“In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures” James 1.18 NASB 1995). In James 1.18, we learn about our identity as believers and what it means to be a new creation in Christ. James, the […]
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Memorizing Scripture
It was Mr. Powell’s sixth grade class, and the plan was for a special celebration of Lincoln’s birthday. I was tall and skinny, and with a stove pipe hat made of construction paper and a fake black beard, I made a pretty fair ‘Abe Lincoln’. My assignment was to memorize the Gettysburg Address and recite […]
A Beauty Contest
It is obvious from America’s beauty contests with swimsuit and evening wear competitions that most people think of beauty in terms of shape and size. If there is a talent competition the winner is the one who is the most entertaining. So, it really interested me to hear of the “Miss Senegal” contest in Africa. […]
A Prayer for the New Year
May the Lord make my New Year a happy one… Not by shielding me from sorrow and pain, but by strengthening me to bear it if it comes. Not by taking hardship from me, but by taking all cowardice and fear from my heart as I meet hardships. Not by making my […]
The Prayer Life of Jesus: Our and Our Spouses Desires Luke 23:44-49
When Rachel and I first met and married, she did not know how strongly we would be pulling for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team throughout our years of marriage. In fact, early in our marriage, or rather through most of our marriage, she could not have cared less about football. I even wasn’t all […]
Working with Elders
Hebrews 13:17 says: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” When the writer mentions those “that have the rule over you,” it […]
No preacher is worth that kind of money
Too Much? Some brethren said to brother J. D. Tant, who was a widely known gospel preacher in the southwest many years ago, “We would like to have a meeting, but just aren’t able.” He made them a proposition: “Brethren, every time you buy a sack of tobacco or a plug to chew, put the […]
Emphasizing The Basics
If the Lord’s church is to survive and prosper, it must never depart from the basics of the gospel. A wise and experienced elder once told me, “I’ve never known a church to grow that didn’t emphasize the basics. If a church is struggling, they just need to get back to first principles and preach […]
A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION:
Exercise Your Soul! “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” – 3 John 2 In the salutation of a lovely little letter written by John to his good friend Gaius, the apostle recognizes two kinds of […]
The Beatitudes” Matthew 5:1-12
How would you summarize the kind of person Jesus says is a member of His kingdom, His church? Some translations use the word “happy,” but it is only a very shallow synonym for “blessed.” A better translation of the Greek word is “a recipient of God’s favor.” The verb “to bless” is found 419 times […]