Commitment
Commit
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV) Well it’s that time of year again when in a fit of optimism many of us make great…
Working Together
What would happen if ministers adopted the same attitude toward the church services that some members do? If they did we might read: The funeral of Mrs. John Doe had to be postponed yesterday because the minister failed to show up. He left early for the beach. He said later that remaining in town until 2 o’clock for the funeral would have ruined his whole day, so he…
Staying On Track
A retired minister was reviewing his many years in the ministry and commented: “I haven’t run as fast as some have run. I haven’t run as far as some have run. But, I have always stayed on track” It is human nature to compare our work and our accomplishments with the work and accomplishments of other people. If we have not done as well as they have done, it is easy to…
Hypocrite Of The Year
Over 20 years ago there was a convention of atheists in Chicago – during Easter week no less. [I can’t remember whether they met on April Fool’s Day or – that is the national holiday for atheists]. Anyway, one of the highlights of that convention years ago was a decision on who was the greatest hypocrite of the year for that particular year. It seems that the nominees…
Is Your Battery Charged
It’s early in the morning…20° in the church parking lot…yet my car starts immediately. The adversity of cold weather does not stop the performance. Tune-up, gasoline and antifreeze all helped but the key ingredient is a good battery. I’ve experienced the difference between a bad and good battery, haven’t you? What is the spiritual counterpart to an automobile’s battery?…
What’s Your Vocation?
Summer is winding down, kids are shopping for school supplies, and businesses are just about back to peak strength. Labor Day is upon us – September is here – Friday night football games are getting us excited. We all are getting geared up to move into a busy fall season. With all that in mind, God has placed a verse heavily upon my heart. Ephesians 4:1KJV says, “…walk…
The Busy Christian
Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, “We can’t keep Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.”…
Putting Christ In Christian
As I write this, we’ve just gone through another Christmas season. Don’t you just hate how the birth of Christ, Christmas, has become so commercialized and secular? It’s not politically correct to say “Merry Christmas” now; you have to say something like “Happy Holidays”. And the holiday emphasis and blitz starts way before…