Think About It

What is the role of the church in today’s society? While it might be tempting to consider this previous question and answer “Well, no duh, it is to preach the gospel of Jesus”, but the point of the question centers around our willingness to do this rather than get distracted by everything else going on in the world. Through the years, Christianity has wrestled with its place in the world – often getting dragged into the political and social arenas – and today’s world is no different. It is easy (and fun) to view the church as a place to argue which candidate most represents us or whether mask-wearing is a religious responsibility or if churches should demand constitutional rights, but we must remember that these are not our primary functions. Do they deserve to be discussed – probably, but they are not the function of the Lord’s Church! That focus should go hand-in-hand with our Lord and Leader’s comment, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke...

December 7, 1941 … a date which will live in infamy. Most of us are familiar with this quote from President Franklin Roosevelt, but have you ever thought about the impact the event and the statement had on our nation? The attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and the call to action shaped our nation for years to come. The dedication to overcoming this obstacle gave the U. S. a reason to defeat tyranny and a battle cry to build on. Much like the way the phrase “Remember The Alamo” inspired Texans; the mention of December 7 focused Americans. People who have overcome hardships are those who were willing to confront the challenges head-on. They didn’t back away, nor were they content to allow others to go into battle for them. They took a stand and dedicated their lives to make a difference. There are several challenges facing our communities today – some of them are health-related, others are spiritual and quite a few are moral. The challenge is standing right in front of us, are we ...

The other day I was doing some research on a quote and it led me to an interesting discovery. The quote is “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”. Several people have utilized this quote, but maybe the best known is Dale Carnegie in his book, “How To Win Friends And Influence People”. As I bounced around in cyberspace I landed on a site called “Universal Ethics” that appears to be hosted by Arthur de Leyssac. The reason I am going to this much effort to cite my source is because I believe that someone with a good idea deserves to be recognized. On their site I saw this quote, “A public debate might convince the audience but it generally won't convince the opposing debater. If you really want to convince a specific person rather than an audience, do it in a one-on-one conversation, don't do it in public, and treat it as a joint initiative for discovery rather than a contest.”. The author goes on to say that sometimes people aren’t interested in ch...

Do we ever struggle with things getting done, just not being done in the way we want them done? The goal is reached, it is just that the path that was taken wasn’t the one we would have followed. Maybe you aren’t as petty as am I, but I have to admit that there are times when I get bent out of shape because people didn’t do things my way. If I were to be even more honest, sometimes I get into a snit because someone else gets the spotlight – even for things that are my primary responsibility. When I get to this point, I need to remember a couple of things – one is corny and the other is Scripture. First of all, I need to keep in mind that there is no “I” in “TEAM”. Yes, I realize that this is kind of cliché, but it is also true. When we are all working toward the same ultimate goal, it really shouldn’t matter who gets the credit or makes the accomplishment. Yet, maybe the most powerful lesson comes from the Apostle Paul who was humble enough to accept that even if things were do...

Forty-one years ago, I had a steak dinner; then a chocolate milkshake and a cherry pie for dessert. I believe I was wearing a pair of cream-colored pants, a brown Qiana shirt and my best cowboy boots. I spent the majority of the evening watching the Nutcracker Ballet and a good portion of the rest of the evening at McDonalds. Now, if you know me, you realize I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday; so how can I recall with detail what I was doing over four decades ago? Well, it was my first date with Jeane. That date (the event, not just December 2) is such an important part of my life that it is stamped in my memory! I am not the most sentimental person around, but every December 2nd I try to take a minute and remember the excitement of that night. Sure, we have had our challenges along the way, but my life was forever changed for the better on that night and I am thankful for it! We live in an era where we seek out things that are bigger and better. Unfortunately, ...

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. I see some positives in being able to post thoughts and information quickly and in a way that gets a message out to a lot of people with minimal effort. Yet, there are also some downsides – one of which is public ridicule. When we put our lives and our opinions out there for the world to see, it is easy for others to take issue with what we think or do. With a few keystrokes someone can publicly confront us when they feel we are in error. While this is easy, it isn’t necessarily correct. While Jesus challenged His disciples to confront those in error, He instructed them to begin the process in private. When Jesus laid out the process of confrontation He noted, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.” (Matthew 18:15). Now, if this was ignored, He went on to describe a process that might lead to public consternation, but the first step was private. There is a...

I didn’t do my best the other day. The reason this bugs me is that I knew what was coming and I still didn’t do my best. I was in a situation where I knew what was going to happen. I was going to be put to the test and it was going to take me being on my best game to do what I knew I should do. I knew it would happen – it did happen – and … I didn’t do my best! I think what is frustrating about this is that the situation didn’t sneak up on me, I was planning for it, but I guess I just wasn’t prepared for it. If there is any consolation in this for me it comes in the fact that I am not the only one who has ever been caught in this conundrum. In fact even the Apostle Paul admitted, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15). While this rationale does ease some of the sting of the disappointment, I know I need to better, especially when I have a good idea of what is coming. So, h...