Today’s facebook Friday from the page of Brad Harrub, needs to be read slowly, thoughtfully, prayerfully, and with personal application,
Read it in view of 2 Corinthians 13:5,–“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship, facebook friday
Every Olympic champion possesses discipline. They persevere through setbacks. They rely on coaches and teammates. They stay focused despite distractions. They compete with passion.
But what ties all those qualities together? Continue reading
Last Friday night Norma Jean and I enjoyed a wonderful evening at Hardison Mill listening to country singer and song writer Rory Feek share an intimate evening of inspiring stories, heart-felt songs, and personal reminiscences.
One of the songs Rory sang is from his recently released album, Gentle Man, entitled “Out On A Limb.” It tells the story of a person reflecting on the paths they could have taken in life. It paints a nostalgic picture of regret, longing, and wistfulness. Continue reading
Filed under Commitment, Discipleship
Yesterday’s lesson at the Temple Terrace VBS was instructive, exciting, challenging, and inspiring. And not just for the kids
My good friend and preaching colleague, Ralph Walker, presented an engaging lesson that paralleled the children study of the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who along with Daniel were in Babylonian captivity.
While there is no way we can capture the power of Ralph’s lesson in this short blog post, take a minute to read the text and consider these thoughts. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Have you ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle and come down to the final piece or two and can’t find it? Frustrating isn’t it?
Maybe you’ve bought some shelves from Ikea that require assembly. You begin to put it together and there’s an important piece missing it. Irritating, isn’t it?
Or you’ve bought the special toy that your child has been wanting. Bring it home. Open it up. Begin following the directions to assemble it. And something needed was not included? Aggravating, isn’t it? Continue reading
Filed under Commitment, Discipleship
Polycarp was a second century Christian who lived at the time of Roman persecution. This godly man, one of the bishops of the church at Smyrna, managed to escape persecution for almost his entire life. However, at age 86, he was suddenly a target of the Roman government.
Friends urged him to flee and go into hiding. Polycarp refused. When the soldiers came to his door, he let the them in and said, “God’s will be done.” Historians record that he was brought before the local proconsul, Statius Quadratus, who interrogated him in front of a curious crowd of bystanders. Continue reading
Filed under Word of the Week
“Suppose every follower of Jesus of Nazareth were as obedient to His commands as the Jihadists are to Muhammad and Allah?”
This question was raised in a recent transcript by columnist Cal Thomas. It’s a thought-provoking question. An intriguing question. A challenging question. Continue reading
Filed under Commitment
Pliny the Elder, was a Roman writer who lived during the same time period as Jesus. He told a story of the setting of an obelisk, which when erect would stand 99 feet tall. Twenty thousand workers were chosen to pull on the ropes and activate the hoisting apparatus.
There was great responsibility and risk in the operation. Just one error could cause the obelisk to fall, ruining years of work. The King demanded one act which insured the complete attention of the engineer. Continue reading
Filed under Commitment
“When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song,” tenor Luciano Pavarotti relates. “He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, I asked my father, ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’ Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
We are in the heat of baseball season. Literally! This year the All-Star game is coming to Kansas City. Norma Jean and I were down on the Plaza Friday night and noticed it is filled with All-Star information. Signs. Promotions. Pictures. You name it. One of my favorite Baseball All-Stars was Yogi Berra. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
