I few years ago, I was asked to speak at a weekend men’s retreat. I got to spend time with a group of men from a church in Bentonville, Arkansas. We talked about priorities; we discussed discouragement. The group discussion returned several times to an illustration I use to describe our Christian lives. I begin …
Author Archives: bro.bobyoung
Word for Today: “Surrender” to what counts
You will never be worth much to God in your Christian life until you learn to surrender to what counts. The spiritual disciplines must include surrender. In fact, surrender may be first, the foundation of every other discipline. Surrender is the ultimate expression of thinking like Jesus (Philippians 2:5). Until we learn the lesson of …
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Sunday: With Pedro Sanchez, my “socio”
Through the years, I have often worshiped in English at an early service and then worshiped in Spanish at a later service. I am blessed when I get to study the Bible and worship in Spanish. That blessing is seldom more apparent than when my good friend and brother, Pedro Sanchez, from Santiago, Chile, is …
Sunday: Joy
Most people in this world want to be happy. There may be a few scrooges who relish negativism and pessimism, but in my experience such people are the exception. Are we looking for happiness in the wrong places? Many seek happiness in possessions, experiences, work, relationships, prestige, or popularity. John wrote to struggling Christians near …
Casinos and 1 Thessalonians 5:17
I couldn’t help but notice–the car entered the interstate next to the Firelake Casino at a very high rate of speed. First thought–I wondered if the driver was mad because he had just lost a lot of money. On second thought, “Probably just a coincidence. Perhaps the driver lives nearby.” He sped up enough to squeeze …
Sunday: Life in Christ’s kingdom
For many in churches of Christ, historically evangelism has been primarily a cognitive process focused on the acceptance of certain truths or propositions by an individual. The goal and primary emphasis has been simple–salvation. More recently some of us have been asking about transformed lives and genuine discipleship, seeking to be and help others become …
Sunday: Life in the Kingdom
The question resounds as we sing, Do You Know My Jesus? A few moments later we sing the simple request, Jesus Let Us Come to Know You! Familiar words, favorite songs, not always easy to bring to life. Knowing Jesus is seldom easy, often quite difficult. The Jesus of Matthew is both servant and royalty. …
Sunday: What Kind of People Ought We to Be?
It is common to read the Bible in small sections, ignoring the larger context. One place that happens is in 1 Corinthians 3. The context of chapter 3 includes chapter 2 where Paul explains that authentic spiritual wisdom is available to spiritual people who think in spiritual ways and can apply spiritual truths to real …
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Sunday: Earn the Right to Have a Point of View
Not too long ago, Jan and I watched the movie, Music Within. The movie is based on the story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past. When he returns from Vietnam severely hearing-impaired, he finds a new purpose in his landmark efforts on the behalf of Americans with disabilities. One line …
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It’s Sunday Again: I Am, Therefore I Act
We spend a lot of energy in the church trying to get people to do what they ought to do. We study motivation–we encourage, we scold, we “lay on” guilt trips. We have missed a basic truth of Scripture. I am, therefore I act. One cannot get “faith actions” out of “unfaith” people. According to …