Posts by Andy Baker (Page 4)

Racism is a problem that is ongoing, not only in America 2022, but has been for thousands of years. Wasn ’t it, in part, racism that Pharaoh ’s wife accused Joseph of impropriety (Gen. 39:17)? Wasn ’t it, in part, racism that kept Jonah from wanting to preach to those horrible Assyrians? Wasn ’t it racism that caused the Jews and Gentiles of the early church to look down on or to avoid each other (Gal. 2:11 -ff)? Is this…

Every morning I ’m in the office, between 8:05am and 8:13am, the phone rings from the same “1 -800” number. I picked up the phone for about the first month it rang and realized it was either a spam -caller, a fax -machine ’s wrong number (do people still use those?), or someone who just wants to mess with me (bravo for persistence in the joke if that ’s the case). Now when it rings, I simply lift the receiver…

Everyone gets tired from time to time. Often tiredness leads to exhaustion. When exhaustion is full and there ’s still work to be done, it can lead to burnout. With burnout comes an increased distance from job or family responsibilities, negativity, cynicism, and an abiding feeling of needful change. The thought is that if I move, or change jobs, or drastically change immediate things in my life, I’ll be renewed and no longer feel like giving up. Solomon would say,…

In the heart -felt book of John, Jesus has several confrontations with the Jews to prove to them His deity (John 8). The hardness of heart of these people broke the Savior ’s heart as they claimed allegiance to God, to the things of God, and to God ’s faithful servant, Abraham. However, Jesus cuts to the core of their hypocrisy and powerfully says in 8:44, “You are of your father, the devil….” What things betrayed their “true father ’…

You might have seen this picture floating around in social media streams. The picture is of a poster (probably in a locker room) that is appropriate to share here and draw some applications: Hard Coaching = Love When a coach takes it easy on you, they ’re setting you up for a hard life ahead. Don ’t take the coach for granted that ’s constantly holding you accountable. They might seem annoying to you in the moment, until one day…

My kids are into asking me who I like more in movies and literature (ex. Anakin Skywalker or Obi -Wan Kenobi; Harry or Hagrid, etc.). We ask questions like this and compare names occasionally, but usually it doesn’t involve a comparison of one who has a good reputation with someone who doesn’t. It ’s kind of a no – brainer in that situation. With the names given in the title above, one name conjures good feelings and a striking reputation…

In the letter Paul wrote to the Colossians, he stated his goal was to “. . . present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (1:28). How serious was he about that? The next verse tells us. He wrote “I also labor” and used a word meaning “toil resulting in weariness, laborious toil.” But, he also added, “striving,” a Greek term that gives us our word “agonize. ” The next chapter begins with him expressing deep concern for them (2:1). The…

“I came to Jesus as I was, weary, forlorn and sad,” Knowing His promise I ’d heard before: That He would make me glad! “Teach me Your laws and Your morals and such – I’d like to know them all, We ’ll conquer sin and Satan and death with Your banner, flying tall!” My child,” said He, “if you truly wish to come after Me, Denial of self is the very first key: Give up malice and greed and envy…

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus enumerated several “twos” to remember. In these, man always has a choice. In the outcome, the destiny is either eternal reward or eternal punishment: (6:19 -21) There are 2 Treasures : Some have lived their life by this principle and their confidence is found completely in their bank account. Heaven is the place where treasures should be accumulating (Mark 8:36). “What ’s my spiritual bank balance?” (6:22 -23) There are 2 Focal Points…

It is amazing how quickly things change! Even in the congregation here, the past two years have seen a number of changes that few could have anticipated. Sometimes we are tempted to think that things will just keep going like always and when notable milestones are achieved, they leave us wondering where the time went! Such is the milestone to which I bring your attention. Marjorie Vickers and Betty Hathorn have faithfully taught together for fifteen years. There is an…

Gollum/Smeagol is one of my favorite literary characters in Tolkien ’s Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Gollum talks to himself obsessively over the One Ring —even after he loses it in the deep caverns of the Misty Mountains. He constantly seeks his “precious” ring which Baggins finds. While Peter writes some two -thousand years before Tolkien, he talks about the spiritual things that Christians ought to see as precious. In Peter ’s letters, he writes as we journey…