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Don’t Minimize Someone’s Conversion
From the outset, let me say that I have been as guilty as anyone for saying what I am going to write about. I used to say it quite regularly. After some time and thought, I would still say it, but I’d feel like I had to qualify it. Now, I do my best to avoid it. And it’s because I spent some serious time thinking about Cornelius. So, what is the saying? It is when we are talking about someone who has lived a pretty good life, but has never been baptized, and we say something like this: “He wouldn’t have to change much.” Now, having been someone who…
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Talking Season, The Hot Stove League, and The Person in the Mirror
Now that the college basketball season is over, I heard somebody describe this time of year as Talking Season. There are a variety of things going on about which most of us know very little or anything. Some of those things may make the news. The casual sports fan may know something about coaching changes, recruiting news, etc., but even a very ardent fan probably has no real idea about all that is going on behind the scenes. About all that most college basketball fans can do for the next few months is talk. A part of the vocabulary of Major League Baseball is the term Hot Stove League. As…
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Run With Endurance
Many, many years ago, back in the ”dark ages” before you could buy chicken in the grocery store already cleaned, cut up and ready to be cooked, you had to raise your own chickens. If you wanted to have fried chicken on Sunday, you had to catch one of your chickens, wring its head off, catch it again, put it in hot water, pick off the feathers, chop off its feet, get rid of the insides, and then begin preparing it for frying. It was quite the production! I remember it well. I would be playing in our backyard on Saturday afternoon and my mother would come out of the…
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My Favorite Lads to Leaders Event
It may seem like an odd time to post something about Lads to Leaders, since the national convention was just a couple of weeks ago and the vast majority of folks do not think about starting for the next year for several months. But I want to share with you something today that will, hopefully, challenge families and youth groups to work on one event. It is my favorite event of the entire program, even if it is one that does not get the “buzz” some others do. What is it? Centurion of Scripture. If you are unfamiliar, Centurion of Scripture requires students to memorize 100 verses of the Bible…
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When Uniforms Aren’t
I recently heard a former member of a branch of our armed forces mention almost in passing what happens to a person very early in that experience. Specifically, he was talking about the effort to make everybody look and act alike as much as possible. Everything, including “hairstyles” and “wardrobes,” has that purpose. Individuality is discouraged as the goal of uniformity is pursued. The idea seems to be to develop unity and cohesiveness as troops defend our nation and/or attack those whose goal it is to do us harm. The stakes are not nearly as high with regard to athletic teams. Wins and losses are not even close to being…
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According to Your Faith
Over and over in the Gospels, we read of Jesus attributing miracles to a person’s faith. Upon His own disciples’ failure to cure a man’s son He tells them “if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Recently I was reading a different account in Matthew that got my attention. In chapter 9, we read of Jesus going to the house of Jairus. (We actually learn his name from Mark and Luke who also record these events.) While on His way to raise Jairus’s daughter from…
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“Religion” is Not a Bad Word
Quite often over the last few years, I have heard people talk about how they don’t like the idea of “religion.” There will even be posts on social media (and I’ve heard it in sermons, too) about how we need “Jesus and not religion” or the how the Lord called people to “service and not religion.” The problem with that sentiment is that, well, it is using one concept of the word “religion” to stand for what is the true meaning, and it is a beautiful meaning. While the etymology–especially the origin–of the word “religion” is somewhat disputed, it seems that the beginning of the word had to do with…
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Some Thoughts About Satan’s Devices and Trojan Horses
I’m reasonably certain that most, if not all, who read this are familiar with the term “Trojan horse.” According to Greek mythology, a huge wooden horse was constructed during what was known as the Trojan War. The people of Troy allowed the horse to enter the city because they were convinced that the Greeks had deserted the war and that the horse was an offering to Athena, the goddess of war. In actuality, the horse was hollow and “housed” Greek soldiers. Once inside the city gates, the soldiers inside used the nighttime to emerge from the horse, open the city gates, and allow their fellow soldiers who had not at…
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If You Will, Then I Will…But If You Will Not, Then I Will
We are studying the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah in the Ladies’ Class I attend on Tuesday afternoons. We have made it to this well-known major prophet and it has been grueling to read and study about this man – how poorly he was treated, how close to death he came, and yet, he remained a faithful messenger for God. Throughout this study we have seen multiple times the words I used for the title of this post. In fact, we have seen similar words throughout much of the Old Testament. As an example, the book of Deuteronomy has a list of blessings and cursings in the twenty-eighth chapter. When we…
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Both Verses Must be Done
Jesus is the Head of the Church. As such, He gets to set the course and His will is to be what we are to do our very best to follow. But, if we are honest, sometimes we prefer to pick and choose certain things that He taught while leaving others either undone or, at least, unemphasized. There is a passage of Scripture, stated by Jesus Himself, that is often treated this way. One part is sometimes emphasized, while the other is left unsaid, undone, or underemphasized. And, sadly, it is done to both sides of the passage. In Mark 16:15-16, Jesus stated, “Go into all the world and proclaim…
