November 9, 2015 · 5:24 am

Word of the Week: Discernment

Pensive business partners speculating upon their ideas or working plans in office

In The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey tells the story about riding the subway in New York City early one Sunday morning.  People were resting or reading.  It was a calm and peaceful ride.

Suddenly a man entered the subway car and the whole scene changed.  His children were loud, rambunctious, and generally disrupting what had been a tranquil morning. Yet, the dad sat idly by seemingly oblivious to the situation.

Covey said he was irritated at the man’s insensitivity of the other people around him. Finally Covey said “Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn’t control them a little more?” Continue reading →

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November 8, 2015 · 5:38 am

Tune In

Robert W. Herron once wrote that “good listening is like tuning in a radio station. For good results, you can listen to only one station at a time.”

Ever find yourself traveling and driving out of a station’s range? The next thing you know, you are hearing static, plus another station trying to come in. It’s very annoying and distracting. Continue reading →

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November 6, 2015 · 5:39 am

IT’S FRIDAY. BUT SUNDAY’S COMING! Unity in the Cross

Cross.UnityMy good friend, Ralph Walker, recently gave me a book by Mark Templer entitled The Cross of the Savior. I’ve just begun to read it, but it looks very good. The back cover promises “a fresh perspective on the cross of Jesus.”

“The message of the cross was perplexing to Jews and Gentiles alike–a scandalous stumbling block to the Jews and a meaningless act of self-sacrifice to the Gentiles,” writes Templer. “But to us as Christians it is power and wisdom of God, the focal point of our faith. It is the light that shines in our darkest night. It is the hope that keeps us sane when all are losing their heads. It is our lifeline when we are drowning in the muck. It is our only hope in a dark and sinful world.” Continue reading →

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November 5, 2015 · 5:17 am

Should Preachers Care About People’s Thoughts and Feelings?

Preachers.Preaching

“If you’re not offending someone, you’re not preaching the gospel,” wrote blogger Mike Duran.

His statement reminds me of an expression I remember hearing from older preachers many years ago, “Just preach the Truth and let the chips fall where they may.”

Now, I understand the gist of both comments. In fact, Mike correctly writes about occasions where Jesus’ preaching was offensive to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and political leaders of His day. He was also plain-spoken with Peter and the other apostles when they needed to be corrected or rebuked. Continue reading →

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November 4, 2015 · 5:09 am

GREAT VERSES OF THE BIBLE: Psalm 37:5

pSALM 37.5

Ivan the Great was the 15th century czar of all of Russia He brought together the warring tribes into one vast empire–the Soviet Union. He was known as a brilliant general and a courageous fighter.

The story is told that Ivan was so busy waging war that he had never married. Soon his advisors were concerned there would be no heir to the throne. The great czar agreed, but said he had no time to find a wife. So he commissioned them to find a suitable bride. Continue reading →

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November 3, 2015 · 4:58 am

YOU, TOO, CAN COME BACK

Royals. World Series Winners

It’s an exciting time to live in Kansas City. The Royals, affectionately known by the locals as “the boys in blue” beat the New York Mets Sunday night in 5 games to capture the World Series crown.

It’s not just that they won. But it’s how they did it. Eight times they came from behind, seven of those by more than two runs to win. The final game was epic. Trailing 2-0 going to the ninth inning, they tied the game with clutch hits, daring base-running, and being opportunistic with opponents errors. The game and the series was won in the 12th with a five-run explosion. Continue reading →

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November 2, 2015 · 6:23 am

WORD OF THE WEEK: BLESSINGS

Blessings

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) – A Spanish businessman and devout Roman Catholic who stopped to pray at a church during a trip to Stockholm ended up a millionaire, the Bild newspaper said Wednesday.

The church was empty except for a coffin containing the remains of a man, so Eduardo Sierra knelt down and prayed for the deceased for 20 minutes, the Hamburg-based daily said.

Sierra, 35, signed a condolence book after he saw a note saying those who prayed for the dead man should enter their name and address. He noticed he was the first to sign. Continue reading →

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November 1, 2015 · 6:02 am

Seeing Jesus

“Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus'” (John 12:20-21).

The spirit of these Greeks who came to worship was commendable. They wanted to see Jesus. So should we. Continue reading →

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October 30, 2015 · 5:09 am

IT’S FRIDAY. BUT SUNDAY’S COMING! Jesus: The King of Kings

King Jesus

The other day my friend, Billy Akin, in Nashville, wrote asking me for a piece that I had recently used in a sermon about the Kingship of Christ that I thought our readers would enjoy. It’s by the 20th century African-American minister S. M. Lockridge.

These words came toward end of his famous sermon “He’s My King.” It speaks to the greatness of Christ and his absolute supremacy and preeminence. Read it slowly. Thoughtfully. Reverently. And adoringly. Continue reading →

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October 29, 2015 · 6:28 am

How To Deal with the Devil’s Most Effective Tool

Editable vector silhouette of a man sitting with his head in his hand; background made with a gradient mesh

There’s an old fable that one day the devil was having a sale, hawking his many diabolical tools of the trade. Each of the devil’s tools was on display with its price tag attached—tools such as the arrow of jealousy, the hammer of anger, and the dagger of worry. His tools also included the slingshot of doubt and the axe of hatred, along with numerous others.

But one tool was displayed prominently on a pedestal high above the others. It was dented and worn with use. A curious shopper inquired about the price and why such an old and worn tool was displayed so visibly. Continue reading →

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