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Preachers have a distinctive view of the congregation as he stands before them and delivers the message from God’s word. As he teaches the lesson, he subconsciously assesses the audience, and immediately knows if the attendance for that day is good or is lacking. As human nature would have it, members have the habit of sitting in the same place for each service they attend. If the congregation is small, the preacher has probably memorized each member or family’s designated…

I’m convinced that most folks want to do something truly meaningful with their lives. Unfortunately, most labor under the mistaken assumption that accomplishing something great is reserved for just a chosen few. Heroes. Martyrs. Saints. But not them. But what if the greatest thing is not to go out in a blaze of glory but to honor God with a life that seeks consistently to do His will in the little things? Not necessarily to climb the highest mountain but…

When you hear the phrase, “Personal Evangelism” what do you think? It is an awesome and daunting responsibility to take the gospel to others. I have been involved in several efforts to get the word out. I have knocked doors and spoken to folks about the gospel. I don’t know everything about personal evangelism, but I have come to learn about several misconceptions. Misconception number one: Most people hate to talk about the Bible. Some try to avoid it, but…

The apostle Paul, after making his defense before the Roman governor, Festus and Jewish King Agrippa, and in response to Agrippa’s statement about “almost” being persuaded tells Agrippa” I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains” Acts 26:29. If we could superimpose our own names for Paul and wish that all could become as we currently are, what would…

My wife and I have a date every Tuesday for lunch. We usually grab a bite to eat at one of our local establishments. As we left one restaurant, we noticed that if we filled out a survey, we could get a free sandwich. I started wondering whether a person could survive just by filling out surveys. My wife said, “Try it!” I said, “No.” I have filled out a survey on occasion to get free food, but I don’t…

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” That was a very common taunt when I was growing up. It helped the one saying this phrase that it is only words being used. It does not mean the insult is true. But… words have power. A constant barrage of words can change the way I think about myself and my worth. Consider the word- JUST. Just is define differently by the way it is used…

We often use this time of year to notice some things in our personal life that need to change– good or bad. We take the opportunity to restart or revamp our daily schedule and daily habits. It seems like the perfect time to do so. While our physical bodies and life need to be addressed from time to time, so does our spiritual life. We are given that opportunity each time we meditate in the Word of God. Today let’s…

Imagine this: you walk into a fast-food restaurant and order a hamburger, fries, and a coke – the all-American meal! But then, you notice that it seems to take an unusually long time to get your food. Finally, the gal at the counter brings up your order – piles of food on three separate trays! “What’s all of this?” you ask. “Well,” answers the waitress, “it’s one of every item on our menu. Your bill comes to $85.68.” You protest:…

I really had no clue that I was going to die today. I hadn’t scheduled it or set a reminder. It wasn’t something I had even been thinking about. Yet, here I am, dead. I knew eventually it would happen, but not like this. I had wanted to go peacefully in my sleep at some undetermined but appropriate age—at an age when I had all my affairs in order, nothing left undone or unsaid. I wanted to go out with…

I try to do as the Apostle Paul did, to preach the whole counsel of God.” I try to preach that every man ought to love every other man on this Earth; that if there is any answer to the racism we find in the world, it is in the religion of Jesus Christ; that the gospel has the great purpose of drawing all men into one body, that we may all be one in Christ, no matter whether you…

Just a few years ago no member of the church known to me would have contended that humming would be acceptable in Christian worship. Yet, some time ago I received a phone call from a preacher in another state; and during our conversation, he stated that he was disturbed that a well known song director had recently visited in his section of the country, and while there participated in a worship service, during which he sang a solo while the…

The Bible says that we should “Pray without ceasing” (1Th.5:17). Those prayers can be “effective” (Jm.5:16) – or, by implication, ineffective. One thing that is necessary to make our prayers effective, is to pray in faith (Jm.1:6). In fact, if we don’t pray in faith, we need not expect an answer from God (v.7)! But what does it mean to pray in faith? What kinds of things are involved in this admonition? Let’s examine some of them here. We must…