They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” John 6.42 ESV The crowned jewel Joanne has done incredible research on her family tree. It is interesting and revealing. Why do you think ancestry is important? Could […]
God’s heart One of my earlier pastors used to share this in some of his sermons. “What goes deepest to your heart goes widest to the world.” I used to dwell on this and try to fully understand it. But as I was serving for several decades in prisons teaching the word of God and […]
Lead Since summer break has started, I have noticed numerous families together at church, in the grocery, eating at restaurants, walking down the street, or bicycling. It has been encouraging to see most of these are being led by a father who appears to be quite engaged. Many are leading their children by the hand […]
Solemn and joyous This past weekend, our youngest granddaughter got married. It was so beautiful and God-honoring. Annie and Wyatt said their vows in an open-air wedding chapel. Both are faithful followers of Christ. At the rehearsal dinner, as is custom, I shared my poem written for them, entitled ‘A heavenly match’. And there could […]
Hardworking My early years as a young boy living on the farm in Tennessee that my grandfather managed right after the Great Depression, I observed the work ethic of all my family. They truly believed that if you were not willing to work and carry your load, you didn’t deserve the basic benefit of food. […]
Adventure Have you ever been on an excursion, maybe a cruise or safari, not having ever seen what you are experiencing each day? Most are magical, some even breathtaking. Man has always been given to explore the unknown, the not yet seen. Ask the founding fathers of America, those astronauts going into space, or the […]
What if? There is a child’s game called ‘What if?’. Many of you may have played it sometime in your life, or something similar. The object is for someone, probably an adult, to pose situations to a child that they may face in real life. One might be—‘what if you successfully climbed a tree, but […]
Be keenly watchful To be vigilant is to be watchful or alert for danger or some other kind of trouble. You might even say it is “being keenly watchful to detect danger”. Peter is warning the church about the enemy of enemies to every believer. To deny this is very naïve and dangerous. He goes […]
Glory to God So, what do you find yourself boasting about? Try these for starters—your cool kids, awesome spouse, great job, comfortable home, that summer home or ranch, low golf handicap, college degree(s), health, your spiritual gifts, knowledge of scripture, church attendance, elder board, the mission trips, what? I am sure you can think of […]
Attributes of God What attribute do you think best describes God? Is it love, merciful, gracious, kind, generous, what? Scripture will tell us that God is love (I Jn. 4.8). It says in I Cor. 13 that we now abide in three things; faith, hope and love, with the greatest being love. In eternity, faith […]