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Blog (Page 30)

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.…

Young, Southern Baptist… and Kingdom-focused!

I wasn’t born and raised a Southern Baptist.  I was a born and raised a sinner. In 1980, I was born to my family in Bowling Green, KY.  You hear of people who are “E. C. Christians,” meaning they only go to church at Easter and Christmas, but my family wasn’t even that.  I guess my story is quite different from Brad…

Stay the Course

Undoubtedly, learning is thrilling, but being tested isn’t.  Throughout my years of formal education, tests were almost always stressful and very difficult.  With all the studying and cramming and pressure, they were in no way fun.  However, I have to wonder where I would be educationally if I had never been tested.  Where would you be?  I suspect that we wouldn’t be…

Relationships under Stress

The Apostle Paul was a man of great persuasion. That was probably his greatest goal other than glorifying God. He lived for the opportunity to persuade and convince somebody that God is worthy of devotion and that Jesus is the only Savior (Acts 18:4, 13; 19:8, 26; 26:28; 28:23-24). In fact, he tells us, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we…

Ready for Action

“What is God’s will for my life?” Have you ever uttered those words? I know I have many times. Unfortunately, we often turn discovering God’s will into some sort of mystical, spooky thing when actually His will for our life is right before us. The foundation and starting point for discovering God’s will for us is found unmistakably in the revealed will…

Faith under Fire

We love music around the Simpson house, and in our opinion, it doesn’t get much better than The Isaacs. One of our favorite songs by them testifies joyfully in the chorus, “He’s taking care of me; in ways that I cannot see; He’s working it for my good just like He said He would, and He’s taking care of me.” What a…

Joy: the Fuel for Godliness

What motivates you to be a man or woman of God?  What keeps you going on, even on the difficult and trying days?  What’s the fuel for your godliness? There’s an amazing passage in Nehemiah 8 were Ezra, Nehemiah, and all the recently returned exiles of Israel gathered together in the newly restored Jerusalem.  The leaders opened the book of the Law…