December 10, 2018 · 6:59 am

Word of the Week: Certainty

Dr. David Edwin Harrell, Jr. is a social historian with an impressive academic resume. He’s known nationally for his expertise and scholarship of religious history as evidenced by his authorship of several books, interviews on news programs and papers published in professional journals.

To those of us who know him, he’s Ed Harrell, a beloved brother and faithful proclaimer of God’s Word.

I once heard Ed relate the story about a young man who was prone to some speculative religious thinking and justifying it by saying he was “thinking outside the box.” Continue reading →

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December 7, 2018 · 7:09 am

Worship: Moving From A Noun To A Verb

H. E. Phillips was a well-known gospel preacher of the 20th century. He lived and preached in Tampa, Florida, during the time I attended Florida College in the late 1960’s. For many years he was the editor of a religious journal, “Searching the Scriptures.”

It was during that time that he decided to have the Bible recorded on tape. Bro. Phillips hired a Shakespearian actor, Richard Lupino, to narrate the texts. Interestingly, Lupino didn’t know anything about the Bible. So H.E. would explain to him the characters and the setting and then Lupino would do an interpretative reading of it. To show how little he knew, when he came to the section about Paul, he asked Phillips, “Paul? Is he a good guy or a bad guy?” Continue reading →

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December 6, 2018 · 6:21 am

Two Memorable Quotes From the Funeral of George H. W. Bush

“Some of the best public speaking we hear is at funerals,” posted my preaching and facebook friend , Warren Berkley, “It is storytelling from the eloquence of the heart. Nobody outlines the structure or critiques the delivery. We just listen.”

After watching most of the funeral service for President George H.W. Bush and hearing the eulogies, I have to say Warren was right.

The stories told by family, friends and colleagues were heartfelt, poignant, and often humorous. They spoke to the character of Mr. Bush. His gentleness. Kindness. Courage. Dignity. Decency. Loyalty. Honor. And grace under pressure. Continue reading →

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December 5, 2018 · 6:46 am

Great Verses of the Bible: Revelation 3:15-16


Søren Kierkegaard, the 19th-century Danish religious philosopher, told a story about a town where only ducks lived.

Every Sunday the ducks would waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddled into the sanctuary and sat in their proper pews.

The duck choir waddled in and took its place, and then the duck minister came forward and opened the duck Bible.

He read to them… Continue reading →

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December 4, 2018 · 7:06 am

How To Recover From Failure

There’s a story told of a preacher who was preaching a message about the fact that no one is perfect.

To prove his point he asked for anyone who was perfect to stand up. To his surprise, one man stood up in the middle of the congregation.

“Do you really think you’re perfect?” The preacher asked. Continue reading →

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December 3, 2018 · 6:59 am

WORD OF THE WEEK: GIFT

With Christmas fast approaching, I’m reminded of the 90-year-old lady who, one Christmas, found buying presents a bit much.

So she decided to give checks to all of her family and friends. She bought a nice card with a thoughtful message to mail with the checks. At the bottom of the card, she wrote, “Buy your own present,” signed her name, then sent them off. Continue reading →

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November 30, 2018 · 6:26 am

Can You Be Cleansed Of Sin?

Vernon Price tells the story about a young lady who lived a sordid, and sinful life. Drugs, alcohol and sexual immorality characterized her lifestyle.

However, one night in a church service, she was convicted of her sins and responded to the Lord’s invitation. As she grew as a Christian she became involved in ministry and teaching children’s Bible classes.

At some point, she caught the eye and the heart of the preacher’s son. As the relationship grew, they made plans to be married. That’s when some problems from her past surfaced. Continue reading →

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November 29, 2018 · 6:34 am

Does Jesus Have Any Rules?

The other day one of our regular readers, my friend, and preaching colleague, David Tant, sent me the picture shown above of a church sign in Marble Falls, Texas.

“No Rules, Just Jesus” the sign opines.

Through the years I’ve seen and heard this idea expressed in various ways.

“You don’t have to follow rules to follow Jesus” advertises one church. Continue reading →

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November 28, 2018 · 7:18 am

Great Verses of the Bible: 3John 2

I recently read a story about a Christian who was visiting with a preacher from Ethiopia. He knew the preacher lived in horrible poverty. So, he made the mistake of showing what he thought was some sympathy for his situation.

“Brother, I want you to know we are praying for you in your poverty,” the man said.

Very humbly the preacher responded, “No. You don’t understand. We are praying for you in your prosperity.” Continue reading →

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November 27, 2018 · 6:28 am

An Opportunity For Giving

This past Sunday I spoke twice for the brethren at the Northeast Church of Christ in Clearwater, Florida. My topic for the Sunday Worship service was “Make the Most of Your Opportunities.”

The basis for the lesson is found in Ephesians 5:15-16. “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Here’s the “Cliffs Notes” version of that lesson. Continue reading →

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