I love this time of year – especially getting my hands dirty in the soil and working in the garden. My garden is not as large here as what it was in Ohio but we still have one here. Today as I was planting some more vegetables I noticed some of my cucumber plants are…
“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they did not know the Father or…
“A good name is to be chosen over great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold.” (Pro 22:1, LSB) “Better is a good name than good oil, And better is the day of one’s death than the day of one’s birth.” (Ecc 7:1, LSB) “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain…
Every preacher ought to be a gardener of some sort. There’s lessons to be learned out there! See that greenery in the picture taller than the weeds? That’s my banana tree that I planted about three years ago. Every winter there is a freeze that gets it but it has always grown back as the…
As I write this, the news of Josh Buice’s fall is still hitting hard. What sad news! I only met him once and our time together, while brief, was not bad at all. In fact, he was very cordial to me and my family. It was at G3 Conference 2023. My youngest son (10 years…
Every time there is anything that happens with a famous preacher, the blame is placed on conferences or “celebrity culture” (whatever that is) or social media. But such blame misses the mark. At the root of it all, the issue is the flesh: “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality,…
I recently received a phone call from a brother from another church who wanted to complain about his pastor’s preaching style. This was shocking to me because he went so far as to say the church needed a new pastor. There was no charge of heresy or sin; he just simply didn’t like his style….
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) This is the great motivation of the Christian life. It isn’t fear of sin, or the punishment of sin. The great motivation is not to be invited to more Bible Conferences. The great motivation is…
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” (1 Timothy 5:17 KJV) Biblically, there are only two officers in a church, pastor and deacon. They are not the same. What I mean is, the deacons are not pastors and pastors are not…
“Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:” (Acts 15:22) The New Testament pattern is not elder-rule, but rather it is an elder-led congregationalism. This is good…