Though skeptical of his teenage son’s newfound determination to build bulging muscles, one father followed his teenager to the store’s weight-lifting department, where they admired a set of weights.
“Please, Dad,” pleaded the teen, “I promise I’ll use ’em every day.”
“I don’t know, Michael. It’s really a commitment on your part,” the father said.
“Please, Dad?” Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
Greetings from Beverly Hills, FL
In case you missed a post this week, today’s blog is actually a recap of the past week’s posts with its live links.
It’s an easy way to catch up. Plus I encourage you to share it with your friends, relatives, and brethren either on social media or via email. It’s a good way to introduce them to ThePreachersWord. Also there’s a bonus post at the bottom from 6 years ago. Continue reading
Filed under Weekly Recap
A few weeks ago my friend and preaching colleague, Leland Ping who lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, posted a short piece on his facebook page that is worthy of your consideration. Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
With so many churches providing, promoting, and sponsoring recreational activities both for its members and non-members, this is a fair question to ask: “Is recreation a work of the church?”
Apparently a Michigan appeals court doesn’t think so. In a recent ruling the court states that “a multisite Evangelical church in Michigan cannot be exempt from paying taxes on a property meant to serve as a retreat and recreation space,” as reported by The Christian Post. Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
Author John Ortberg wrote in “The Me I Want to Be” the time he and his wife went fly fishing for the first time.’
Ortberg said the guides told us that “to catch a fish you have to think like a fish.” They said that to a fish life is about the maximum gratification of appetite at the minimum expenditure of energy. To a fish, life is “see a fly, want a fly, eat a fly.”
“A rainbow trout never really reflects on where his life is headed. A girl carp rarely says to a boy carp, I don’t feel you’re as committed to our relationship as I am. I wonder, do you love me for me or just for my body? The fish are just a collection of appetites. A fish is a stomach, a mouth, and a pair of eyes.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
The recent hurricane Helene, not only impacted the Gulf coast of Florida with severe flooding and damaging winds, but has reeked havoc in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
The national news has documented the devastation in places like Asheville, and Chimney Rock, a picturesque tourist town that was destroyed. One resident lamented, “What was once a town is now a river.” Over 125 have died as the result of Helene. And there may be many more. Continue reading
Filed under America
Several years ago I heard a story about a psychology professor who believed that parents should not punish or spank their children. His motto: ”Just love your children.
Although he had no children of his own, whenever he saw a neighbor scolding a child for some wrongdoing, he would say, “You should love your boy, not punish him.”
One hot summer afternoon the professor was pouring a concrete driveway leading to his garage. Worn-out after several hours of work, he laid down the towel, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and started toward the house. Continue reading
Filed under Fundaments of Faith
Greeting from rain soaked Citrus County, FL
Many of our friends and readers around the US and Canada have inquired about our welfare since hurricane Helene hit our coast aptly called The Nature Coast.
The town closest to us, Crystal River, which made the national news, suffered extensive flooding. Helene’s forceful winds were felt farther North of us where it made land fall. But our coast had record high flood waters. Our son, Kenny and his family, live on a river that accesses the Gulf, so they had about 3 feet of water come over their banks, through their carport and most of their property. Fortunately, their house is raised up so it didn’t flood. For us personally, we live about 15 miles, as the crow files, from the Gulf. We’re 130′ above sea level. So, we had no problems with flooding and very little impact from the storm other than rain. Continue reading
Filed under Weekly Recap
On the facebook page entitled “Very Interesting” is this post by an unknown and obviously female writer. Apparently it’s been shared almost 3,000 times and has received over a 1,000 comments, mostly positive.
It offers a practical perspective of love in action in a marriage. Not some Hallmark fantasy. Continue reading
Filed under facebook friday
Yesterday we were working out at our local YMCA and Chez, one of the trainers, walked by wearing a T-shirt which read: UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Then it added “Building a better me through exercise.”
When I saw it, I was reminded that’s why we were all there–young and old, men and women, out of shape and trying to get in shape. We’re all under construction. We’re there to exercise, improve our heath, and get better physically.
But quickly my mind to turn to a spiritual application. “Under construction” ought to describe the state of each one of us as we are growing “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
ThePreachersWord 