The church at Philippi began with the conversion of Lydia, the seller of purple (Acts 16:14), and the Philippian jailor. It is now 62 A.D., about 10 years after Paul’s first visit to Philippi and he is again in prison for his faith, most likely writing from Rome. Because of his failing eyesight, Timothy his … Continue reading Serving to Lead
You know those concrete barriers you see on the highway that divide one side from the other? The ones with the skid marks on them from people who got too close? And you know that guy who thinks he can drive in the fast lane until he sees how close the barriers seem to be? … Continue reading Keeping Your Life out of the Hay Bales
I mentioned before that I used to serve as a worker in a faith-based addiction recovery program. One of the verses we all had to memorize was Luke 9:23… “And he said to them all, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’” … Continue reading As basic as reading and writing
We used to have someone come up to our property in Zionville to mow our lawn while we lived in Greenville (about 3 hours away). The outfit we hired was based about an hour away and had other clients in the area. Then one day we got an email from them telling us that because … Continue reading Get mowing, sluggard!
So, yesterday Jane and I were driving home on NC Route 88 when we saw something funny. As we came around a curve, we saw a huge black cow standing in its pasture, but with its head over the guardrail so it could eat from a tiny patch of grass along the side of the … Continue reading Straining over the guardrail when we’re standing in a pasture.
Jehoshaphat was a king of Judah. His name means “Jehovah judges,” and he did his best to live up to that name. During his reign he brought about many reforms. He set judges over the people, men appointed to judge civil cases, and set them on notice: 2 Chronicles 19:6-7(6) And said to the judges, … Continue reading Tie a knot in your rope and hang on!
The goal of God’s discipline in our lives is never destruction. It is always aimed toward reconciliation. For most of us, when God brings chastisement, we see it as the end of the world. In a sense it is. Because there are some sins that carry heavy and life-changing consequences. Some of our actions can … Continue reading Reconciliation, Not Destruction
Grace in Waves 