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Blog (Page 54)

Use Your Influence

Focal Passage: Esther 4:13-17; 8:3-8 One of the great joys I’ve had over the past three springs is being the head coach of my oldest son’s tee ball team. In fact, the season’s already a fourth of the way done. What a combination of challenge and real joy it is leading 3- to 5-year-olds to learn and love the game of baseball!…

To the Fountain: Weighing Scripture and Tradition

Around the dawn of the fifth century A.D., a scholar of the church by the name of Jerome did something that was rather controversial in his day: He produced the official Latin translation of the Bible, which become known as the Vulgate. That in itself wasn’t controversial. The controversy lay in the fact that he ignored the Greek translation of the Old…

Happy Birthday, KJV!

Today, May 2, 2011 is the 400th anniversary of the Bible translation known as the King James Version (KJV) or the Authorized Version (AV), which was first published in 1611.  Although I very rarely read or use it because of its outdated language, it has been a great gift to the church over the last four centuries.  I highly regard it and…

Overcome Your Fears

Focal Passage:  Joshua 1:1-11,16-18 Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at how we can grow as leaders.  Perhaps you don’t think of yourself as a leader, but undoubtedly everyone is a leader in some capacity.  However, godly leadership isn’t something you’re just born with.  Certainly, I was a leader in many ways before the Lord saved me, but because of the…

Encounter the Risen Lord

I pray you had an amazing Easter weekend!  He’s alive!  Glory to God in Christ Jesus!  I don’t know about you, but I get utterly pumped up at Easter time. We strive at West Main Baptist to help Easter surpass Christmas in the hearts of our people.  The Christmas season with its manger celebrating the incarnation of Jesus is undoubtedly special, but…

Receive Comfort–Give Comfort

One of the questions that inevitably forms in our mind when tragedy strikes is, “Why did God allow this to happen to me?”  That’s a legitimate question with multiple layers of answers, some of which we probably will never know this side of glory, but this week’s text provides us with at least one of the answers to the “why” question:  God…

Recognize God’s Presence

My 5- and 2-year-old sons love to sing children’s Bible songs.  One of their favorites is “The Wise Man Built His House upon the Rock.”  Although they, along with the other kids at our church, like to make a fun lyrical change and sing “The rains came down, and the BUGS came up!”, that song helps us all remember a crucial biblical…

Balance Grief with Hope

Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that in this lifetime we will have trouble, and in the wake of trouble comes grief.  Grief is a common human experience.  We all know what it is because we’ve all been through it or are in it now.  So, the real question is not “Will I experience grief?”  Live long enough, and you surely will. …

5 Ways to Make Your Kids Hate Church

1. Make sure your faith is only something you live out in public Go to church… at least most of the time. Make sure you agree with what you hear the preacher say, and affirm on the way home what was said especially when it has to do with your kids obeying, but let it stop there. Don’t read your Bible at home.…