Once, I received a call from a woman who watched our TV program. She shared her religious background with me, including the fact that she was raised in a church of Christ. While she was baptized many years before, she committed fornication, became pregnant, and had a child out of wedlock. She said that she […]
Church Growth
What do we mean when we say, “Church Growth?” This involves several areas about which church leaders should be concerned. Congregations should be concerned about growth in: (1) Evangelism, growing in number, (2) Maturity – helping each member become more mature as a Christian, (3) Giving – we may not like the topic, but it […]
“Vanishing Act”
Noah Karberg had just finished a day of fishing on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. He made a stop at a grocery store before heading home to pick up a few things. While loading the bags of groceries into his car, he placed his wallet on the tray of the shopping cart, as his fishing shorts had […]
Be Careful With Your Words
Solomon wrote, “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven and you on earth; therefore let your words be few” (Eccl 5:2). Many need to work harder at applying this instruction. There are really two warnings here. One caution concerns words […]
Why I Pray
I pray because I believe God listens. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). I pray because God has told me that He cares and is able to help. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He […]
Asking the Right Question
Albert Einstein said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem…I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper questions to ask, for once I know the proper question, I can solve the problem in less than five minutes.” When it comes to the Bible, many times we do not ask the proper […]
God and Family
Earthly choices can drive one’s faithfulness to God if permitted. Work, recreation, and hobbies can distract and take precedence over one’s service to God. While these activities are not inherently wrong, one must guard against things and “stuff” that redirect focus away from God. Sometimes a family member (grandparent, parent, spouse, etc.) can influence another […]
Buried Treasure
As a child growing up on the banks of the Ohio river, I used to imagine that pirates could have buried treasure in my back yard or somewhere close by. Maybe I had an over-active imagination as a child, but I want you to use your imagination for just a moment. Suppose that, based on […]
“The Miracle Baby”
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Sheriff Gary “Stitch” Guillory stood before TV cameras on July 9, 2024 and spoke of “The Miracle Baby”. It’s hard to argue with his assessment. The child’s 4-year-old brother’s body had been found a day earlier in a pond of an Interstate highway rest stop. It was quickly determined that a 1-year-old […]
Jesus Teaches Us How to Love 1 John 4:8
How do you define love? I’m no prophet, but I say with a high degree of certainty, no one reading this article answered in their mind: Love is a box of chocolates and teddy bear holding a red heart. Much of what commercial enterprises present as love are not really love at all. God is […]