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“I didn’t feel anyone cared whether I was there or not.” Sadly, I’ve heard sentiments like this from people who have left the church. And it raises an important question: Does everyone who attends our assemblies know that they matter? (more…)

Imagine two employees. One works hard, keeps his word, treats people fairly, and does the right thing. The other cuts corners, takes credit for someone else’s work, manipulates people, and breaks the rules. Yet somehow the dishonest employee gets the promotion, the corner office, and the bigger paycheck. We have all seen some version of that in reality. (more…)

According to the National Calendar of Weird and Wacky Holidays, National Presidential Joke Day began on August 11, 1984. During a soundcheck for his Saturday evening radio broadcast, President Ronald Reagan joked, “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” (more…)

A nine-year-old boy asked ChatGPT, “Is yo’ mama so dumb that when she went to sleep, she put a ruler behind her pillow to see how long she slept?” The chatbot replied, “I’m sorry, but as an AI language model I don’t have a ‘mama’ or the ability to feel insulted.” (more…)

Greetings from Beverly Hills, FL Today is National Happiness Day, so says the National Calendar of unusual and little-known holidays.  The calendar also says it’s National Whataburger Day.  No doubt the two “holidays” go together.  Anyway, in its honor, here’s an extra post from the past about Choosing Happiness with a real-life example from a friend of mine from bygone days.  So, to help you…

Recently, while scrolling through Facebook and reading reports, articles, and good news from fellow Christians, I came across this thoughtful poem by my friend and preaching colleague, Doy Moyer. Simply titled “Thoughts at 4:30 AM,” it captures a struggle every Christian knows—the battle with sin, the comfort of God’s grace, and the hope we have in Christ. (more…)

Yesterday was my weekly Rotary meeting. We began, as always, with an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the recitation of The Four-Way Test. Created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor while trying to rescue a struggling company during the Great Depression, The Four-Way Test asks four simple questions that pertain to business ethics regarding the things we think, say, or do. (more…)

“He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has,” once observed the 19th-century American minister Henry Ward Beecher. His quote is reminiscent of a line from a more recent preacher who said, “We are rich in the things that perish, but poor in the things of the spirit. We are rich in gadgets, but poor in faith. We are rich in goods, but poor in grace. We are rich in…

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” began David Curry in his Sunday sermon at West Citrus. After illustrating the point with several works of art, he then displayed a photograph of an ancient Greek sculpture. At first glance, it appeared to be little more than another relic from antiquity. But behind the image was a powerful lesson about opportunities that Christians dare not miss. (more…)

In 1783, after the American Revolution, George Washington stood before Congress and voluntarily resigned his military commission. Many expected Washington to become America’s ruler. In fact, King George III reportedly remarked that if Washington willingly gave up power and returned to private life, “he will be the greatest man in the world.” (more…)

  Greetings from Beverly Hills, FL We’re back! Our annual summer trip to Ontario, Canada, was shorter than usual, but no less important and profitable.  (more…)

“He was a great man. But didn’t know it,” was once said of a beloved preacher from a bygone era. The same compliment could easily be spoken of Sewell Hall, who passed from this life last Sunday afternoon at the age of 96. Sewell was 40 years old when I began preaching full-time in 1970. By then, he was already widely respected and deeply loved among faithful Christians. (more…)

Every Olympic champion possesses discipline. They persevere through setbacks. They rely on coaches and teammates. They stay focused despite distractions. They compete with passion. But what ties all those qualities together? (more…)

Can 2,000-year-old seeds still produce? Israeli physician Sarah Sallon believed they could. Ancient date palm seeds had been recovered from archaeological sites near the Dead Sea. Although the trees themselves had disappeared nearly 2,000 years ago, Sallon persuaded skeptical archaeologists to let her plant some of those ancient seeds. Many thought the idea was impossible. (more…)

What is consciousness? How do you define it? Where did it originate? Those questions may not occupy our daily thoughts, but they continue to puzzle some of the world’s brightest scientists. In a recent Scientific American article, “What Is Consciousness? Science Faces Its Hardest Problem Yet,” Allison Parshall explores a mystery that remains unsolved. Researchers know the brain contains some 86…

A strong young man at a construction site was bragging that he could outdo anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of one of the older workmen. After several minutes, the older worker had had enough. “Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?” he said. “I’ll bet a week’s wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that building that you won’t be…

Greetings from Welland, Ontario, Canada What a wonderful, exciting, and encouraging week we’ve experienced participating in the annual Wellandport VBS.  This church may be small in number compared to many other churches, but they are mighty in spirit.  And they put on a VBS that would rival many other churches four times their size. (more…)