A coworker asked a recently baptized woman what it was like to be a Christian.
“Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin,” she replied. “God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes the dirt off. Then He scoops out the yucky stuff—the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and lust. He carves a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.” Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
We were living in Spring Hill, Tennessee, when 9/11 occurred.
I was preparing to leave for my office at the Jackson Heights Church in Columbia when Norma hollered from the family room, “Come here! Something’s happened!”
She was watching the Today show, which was airing the breaking news that a plane had flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Questions, concern, and speculation followed about the cause. Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
Ralph Waldo Emerson, the 19th-century essayist, poet, and philosopher, wrote a great deal about the importance of thinking for oneself. He once lamented that “the problem with men today is that they don’t think.”
Thomas Edison echoed this sentiment when he opined, “Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.” Continue reading
Filed under Attitude, Discipleship
Saturday night, Norma Jean and I watched the live stream of the Grand Ole Opry, which honored the recently deceased country music legend, Dolly Parton.
Among the performers was Dolly’s niece, Jada Star. On behalf of the family, she expressed appreciation for the incredible outpouring of sympathy following Dolly’s passing. Then she shared this poignant thought: Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
Before Larry Stewart ever became wealthy, someone had shown him unexpected kindness.
In 1971, Stewart was broke, hungry, and apparently contemplating leaving a Mississippi diner without paying for his meal. The owner, Ted Horn, understood his situation. He handed Stewart a $20 bill and said, “Son, you must have dropped this.” Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
Yesterday was my weekly Rotary meeting. We began, as always, with an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the recitation of The Four-Way Test.
Created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor while trying to rescue a struggling company during the Great Depression, The Four-Way Test asks four simple questions that pertain to business ethics regarding the things we think, say, or do. Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
“He was a great man. But didn’t know it,” was once said of a beloved preacher from a bygone era. The same compliment could easily be spoken of Sewell Hall, who passed from this life last Sunday afternoon at the age of 96.
Sewell was 40 years old when I began preaching full-time in 1970. By then, he was already widely respected and deeply loved among faithful Christians. Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
The headline from CTPastors online caught my attention.
Why Belonging Is Not Enough
It immediately challenged a thought I’ve repeated through the years: “It’s not enough to believe; you must belong.” Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
This year, instead of attending local celebrations, Norma Jean and I watched our nation’s 250th birthday festivities from the comfort of our family room.
The televised events from Williamsburg, VA, Philadelphia, and, of course, Washington, D.C., were entertaining and enjoyable.
The speeches, musical tributes, on-the-street interviews, and fireworks displays promoted a feeling of patriotism and renewed appreciation and gratitude for our American birthright. Continue reading
Filed under America, Discipleship
One of our regular readers and my longtime good friend, David, responded to Monday’s blog post, “Love is Patient,” with an important observation.
David pointed out that patience is not only something we owe to one another; it is also something we must learn in our relationship with God. He offered the example from Hebrews 6:15 of the patriarch Abraham, who “patiently waited” for God’s promise to be fulfilled. Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
