Church Blog (Page 20)

John Gipson, a talented writer and preacher, once wrote about another talented writer. You would not likely know the name, Jozef Korzeniowski. But, you might know the name he took, Joseph Conrad. Conrad is generally considered to be one of the great novelists to write in the English language. A number of Conrad’s stories involved a nautical setting. He seemed to capture the thrill of a sea voyage beginning and ending. The excitement of departure carried great expectation. But, there…

For some people, when they encounter changes to their environment or routines, it is unsettling, unnerving, and can be a very traumatic experience. For others, when they encounter change, it can be exciting, thrilling, and a roller-coaster ride of new experiences (either good and bad). For all of us, whether we have positive reactions or negative reactions to change, it should be an experience to say, “I trust in God to keep me grounded.” Life changes. Situations change, but God…

Spiderman is a fictional character.  That seems like a statement which one would read and think to themselves, “Duh.”  Three Bolivian brothers, ages 12, 10, and 8, didn’t quite understand the concept of Spiderman not being real…until recently.  The boys found a black widow spider and decided that, since Peter Parker became Spiderman after being bitten by a spider, they, too, would develop superpowers if they let their spider bite them.  So, each boy prodded the black widow with a…

This issue of The Reminder is a little different. The inside pages are dedicated to the wonderful achievement of four of our young ladies on the occasion of their high school graduation. We ought not to think that this has happened easily for them, in that, so many of the rites of being seniors have passed them by and have been canceled due to the virus. One last normal school day, one last year at camp, one last goodbye to…

In Luke 8:18 Jesus warned, “Therefore take heed how you hear.” He had said earlier, “And hearing they may not understand” (vs. 10). The words “hear” and “heard” are also found in vs. 12, 13, 14, and 15. Later, Jesus would add, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it” (vs. 21).  Seems that hearing is important, especially if God’s will is being communicated. A disposition to hear, to hear carefully, to…

The past two months have drastically changed our thinking. If you don’t think so, go into a public place and start coughing and see the reactions (on second thought, don’t do that). There will always be a “BC” (before COVID) means of thinking, and there will now be an “AD” (after distancing) thinking. However, this new way of thinking causes me to think of the parallels between the mindset of a disciple of Jesus. Here are some comparisons to consider: …

When tragedies and disasters occur—like our present pandemic—conspiracies abound. The temptation to believe them is strong because they make sense of an otherwise senseless event. They grant us the power to place blame at the feet of someone, rather than remain a victim of confusion. They provide comfort in the calamity by legitimizing themselves with partial truths and creating a common enemy (usually a corporation or government).  Our present culture is rife with false news stories that appear legitimate. We…

There are a number of interesting scenes presented in the book of Nehemiah. One, often overlooked, is found in chapter 8.  People were gathered in an open square to hear God’s word read to them. Ezra was the reader and it was an extensive reading, to say the least. All morning long he read. And, people listened attentively (Nehemiah 8:3). With reverence, people stood. Careful explanation was given to be certain the hearers understood the meaning of what was read (Nehemiah 8:8). …

I mentioned in my Wednesday devotional that the Titanic sank 108 years ago this past week (April 15, 1912). For a ship that was heralded as “unsinkable” and the greatest ship ever made, it proves the old adage, “pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction” (Prov. 16:18).  Some decisions using human wisdom are not able to be weighed accurately in terms of long-term consequences because man just doesn’t have the earthly wisdom to be able to…