We’ll keep this really simple. Let’s start with a few facts about joy and then dive into seven ways to find joy when we lack it. Joy is not a feeling, it’s a godly perspective. A Christian’s hardships aren’t pointless, they’re productive. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you […]
Author: bumchecks
The Bible is not only powerful (Rom. 1:16),
it can offer practical solutions to many problems or rare circumstances in life as we see from 1 Sam. 21. With God’s help, a mere shepherd pulled the wool over many eyes, including a king! As the story continues, the king who was deceived developed a great relationship with David (1 Sam. 28:1-2). 1 Sam […]
NO RECOLLECTION
I heard this story about the owner of a Rolls Royce. It certainly sounds as if could be true: The great British automaker takes great pride in the reliability of their handcrafted automobiles. An obviously wealthy owner of a Rolls took it to Europe on an extended trip. While traveling in France the […]
Ocean Gate submersible – “Time Is Running Out”
As I write this, the search for the Ocean Gate submersible is at a critical stage. The story has dominated the news this week since the last communication on Sunday. The submersible is a sort of mini submarine designed for a maximum of five people, two of whom are crew members. The aim of this […]
To Hell, In a Good Humor
We are surrounded by people who are lost in sin and destined to spend eternity in Hell. That is, of course, unless they can be reached with the saving power of the gospel (Romans 1:16). There are, however, a number of issues making it harder and harder to reach lost people. For instance, our increasingly […]
Leaving a Legacy of Godliness Ephesians 5:18-21
Leaving a spiritual legacy begins with the personal character of every dad. Who we are determines what we leave behind. By and large, godly children come from godly parents. Certainly there are exceptions. By His saving power, there are children saved out of godless homes to become trophies of His grace. But for the most […]
Abilities, Motivation, Attitude…
These three words play a vital role in the development of leadership, especially with regards to spiritual leadership. Lou Holtz expressed it this way: “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” The thought raises several questions: (1) What are we capable of doing? […]
I see my time is up
Some years back a preacher wrote a book titled which said his “time was up.” I don’t know if he listed twenty reasons for that in his book, but he finally had to realize his “time and expired” and it was time to go home. Paul warned about “redeeming the time” or making the most […]
The Importance of Fathers
This nation has been built on the shoulders of strong men. They were great leaders, courageous pioneers, and hardworking farmers. The Lord’s church has a similar history of great preachers, courageous missionaries, and faithful elders. Unfortunately, in recent generations we have seen the demise of strong male leadership in our society and churches. Strong leadership […]
Is this picture real?
Look at this photo for just a minute. This man’s life looks hard. You certainly get the impression of a struggling fisherman who works hard every day to feed his family. The lighting and angle of the camera tell the story of struggle, hardship, and life in the fishing village. So much detail to take […]