If someone asks us this question, and they are “right on the money,” then we had better take a long, hard look at ourselves and our mental outlook. Whatever unpleasant experience we have had to endure, however we may have been mistreated, whatever disappointment we have had to cope with, there is no justification for being an […]
Author: bumchecks
What I Have Learned About Life From Barefoot Running
WHEN I GO TO THE PULPIT Introduction: Paul talked of running when he discussed the Christian life. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Try to find a “mustard seed” that will be helpful. LIFE IS PAINFUL. Job 14:1 Our hope is in our pain. Romans 5:1-5 A leader is one who increases his toleration for pain in himself […]
A Flawed Comparison
Trying to compare drinking alcohol with other “bad habits” just doesn’t work, unless we are actually talking about drugs that significantly alter sobriety and the ability to make sound judgments. There are plenty of those types of drugs, but comparing drinking to something like eating donuts is ludicrous. We aren’t just talking here about long-term health. We […]
The Proof is in the Doing
In Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus tells a parable about a man who had two sons. He came to the first one and said, “Son, go, work today in my vineyard.” The son told his father he would not go, but afterwards he regretted saying that and went to work. The father went to the second son […]
“The Manger Throne”
Not in marble halls, not beneath a crown of gold. Not in Rome’s triumphant arches, its banners bright with conquest bold. But here, in the dust of Bethlehem, He came—a child, the Savior foretold. The world was Caesar’s empire, its coins engraved with his decree, “Augustus, lord and savior.” But they couldn’t make the […]
An Offer You Shouldn’t Refuse
Daily we are confronted with a variety of “special offers”. Many techniques are used to encourage our favorable response. Often we are urged to buy with the suggestion that this product fills some great need, or that it will only be offered for a limited time. Others tell us of new products, or special deals. […]
The grown up child in the manger ceases to be as much fun to play with.
This is the season that practically every facet of our lives will be touched by the story of the birth of Jesus – the child in the manger.. Even in Hollywood, which for 51 weeks out of the year mentions the name of Jesus Christ as nothing more than a curse word, an epithet, a […]
Christ’s Offer
We all like a good deal! We come away thinking we have benefitted. If you want a good deal, you can’t beat what Christ offers. Isaiah 61 is a beautiful declaration of what Christ has to offer today. He is able to offer these spiritual blessings because “the Spirit of the Lord God is upon […]
Reasons to Come to Jesus
First, come to Jesus because He has all authority. Everyone is guided by some authority, but all human authorities are flawed. Some people follow the majority, but Jesus said, “the broad (majority) way leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13). Some people follow their feelings, but the Bible says that feelings can’t be trusted. “There is […]
Second Guessing the Apostle Paul
In a sermon I once preached there was a point made about Paul’s dialogue with the Roman official Felix (Acts 24:24-27). I stressed that Paul taught Felix about God’s law, urged him to obey it, and warned him about the consequences if he did not. In fact, Paul’s warning about “judgment to come” was so […]