Monday, November 26, 2012

A Call to Thanks-Living

Isn't it ironic that Thanksgiving is followed by Black Friday? Please do not misunderstand, I am all for incredible sales and great deals – they certainly help this time of year. However, think about that for which Black Friday is known: great sales, long lines, insane hours, and rude (even violent) shoppers. Yes, just a mere few hours after they gave thanks for all that they already have, these shoppers were out fighting tooth and nail for that hot item that they simply cannot live without, daring someone to stand in their way. News reports are filled with stories of fights that broke out in the middle of the aisles, with hundreds of people around who could potentially be hurt, all because of something that certain shoppers wanted.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Preacher, Are You Growing?

Preachers are people, too. They are susceptible to temptation, to depression, to spiritual backsliding, and much more – just like everyone else is. But preachers are also different from everyone else. The congregation looks to the preacher to be the source of spiritual power. He is the one to whom they come when they need counseling from God's Word. He still has to preach the sermon or teach the class regardless of the week that he has had or the depression that his heart feels.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Election Reflections

Today's post finalizes the Election Weekend series.

Like many across the country, I was disappointed Tuesday night. I wanted a change. The reason why I wanted change was based on moral grounds.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Church and State

Today begins an Election Weekend series. Just two parts, the first of which you are about to read, and the second of which you will read tomorrow, the Lord willing.

What responsibilities do Christians have to governing bodies with whom they disagree? Did your candidate lose Tuesday night? Do you have an obligation to follow a government for which you did not vote? Must you submit to the government even though your ethics are drastically different from theirs?

Thursday, November 8, 2012

25 Reasons My Wife is Awesome

I'm surrounded by great writers. My lovely wife is one of the best writers I have ever met. My good friends Chris & Melissa Clevenger are great writers with awesome insights. Chris's blog is called "My Desk, His Glory." Melissa's is "We Play Cottage." All of these are absolute must-reads. Great writers are literally all around me. These people (among others) encourage me to try to improve my writing skills and to improve my creativity. So here I am, beginning a brand new blog that (might) help me to reach these goals. This is a historic day.