Blog (Page 9)
Wisdom About Wisdom
How can you tell if a person is a wise person? All things being equal, how can you tell a wise person from an unwise person? If you asked some people what are some of the things they look for when they set out to find a wise person, most people would probably say it has something to do with the ability to ask good questions, gain knowledge, analyze complex situations, apply common sense, recall past experiences, consider sensible options,…
It’s Not Fair!
One day when I was a teenager, my father bought a book from a local bookstore, handed it to me, and asked me to read it. Back in those days, I didn’t particularly like to read. I still don’t really like to read today. But the title of the book intrigued me: When Bad Things Happen to Good People. I remember I was excited to read and see what the author had to say about the topic. By the time children…
Promises, Promises
Since the beginning of the human race, making a promise to one another is one of the most serious things we do in life. We make a vow or pledge to each other we will take an action or give an assurance that something will happen. And yet, how many times do we make a promise to someone, perhaps a friend, and we don’t follow through? A promise not kept causes frustration to that someone, especially if he or she…
An Appointed Time
For those of you who are a little older (than the rest of us), do you remember as a young boy or girl, your parents woke you up in the middle of the night because they thought it was important for you to watch a nationally televised broadcast of a NASA rocket launch? Either you were glad and your eyes were glued to the television screen, or you were cranky because someone had just rudely interrupted your sleep. But have…
A Message for Our Graduates
Excerpted from a message given to high school seniors, their families, and LifeWay Youth students at Grad Night, May 25, 2022. The next season of life is approaching for our graduates, and there are some things they will need to be prepared for in life. Here are three points that you will probably not hear at any commencement ceremony, this year or ever. (This is also important for people who are not graduates this year!) If you can latch onto…
The Final Exam
Last Sunday, I laid out the final exam for the series we have been teaching through this whole academic year, entitled Building His Church. If you missed last Sunday, I ask you to get a copy of this 4-page test, sit down with someone, and walk through this together. It would be great if you would turn your completed test in to me. The most important part of why I am doing this is that we, as His Church Body, must…
Introducing Ecclesiastes
You did it! We did it! For this past year, we learned together what are the four walls of Christ’s church and the critical importance of building our church with those four walls in balance. And now we are off to take the final exam Billy gave us, pass it (or for you high achievers, ace it), and the whole summer is ours. Good luck! But just because the LifeWay academic year unofficially ended last Sunday, and the school bell…
A Note About Elders
This past Sunday morning, Mark Neidlinger, the chairman of the LifeWay elders, brought us a wonderful sermon about the critical role an elder plays in the life of a church, what an elder actually does, and the character traits elders are to display in their lives. If you did not hear this sermon, I encourage you to go back and watch it online. In addition, here are the accompanying sermon notes to help you review the tasks and qualifications of…
Finals Week
“It’s Finals Week! Time to take the test!“ Those words struck terror for me in college and seminary. The pressure was on to go back and try to remember all that had been taught, all that I’d read, and then to articulate it on an exam. As a Religion major, most of my classes were the kind that required an essay of explanation in the old blue book, as opposed to math problems and equations. With every spring came final…
Guarding the Flock
What do church leaders do for the church? Guard the flock! Acts 20:28-31Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! In 1978,…
The Goal and the Role
As you know already, there are altogether six chapters in the Letter to the Ephesians. When I consider Ephesians, I like to visualize the letter in two parts: Ephesians 1–3 and Ephesians 4–6. Ephesians 1–3 is packed with doctrines of the Christian faith, and I mean packed. After the Apostle Paul wrote sentence after sentence of Christian treasure, he became overwhelmed by God’s glory from his own writing, so much so that he went right into doxology even though he…
Mother’s Day Responses
On Mother’s Day—Sunday, May 8—as part of our worship service, we asked the kids (kids of all ages, that is) to fill out a questionnaire about their moms. We were able to share some of the responses with our congregation. Their answers will put a smile on your face. Enjoy! If I could give my mom anything, it would be… Food Cookware Pay off our mortgage! A world 3-month cruise Snuggles A diamond ring Me—her well-behaved handsome son My love A…
Rome or Bust!
Acts 23:11 (NIV)“Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” “California or Bust!” In the 1930s, there were two great disasters that affected thousands of American families. On the great plains of the USA, a huge drought led to what is called in history the Dust Bowl days, affecting farmers from Texas to South Dakota. These farmers were left with unproductive dirt and unmanageable debt. At the same time the stock market…
My Thoughts on Baptism
Every Sunday at LifeWay is a special time because we come together and fellowship with God and with each other. But this Sunday is extra special because four individuals (two very young brothers and two very young sisters) will be baptized. Hallelujah! What an exciting time in their lives! God is to be praised because their parents have made it a priority to teach their children about God and the Christian faith while they are still very young. God is…
Keys to the Kingdom
Have you ever been given the keys to something of great value? The day I got my driving license was on my actual 16th birthday. I will never forget it. It was a landmark day for me, as it is for all of us when that important new chapter in our life comes. I could now get in the driver’s seat, take a drive and be alone behind the wheel of this wonderful invention we call an automobile! I had…
Cinderella Sports Stories
2 Corinthians 12:8-10Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. We just recently completed the month of March, which,…
Preparing for Easter Sunday
As you get ready for this coming Easter Sunday, I ask you to do four things. Make sure you have spent time in the daily Passion Week devotionals. These videos are about 5 minutes long and feature seven LifeWay leaders who have spent time reflecting on the deeper meaning of Jesus’ last words on the cross. We began these devotionals last Sunday, and they will finish on Saturday this week. They are powerful. Read the Easter story on your own:…
Why There Must Be Resurrection
Have you ever heard someone say, “Jesus died for our sins”? Perhaps you were that someone who said those words when you were a little boy or girl in children’s Sunday school. Maybe you still say it today as an adult. Was it wrong to say, “Jesus died for our sins”? Is it wrong to say that? Absolutely not. How do I know? 1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that…
What Can Happen in Only One Day?
2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV) Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. Almost every morning, I have a routine. With a fresh cup of coffee in hand, I get out a couple of the bibles that I use for my quiet-time scripture reading. Then, after my scripture time, I spend time in prayer in a patterned way. I highlight this to give you an insight into how my prayer begins (I have this written down): “Thank you…
Why Did God Choose Israel?
Do you know in which country was the technology developed for the original cellular phone? Where was voicemail technology invented? How about the first ingestible video camera? Which country has the highest annual production of scientific papers per capita? Which country has the world’s highest rate of university degrees per capita? The answer: Israel. Surprised? In addition, 13 Israeli minds have won the Nobel Prize in the fields of chemistry, economics, literature and peace. That’s more per capita than our…
Ministers of Reconciliation
As commissioned members of Christ’s Body (the Church), we are ministers of reconciliation! Focus verses for this Sunday: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 In preparation for this Sunday, read all of 2 Corinthians 5 (it’s only 21 verses long, but it is a loaded chapter!). I have family members who were commissioned into the army as officers. I attended the commissioning ceremonies where they received their stripes and a new title, and they pledged themselves to the commissioned duty to defend our…
The Greatest Treasure Held in Jars of Clay
Have you ever bought a super-valuable diamond ring and then thrown it in a brown paper grocery sack? Why would you do that? Normally, you would put that ring in a special box and make sure that it was kept in the most secure of locations. Years ago, a couple of us raised a lot of money to help purchase a piece of property that would be transformed into Christian campground in a nation that desperately needed it. The problem…
Mapping Out My Life
Have you ever mapped out your life—where you’ve been, what you’ve done, what has disappointed you, what has surprised you? Recently our pastoral team has been going through the exercise of putting our lives in identifiable chapters. Each chapter is marked with highs and lows of events, people marked as special, and accomplishments during that time period. One thing that became clear to me when I did this exercise was that when we dedicate ourselves to Christ, God doesn’t waste…
The Commission Wall
What we are called to and where we go This coming Sunday morning, March 13, I will launch us into the 4th and final wall of our diagram of understanding how to Build His Church in this world. We are calling this wall the Commission Wall. Here are some basic instructions on how to prepare yourself for this study. Let’s review: 1st wall: the Kingdom (“Basalea”) Wall This first wall reminded us that we are now citizens of, and buying…
Theology of War
Following tensions that began all the way back in 2014, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Like many of you, I couldn’t believe that it would come to this, and like all of you, I am devastated. The invasion is already the largest military attack on a sovereign country in Europe since World War II. At the time of this writing, there are more than 400 casualties and at least 700 injured. The actual toll is…