to turn on my computer, the battery was low. No problem. Just plug in the power cord. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
Yesterday one of my friends on facebook saw some of our pictures with the brethren in Costa Rica and shared this post.
“And this is how I want to spend my ‘retirement.’ Y’all are sprinting to the finish line!! I love it.”
I chuckled. Then I thought “sprinting toward the finish line” means I’m nearing the end of the race. So I responded, “I hadn’t thought about it exactly like that. Maybe you could say we’re starting the last lap.” Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
I recently read a story shared by Texas preacher Donnie Martin about Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper.” It is told that da Vinci looked for models to sit for Jesus and His disciples.
He found a handsome and innocent looking man in a choir in one of the churches in Italy. He portrayed him as Jesus in the painting. The man’s name was Pietro Bandinelli.
Years passed as da Vinci continued to work on the painting. He left the face of Judas Iscariot till the last. One day da Vinci went out into the streets of Rome and looked for the most forlorn person he could find. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
In 1624 the English author and poet John Donne was confined to his bed with a serious illness. As he laid there alone with his thoughts, he heard the ringing funeral bells of an adjoining church house.
As Donne reflected on the transitory nature of life and the reality of death, he responded with these words that would forever cement his place in literary history. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
There’s a story that’s been around for a long time that’s been used by authors, politicians and public speakers about how to boil a frog.
Supposedly a scientific experiment was conducted in the 19th century where a frog was placed in a pan of hot water and it immediately jumped out. But the researcher found that if they placed it in a pan of cool water, it would placidly float along. Then they learned if they gradually increased the temperature the frog would sink into a tranquil stupor and finally allow itself to be boiled to death. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
Author Andy Stanley, the Evangelical preacher at the North Point Community Church in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia, has recently caused quite a stir among his peers and many theologians.
In a recent column in Relevant magazine, entitled “Why Do Christians Want to Post the Ten Commandments And Not the Sermon on the Mount?” Stanley argued that the ten commandments are not binding on Christians. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
Yesterday’s post, An Ironic Absence of the Bible, was about newly elected Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema refusing to take the oath of office by placing her right hand on the Bible. Instead she used a law-book.
One of our readers questioned whether or not it was right to take an oath and cited Jesus’ statement in His famous Mountain Message. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
Last night during the Alabama-Clemson national championship football game, there were some clever commercials. But the most amusing was AT&T’s ad with the catchphrase “Just Ok is not OK.”
The ads depict various situations where settling for ok is unacceptable. One shows a man in a hospital bed waiting for surgery. While his anxious wife looks on, she asks the nurse about the doctor and she responds, “He’s ok.”
In another scene, an artist tells a man getting his first tattoo that he’s “one of the tattoo artists in the city” and that the result is going to look “OK.” Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living, Growth
As the new year begins we’re reminded of the Latin phrase, “Tempus Fugit.” Time flies.
“The bad news is time flies,” observed entrepreneur Michael Alshuler. ”The good news is you’re the pilot.”
It seems as you grow older you become more aware of the rapid passage of time. Or in the words of the philosopher Dr. Seuss, “How did it get so late so soon?” Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living, Passage To Ponder
My childhood growing up in rural, central Indiana in the 1950’s was simple, uncomplicated, and shielded from international tensions, racial injustice, or moral perversity.
There was no ESPN, FOX News, or CNN. And of course, no internet, iPhones, or computers to provide instant access to worldwide information. What I watched on our little back and white TV was limited to three channels. Shows like Father Knows Best, The Donna Reed Show, Leave it to Beaver, The Long Ranger, The Little Rascals, Superman and Mickey Mouse Club were shows that taught fundamental moral lessons. And these standards of right and wrong were basically supported by the News Media, Schools and of course, churches. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
ThePreachersWord 