I awoke this morning with thanksgiving in my heart. My early morning prayer quickly turned to a lengthy list of blessings for which I am grateful. I knew the list was incomplete–there was no way to enumerate all I have received from the God who blesses his people. I determined that I would go through …
Monthly Archives: April 2011
Philippians 2: Hanging on to “Stuff”
I was recently reading Philippians 2. The text says that Jesus did not consider his position of equality with God as something to be grasped. He had to let go of it to accomplish his purpose. He emptied himself. As I read the passage afresh, I noted that Jesus let go of a number of …
It’s Sunday Again: Resurrection
On a day that celebrates resurrection, or perhaps more properly on the day that celebrates resurrection, we should stop and ask ourselves what it means to live resurrected lives. Certainly Jesus’ resurrection is the promise of our future resurrection (read 1 Corinthians 15). But Paul also reminds us that Jesus’ resurrection is already at play …
Easter in a Changing World
Easter in a changing world: are we in danger of suffocating Easter? I like Easter. It is a pure religious holiday. Of all of the religious holidays, the Easter tradition is pure Christianity. In fact, it is the heart of Christianity. Without Easter resurrection, there is no Christianity. Further, we have Easter at the right …
Daily Devotional Update
Thanks to all who have written or commented personally on the daily devotionals. By the end of the year, I should have a devotional thought available for every chapter in the New Testament. These are being posted as daily devotionals (weekdays only) on my Daily Devotions Index. The devotional guides allow a person to work …
It’s Sunday Again: The Local Church MUST Act
It’s Sunday again–I am scheduled to preach this evening as part of a mission focus on the upcoming summer 2011 mission trip. I will probably not be as bold in person as I am in my thoughts this morning as I review what I have prepared. The church is many places is mired in either …
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Our Incredibly Small World
You have likely heard the statement in a number of contexts: “it’s a small world.” Perhaps someone was amazed at overlapping personal connections or friendships, perhaps someone was considering technology and the possibility of instantaneous communications, or perhaps someone was thinking about the ease of travel in today’s world. All are indications of a shrinking …
Hebrews 4:12-13: A Simple Understanding
During last night’s Bible study, in a discussion of Hebrews 4:12-13, the teacher asked the question, “What makes the word of God living and active?” Three ideas almost immediately came to my mind. First, we consider the words on a page “living and active” when they carry authority. Words are living and important because of …
An Interesting and Unique Bible Study/Discussion
Among the guests at the “bed and breakfast” where we stayed in Antigua were two women from Quebec, Canada. One evening we four–they and Jan and I–were sitting in the living room visiting and they brought up the subject of religion, asking about our work and activities. One of the woman explained (in beginning Spanish) …
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An Outsider’s Perspective: Why the Churches of Christ Were Right After All
One of my former students at Ohio Valley University, Mark Tonkery, sent me the link below. The article deserves wider circulation–I hope you enjoy it and profit from it. Let us see ourselves more clearly–warts and all! (Read the comments too!) The article was written by Ted Campbell, Associate Professor Church History, Perkins School of …
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