July 8, 2016 · 6:00 am

The Baby Changed Everything

Jesus.Birth

“The Luck of Roaring Camp” is a piece of American fiction from 19th century author Bret Harte.

Maybe you’re familiar with the story, but I’d never heard of it. I had it filed under “future blogs.” Evidently a preacher, Bruce Thielemann, had used it in a sermon several years ago.

Roaring Camp was portrayed as the coarsest, meanest, toughest mining town in the Wild West of 1805. It was a terrible place where theft and murder were commonplace, inhabited entirely by men – and one “coarse, very sinful woman” named Cherokee Sal. Continue reading →

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July 7, 2016 · 7:27 am

4 Keys to Dealing with Trials

Praying through Trials

Alan Smith tells a great story about the grandfather who used to tell his grandson about his boyhood days of working in a blacksmith shop and how  he toughened himself to withstand the rigors of that work.

One story was how he had developed his arm and shoulder muscles. He said he would stand outside behind the house and, with a 5-pound potato sack in each hand, extend his arms straight out to his sides and hold them there as long as he could. Continue reading →

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July 6, 2016 · 6:32 am

GREAT VERSES OF THE BIBLE: Galatians 6:9

Galatians 6.9

Patsy Clairmont, the author of God Uses Cracked Pots, shares a true story about her son, Jason. When he was seven, she sent him off to school one day. After a little while, there was a knock at the door and when Patsy opened the door, it was Jason.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I’ve quit school” he said. Continue reading →

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July 5, 2016 · 7:09 am

Training like an Olympic Champion

Spiritual Training

The summer Olympics begin one month from today in Rio. Athletes around the world are preparing for the biggest event of their lives, hopefully resulting in winning an Olympic medal. As I read an NBC report about their final month of training, the headline of the article was entitled “Olympic training: Drudgery Report.”

No doubt the grueling weekly schedule that calls for early morning workouts, personal sacrifice, and daily self discipline, can take its toll. It’s rigorous. Tough. And demanding. Continue reading →

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July 4, 2016 · 7:19 am

Word of the Week: Liberty

 Statue of Liberty

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

We recognize these words, written by Thomas Jefferson, from the Declaration of Independence, issued 240 years ago today. On America’s birthday we celebrate our freedom and revel in our liberty. We love the feeling of liberty. Continue reading →

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July 3, 2016 · 5:09 am

Sunday Seed Thoughts: Freedom

Seed Thoughts

As we approach the day of celebration in the United States for our Independence, we give thanks for the freedom we enjoy that has blessed our lives in so many ways.

While we often reflect upon the personal, economic, and social aspects of freedom, let us ever grateful for the freedom of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment to our U.S. Constitution. Continue reading →

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July 2, 2016 · 7:13 am

Using Humor To Teach Truth

log-in-eye

Preaching is serious business. It speaks to issues of right and wrong. Good and bad. Salvation and damnation. Heaven and Hell.

Yet, I believe there is a place for employing humor in teaching God’s Word.

Elton Trueblood, the noted and often quoted 20th century theologian and author of 33 books on very serious subjects once wrote a book entitled “The Humor of Christ. It is said that Trueblood was inspired to write on the topic after reading Jesus words about specks and logs in people’s eyes that made his four-year old laugh. (Matt 7:3-5) Continue reading →

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July 1, 2016 · 6:58 am

How is a Sinner “Born Again”?

 

The heading read “Just another sinner, Born Again.” Above it was a was an imposing head shot of Donald Trump.

The article by Lincoln Mullen appeared in Wednesday’s Atlantic magazine. My friend, Andy Diestelkamp shared it on facebook yesterday. Andy tagged me since I had posted about James Dobston’s claim that Donald Trump had been converted, then quickly began to back track. Continue reading →

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June 30, 2016 · 5:01 am

Christians. Credibility. And Social Media.

HOAX

Last Tuesday Donald Trump met with a few hundred evangelical leaders in New York City. Following the meeting, James Dobson, Focus on the Family founder, was interviewed by Pennsylvania minister Michael Anthony. During the interview Dobson said that Trump had recently come “to accept a relationship with Christ.”

Dobson was vague about the details of Trump’s supposed religious conversion. “I don’t know when it was,” said Dobson, “but it hasn’t been long.” Continue reading →

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June 29, 2016 · 4:59 am

GREAT VERSES OF THE BIBLE: Psalm 118:24

 Ps 118.124

Jimmy Chapman tells a story about a preacher going for a meeting and staying in the house of a widow. He and his wife arrived late on Saturday before he was to preach on Sunday. Graciously, the lady had given up her master bedroom for her guests.

The next morning when the preacher awoke, he opened the curtains to a beautiful scene–gentle rolling hills in the distance and a beautiful green pasture in the valley below. Then he noticed these words in the corner of the window pane with a child-like writing scratched in the glass: “This is the day.” Continue reading →

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