A preacher was in the middle of his sermon when he turned the focus to Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried the cross of Jesus (Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). He challenged the congregation to put themselves at the scene and think about how they would have reacted. Before long a nine-year-old boy came walking…
Several years ago, one my of young kiddos started getting fussy. I took him out into the foyer and eventually had to step outside because the Lord’s Supper was being held in the foyer on this particular Sunday. As I stood outside, I realized that I had never been outside of the building when worship…
We wake up, go through the morning routine, and we start preparing our minds for worship. Maybe we have religious songs playing in the background. Maybe we take a few moments of quiet reflection on the worship we are about to engage in. Maybe we pray for clear minds during worship. Maybe we talk with…
Less than a year ago, Rio was a thriving ground of athletic prowess. Now it’s abandoned, unprotected, looted, and in horrible disrepair. The soccer field and golf course are turning brown with chunks missing. Seats in the stands have been stolen, ripped out, or destroyed. Swimming pools and fountains contain putrid orange water from a…
“After attending church one Sunday morning, a little boy knelt at his bedside that night and prayed, ‘Dear God, we had a good time at church today–but I wish you had been there!’” You’ve probably heard a similar prayer in the worship service, or maybe even thought it yourself. Someone will pray, “Lord, we hope…
One Sunday after worship, the preacher noticed a little boy named Alex staring up at a large plaque hanging in the foyer. This plaque had names listed all over it and American flags on each side. The six-year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the preacher walked up, stood beside the…
We may not be led up to a mountain with Jesus. We may not have the Lord transfigured before us. We may not have Moses and Elijah appear in front of our very eyes. There are very few similarities to that very unique and special occasion, and yet at the 2015 Lectureship we can still…
On Sunday I had the opportunity to worship in a unique way. Nearly 2,000 Christians gathered to worship the Lord at Polishing the Pulpit in Tennessee. As I praised the Lord together with everyone, I realized what an incredible honor this was. I was privileged enough to… …worship with 2,000 brothers and sisters in Christ.…
Lately, my 3-year-old has decided not to listen to my wife and I, especially when we are getting on to her. Strangely, I’ve been having flashbacks of my mom’s stern, motherly voice saying, “You’re not listening to me!” I just can’t seem to remember her exact words though. I wasn’t really paying attention at the…
President James Madison experienced many health problems in the later part of his life. A friend of his sent him a box of vegetable pills he had made and asked James to inform him if they helped at all. After some time, the man received a letter from President Madison which said, “My dear friend,…
I am no stranger to allergies. I have been allergic to things like chocolate, BBQ sauce, MSG, cow milk and cheese (including anything that has these in them, like pizza and ice-cream). Some of these are past allergies and some are current. You may be thinking, “How could you possibly live without _______?!?” When eating…
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