December 1, 2014 · 7:25 am

Word of the Week: Conduct

openBible.1Peter

Alexander the Great, one of the greatest military generals who ever lived, conquered almost the entire known world with his vast army. One night during a campaign, he couldn’t sleep and left his tent to walk around the campground,

As he was walking he came across a soldier asleep on guard duty – a serious offense. The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was, in some cases, instant death; the commanding officer sometimes poured kerosene on the sleeping soldier and lit it.

The soldier began to wake up as Alexander approached him. Recognizing who was standing in front of him, the young man feared for his life.  Continue reading →

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November 26, 2014 · 6:41 am

GREAT VERSES OF THE BIBLE: Psalm 100:4

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The Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his positive attitude and uplifting prayers in the pulpit.  He always found something for which to be thankful.

One Sunday morning the weather was awful.  It was a dark, dreary and stormy day.  One the deacons remarked, “Well, the preacher won’t have anything to be thankful for on a day like this!”  Continue reading →

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November 25, 2014 · 7:47 am

An Alternative Response to Ferguson

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Last night Norma Jean and I watched the events unfold in Ferguson, Missouri.   We live on the other side of the state, 237 miles away, but it seemed like it was happening in our back yard.

Following three months of hearing witnesses and evaluating evidence, Prosecutor Bob McCullough announced the Grand Jury’s decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.  Continue reading →

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November 24, 2014 · 6:49 am

Word of the Week: Thanks

THANKS

Rudyard Kipling was a great British poet, novelist and short story writer in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Well known for his fictional work The Jungle Book and his poem IF, Kipling. received the Nobel prize in literature in 1907. The poet Laureate earned a great deal of money from his literary works which spawned criticism in British media.

Hoping for a story, a newspaper reporter once approach him and said, “Mr. Kipling.  I just read that somebody calculated that the money you made from your writings amounts to over $100 a word.”

Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, “Really, I certainly wasn’t aware of that.” Continue reading →

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November 21, 2014 · 6:02 am

IT’S FRIDAY. BUT SUNDAY’S COMING! The Testimony of Tears

TEARS.JESUSI can vividly recall my Mom taking communion on Sunday.  I was just a child.  But as I sat next to her I could see tears well up in her eyes.  I could sense the emotion.  I didn’t understand it as a kid, but I knew it was a serious and solemn time.

Tears testify to human emotions.  In times of sadness, suffering, and sorrow.  Tears speak when words fail us.  They convey compassion.  They express the yearning of the Heart.  They communicate the state of the spirit.  They reveal the innermost soul of a person. Continue reading →

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November 20, 2014 · 7:51 am

The Antidote to Procrastination

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Yesterday a newsfeed on my facebook page popped up from Cale Andrews. It was a photo of a book he was reading. The chapter was about becoming more productive and realizing your potential. It said there were three catalysts “that put fire under your feet and eliminate procrastination.”

One of the catalysts was coaching. The other was accountability. Then there was this great quote that I wrote down pertaining to the third catalyst.  Continue reading →

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November 19, 2014 · 7:25 am

GREAT VERSES OF THE BIBLE Matthew 6:33

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By age 12 he was playing the French Horn. By 15, he was performing professionally with the great Jazz musicians of his era. He was the first black musician to break the color barrier in Hollywood as a composer. He’s earned 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend award in 1991. And he achieved notoriety for composing the score of The Color Purple.  Continue reading →

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November 18, 2014 · 7:12 am

Who’s Really The Stupid Person?

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“Stupid is as stupid does” is a quote you probably recognize from  Forrest Gump.

Who you may not recognize is Jonathan Gruber, and his recent quote that is being played on many media outlets.  Gruber, a MIT health economist, helped craft the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

In a moment of incredible candor, Gruber admitted to a University of Pennsylvania audience last year that the bill passed because of the “stupidity of the American voter.”  Gruber explained, .. if you had a law which said that healthy people are going to pay in — you made explicit that healthy people pay in and sick people get money — it would not have passed.” Continue reading →

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November 17, 2014 · 7:17 am

Word of the Week: Redemption

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Rubel Shelly tells a true story about a fellow named Mark who possessed a passion for the guitar. He bought his first one in 1966 for $175, from the money made from a summer job before his Freshman year in High School. It was a red sunburst Gibson J-45. Mark said “(It) was my pride and joy, my most favorite thing in the world.”

Throughout Mark’s high school and college years his Gibson guitar was his “solace and companion.” He said it was better than medicine to calm his anxieties during times of stress. However, in 1978, some thieves broke into his business in Decatur, Alabama. Among the things they stole was his beloved guitar. While the police caught the thieves, the guitar was never recovered.  Continue reading →

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November 14, 2014 · 6:28 am

IT’S FRIDAY. BUT SUNDAY’S COMING! The Passover Lamb Sacrificed For Us

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On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, 13 men ate the Passover supper. During the meal Jesus gave them a glimpse into his impeding death through the institution of His own memorial supper. Ironic!  He who ate the Passover was about to become the Passover!  Smitten. Slain. Sacrificed.  His blood was shed.

The Bible says, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7) Continue reading →

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