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The game show Jeopardy is one of the few TV shows I watch. I’m always amazed at the knowledge of the contestants in every area other than the Bible. Stories I have known since my childhood stump most of the participants. The struggle demonstrated by these contestants reflects the overall drop in Bible knowledge in the last 50-years, but it doesn’t have to be. GIVE ME 5! Give me just a little time from your personal schedule and watch the…

In 1985, the Country and Western artist George Jones released a song entitled, “Who’s Gonna Fill their Shoes”. The underlying theme of this song, as far as I know, is who will be the next Country and Western stars. I would like to use this idea as a spring board for this article. Let’s explore who’s gonna fill their shoes- spiritually. Recently, we have laid to rest some good Soldiers of the Cross. We have had a tough few weeks.…

Very often, we as people, think of life in the aspect of time. We think of minutes, hours, days, and years. As Job would write in Job 14:1, “man is of few days…”. David wrote that a man’s life will be about “three score and ten”. Then James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote that “life is a vapor” (James 4:14). There is no shock to us to find out we have a difficult time with the comprehension of Eternity.…

They arrive in my email INBOX almost every week. A desperate cry for help from a person in deep despair, like the one I received two weeks ago (Please note – I have been given permission to share this email message). “Michael, what do I do? I wasn’t raised this way. I have made a total mess of my life. My aim in life has been fun and excitement but that has led me to problems. Bad decisions upon bad…

We all have them. I have one on the underside of my arm as a box cutter slipped one day while I was working in a grocery store as a teen and I sliced open my arm. I have another one on my upper arm as proof of a childhood vaccination. Just two weeks ago, while recording a video lesson, I gained a new one as I took a wrong step leaving the podium area and fell in the auditorium…

Our 40 DAYS OF PRAYER officially ended this past Friday. Over the last few days, I have heard back from many people regarding this united effort of Christians around the world. From Kenya, “Thanks to the 70 West church for spearheading this effort. Our church here has been involved. We have seen faith grow. We have seen better cooperation. We have felt good about doing this with you.” From the Philippines, “40 DAYS OF PRAYER has helped me become dependent…

I can’t remember having feelings like these from just reading an email from a stranger. The email was from a Christian woman dealing with a very real problem. I read her question and her problem struck a nerve. The words on the computer screen gripped me. The emotions flooded my mind. I was immediately drawn in and like Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus, I wept. Why was I crying? I was experiencing empathy for this woman I only knew…

As I write this article another terrible hurricane has struck our nation’s coast and remnants of the storm are approaching southern Arkansas. Storms happen as our weather changes seasons. Storms also happen in life. It may be the fearful words from a doctor concerning a diagnosis, marital unhappiness expressed by a spouse, getting the ‘pink-slip’ at work, family issues that rear its ugly head, or one of the hundreds of problems each one of us can face in life. What…

This world has amazing transformations around us constantly. We see caterpillars change into butterflies. We see tadpoles change into frogs. We see leave change color. We see our children grow from babies into adults. When we see these changes many times we don’t even give them a second glance. We are so accustomed to seeing these changes. Change is a good thing. We, however, do see change when a person obeys the Gospel. Notice how Paul was inspired by God…

Saturday was my anniversary. You might say, “But Michael, I thought you celebrated your anniversary a couple of weeks ago.” Well, that was my wedding anniversary. I’m talking about a different anniversary. Saturday was the 3rd anniversary of my FIRST WORKDAY here at 70 West. I remember the day so well. Danny Vaughn met me the prior day and helped me get set up in a temporary apartment. That first workday was filled with getting my office arranged and going…

It has been very well said throughout the years that sin will take you further than you ever wanted to go. Sin will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay. Sin will cost you more than you ever wanted to pay. Sin will require of you more than you ever wanted to give. In our modern culture, the word sin is rarely, if ever, used. However, God’s Word speaks plainly to the idea of sin. Sin is the…