Napoleon said that in every major conflict there is a ten to fifteen minute period when the battle is won or lost. It is the critical time. Conquer it and you win the battle. Lose that moment and all is lost. The spiritual battle is raging as never before. The enemy is attacking on every…
Read MoreEvery day is a precious gift from God. Even difficult days are reminders of God’s mercy and grace. I have enjoyed some wonderful days along the journey. June 13, 1997 was a great day. It was the day I married my best friend. (It was Friday the 13th, proving that good things do happen on…
Read MoreFrequently I have said to youth workers that the key to connecting with young people is simple: BE ENTHUSIASTIC! Not the fake, plastic “put on” that often passes as a cheap substitute, but the heart felt thrill of pointing people to the Lord. Many years ago I was driving to speak at a youth rally…
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Aquila and Priscilla: A Biblical Marriage God’s design is for families to serve Christ together in a New Testament church. As we find our place in the Lord’s work, every member of the family is blessed, and the local church is strengthened. Aquila and Priscilla demonstrate what a married couple should be in a New…
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Married Couples Serving God Together My wife and I just returned from our annual couples’ retreat. We had the joy of spending some extra time with my favorite couple: my dad and mom. Their example has been wonderful instruction. One of the great joys of my life has been to see my father and mother…
Read MoreToday we had the privilege to host a number of youth directors on our campus at Crown College. In the luncheon we discussed plans to begin a new youth fellowship for East Tennessee, the Smoky Mountain Youth Fellowship. I am excited about the possibilities and encouraged to know so many youth workers with a heart…
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10 Reasons I Use A Journal Every Day At the end of 2008, I decided that I would try to begin writing in a journal each day. I am sitting in my study tonight looking back through old journals. The Lord has been so very good to me. There have been difficult days, but these…
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Today, the Lord spoke to my heart again concerning the matter of prayer. When I think of prayer, I think: what a great privilege! Then I think…what a great failure! My greatest opportunity is my greatest neglect. A friend of mine, Pastor Steve Kilpatrick, said something that helped me to see my lack of prayer…
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Advice for High School Seniors The senior year of high school can be both frightening and exciting. I love talking and praying with young people at this stage in life. Following the Lord is a great adventure if you keep your eyes on Him. Here are a few suggestions I like to share with teenagers…
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Google the word phobia. Fear has reached epidemic proportions. Millions of Americans live in fear every day. Worse, many believers have become content with allowing fear to control their lives. The first mention of fear in the Bible is in Genesis 3:10. Adam and Eve had sinned against God and, because of their sin, are afraid of the very…
Read MoreHome is the greatest classroom on earth…and not just for the children. Every day there is more to learn, and our failures serve to remind us that we have not arrived. In addition to the thoughts I shared in the last post, the Lord is teaching me: 8. Never argue in front of the children.…
Read MoreThe kids are growing up so quickly. At the same time I feel like I am getting old so quickly! Life moves along at a rapid pace and God is teaching me many things. I am not the husband or father that I should be. More and more I thank God for the wife that…
Read MoreFamily is a very precious thing. I have been blessed with a wonderful heritage that I hope, by God’s grace, to pass on to my children. Last night I stood and preached the funeral of my 54 year old uncle. On the platform with me were two of my spiritual fathers, my Uncle James and…
Read MoreOn this Father’s Day, my heart is full of gratitude for my dad. He has always been my best friend, but he is also the best man I know. He has been a faithful man – faithful to God, faithful to my mother, faithful to his friends, and faithful to his life’s work. Dad has…
Read MoreMarriage is a joy, but it takes work to have a truly Christian home. The “oneness” which Jesus intended between a husband and wife must be guarded every day. I am very grateful that Tammy and I had the privilege of growing up in godly homes. Both of our parents modeled Calvary love. We were…
Read MoreThrough the years that I have been privileged to work in a Bible college I have met so many extremely talented, capable young people. And yet, it has always puzzled me that the ones who seem to have the greatest promise often do not finish. On the other hand, there are students with far less…
Read MoreOne of the greatest privileges of my life has been the opportunity to work with young people. Youth ministry is not a stepping stone to another ministry. It is the work of a lifetime! D.L. Moody said if he had his whole life to live other he would give it all to working with children.…
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Social Media and the Great Commission Social media is here to stay. Over 5.35 billion people actively use the internet and just over 5 billion use some social networking site (Facebook, X, TikTok, Etc.). Of course, young people lead the way in this trend. One research group suggests that 98% of American 18-24 year olds…
Read MoreToday has been a wonderful Lord’s day – the last Sunday of the year. Some Sunday will be our last Sunday on earth. The dawn of a new year will be nothing in comparison with the dawn of a new age. Jesus is coming! Pastor Sexton unveiled the new year’s emphasis for Temple Baptist Church…
Read MoreShiny packages and suspense are part of the excitement at Christmas. Fascinating, isn’t it? We spend weeks buying the gifts (or one crazy day if you are like me) and in about 30 minutes it is all over! My grandma used to say, “It is just a big build up for a big let down.”…
Read MoreThe Mayans were wrong. Today was not the end of the world. At least if it was, it has not yet arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee. History is full of speculations and predictions about “the apocalypse.” Again and again God’s Word has been proven true: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no,…
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Just for Men “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 In a day of effeminate men, I am more grateful than I have ever been for real men who have influenced my life. My grandpa was a real man. He taught me how to get my…
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Lessons My Children Are Teaching Me Children are often the best teachers…”out of the mouth of babes.” Tammy and I want to teach our kids everything we possibly can, but I realize that often God is using them to teach us. Many lessons have been learned through my own failures as a parent. School is…
Read MoreI am sitting in Michigan this morning listening to the wind howl outside. Eighteen years ago I started making regular trips to the great white north. Not to see the sights or exchange ideas with people who speak a different dialect than me. No. It was a much bigger reason. You see, the love of…
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Pray for Your Pastor It was a great privilege to grow up in a pastor’s home. My dad pastored the same church for over three decades. My grandfather was a pastor and several uncles are pastors. I love pastors. For almost twenty years I served under the same pastor, and am very grateful to God…
Read MoreIn recent weeks the Lord has been dealing with me about so many weaknesses in my own prayer life. One of the most glaring has been my failure in the matter of intercessory prayer. Perhaps no where is our selfishness more on display than in our prayer life. “Lord, bless my four, and no more”…
Read MoreWalking with God is a life long journey. I am very grateful that along the way there are people who come along side to encourage us. So many distractions would have become detours if it had not been for more mature travelers who guided us forward. The beloved apostle John tells us about a good…
Read MoreThis past Sunday our oldest daughter, Morgan, turned thirteen. Is that possible? Where have the years gone? Tammy and I are very grateful to God for all of our children…and our teenager. I told someone recently that I have been preaching to teenagers for years, but I never had to take one home at night!…
Read MoreHaving Good Days in the Midst of Evil Days One of the great privileges of serving at Crown College through the years was the opportunity to hear so many wonderful Bible messages. Pastor Sexton brought faithful preachers to the college chapel hour each week. I recall when my friend, Dr. Dan Reed, brought one of…
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The True Account of Cain and Abel This is the tale of two brothers. It is a true story. I know that it is true because God told it in His Word. It is one of the saddest stories in all of history. Sadder still, it is being repeated in homes everywhere. Cain and Abel…
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My Favorite Biography Many years ago I learned that reading biographies of great men and women was a good way to keep my own heart hungry for more of God’s blessing. Well-written biographies both instruct and inspire. I have in my library many books that have been a tremendous blessing to me through the seasons…
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30 Days of Prayer Daniel – A Man of Prayer It is significant that the only thing God commands us to do without ceasing is to pray. Dr. John R. Rice said often that, “All of our failures are prayer failures.” Every matter in the Christian life grows out of our personal walk with the…
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Why Was Jesus Tempted? Why is the temptation of Jesus Christ given to us in Scripture? We know that our Lord was without sin. In fact, as God, it was impossible for Him to sin. Yet, the Holy Spirit chose to record His earthly temptation three distinct times (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). Jesus…
Read MoreI have always enjoyed travel. As a little boy I had the opportunity to visit a number of wonderful places with my dad and mom. Now, it is a thrill to take my own children on adventures to new places. One thing has changed about travel for me. Like most young people I was always…
Read MoreMy elders were right when they said the years go faster as you get older. I am sitting here this morning reflecting on another year of God’s goodness in my life. The Lord has been so gracious to me. My heart is full as I think about the wonderful heritage I have been handed through…
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A Worldwide Blessing I have always loved the thought of visiting foreign lands. My mind is still fresh with memories from my first trip outside of the United States. It was a thrill to minister in Ghana, West Africa and Cairo, Egypt. The faces of little children, beautiful children, remain in my thoughts to this…
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Just Too Busy! Years ago, I was asked to speak to a group of parents on the subject of pitfalls in the home. I read. I thought. I asked questions. I made a list. Hypocrisy, unrealistic expectations, division between those in authority, inconsistency, rules without relationship, religion without joy, passiveness, overuse of media, and on…
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Adoniram Judson: From Skeptic to Soldier of the Cross Adoniram Judson was born on August 9, 1788. I first met him as a freshman in college through the pages of his life story. Growing up in church, I had heard the name of Adoniram Judson. To me, he was a pioneer missionary to Burma. Judson…
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My Favorite Bible Passages Frank Boreham was a pastor in New Zealand about a century ago. He had been trained in Charles Spurgeon’s Pastors’ College, being the last student personally admitted by Mr. Spurgeon. Boreham became a prolific writer. I once read a collection of his fascinating essays entitled Mushrooms on the Moor. Anything you…
Read MoreAs a boy my parents encouraged me to read. Without such encouragement, television, video games, and other distractions are apt to keep a young person away from the riches found in a good book. My sixth grade teacher took a special interest in me. Mr. Hess would often have me stand before my classmates and…
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The Same Things The ancient city of Athens was famous for its schools and emphasis on philosophy. When the Apostle Paul arrived there he simply preached the same gospel message that he preached everywhere. This was very unusual because we are told that “all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in…
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A Mark of Greatness “Great men are not always wise…” – Job 32:9 Greatness is difficult to define. One thing is sure: men view greatness much differently than the Lord does. Some men are considered great because of intellectual power, others because of financial resources or business acumen. But such men are not always wise.…
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“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 Men are remembered for their outstanding days, but they are made during their ordinary ones. William Carey, known as the father of modern missions, said if he were remembered as a plodder, he would be described justly.…
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As a boy I remember people saying that in school there were three indispensable subjects: reading, writing, and arithmetic. I am sure that the history and science teachers took issue with this, but it is true that these three subjects form the foundation upon which all other learning builds. Again and again we return to…
Read MoreIn a family of preachers, perhaps it is inevitable that the men of the family receive much of the attention. The older I get, the more I realize how little those preachers could have accomplished without the women God placed into their lives. I am very grateful for the ladies that have influenced me. It…
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I will join you in prayer for a spiritual awakening among God's people and the advancement of the gospel.
