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My Advice for Ministry Staff Members
Over the last few years, I have had the privilege of spending time with a number of church staff members in the places where I have been preaching. This is always a great joy for me. More than eighteen years of my life and ministry were spent as a staff member. Tammy and I were…
Snow Alerts
Since I was a boy, growing up in the mountains of West Virginia, I have always loved the snow. There is something almost magical, intensely...
Happy Homes
Happy Homes One of the most wonderful gifts that my parents gave to me growing up was a happy home. Yes, they had rules. No,...
10 Books to Read This Year
One of the men who works in our ministry came to me a few days ago. He has determined to do more reading this year....
The Distraction of Entertainment
It is so very easy to be distracted. We begin with determination, the best of intentions. We concentrate. And then it comes. Not always in...
2015 – The Year of the Bible
Last January the American Bible Society released a study of the most "Bible-minded" cities in the United States. Our city was ranked number one. Knoxville,...
My Thoughts on the Last Night of the Year
It was a joy to be with our church family tonight in the last hours of 2014. We came to the Lord's table together and...
Christmas in Heaven?
There is a well-known song that imagines what Christmas must be like in Heaven. In truth, Heaven is one endless season of joy. In that...
Will You Thank God Tomorrow?
Will You Thank God Tomorrow? Recently, an ad on the front page of the USA Today read, "WHO are you thankful for?" When most of...
My Thanksgiving List in One Sentence
Early this morning, I woke up with one phrase on my mind. It is repeated often in the Scripture - a familiar refrain. One psalm...
What If It Doesn’t Turn Out Your Way?
Several years ago a dear friend said to me, "You are the kind of person that has a hard time if things don't turn out...
The Most Important Work I Have to Do Every Day
If your days are like mine they often resemble a whirlwind of people and tasks. Correspondence. Problems. Phone calls. Appointments. Projects. Meetings. Decisions. Life can...
Our Daily Bread
This week a fine young man sent me a message asking how to keep his mind fixed on Christ while surrounded by so many distractions....
Learning to Say, “No”
As a young man beginning in the ministry I heard my pastor say that one of the most difficult things to discern was what to...
3 Things You Could Write Today
3 Things You Could Write Today Writing is work! It takes time and more mental energy than most tasks. I am currently reading the biography...
A 31 Day Devotional Challenge that Could Change the Way You Approach the Bible
Two of God's most blessed servants, one hundred years apart, practiced the same devotional habit. Both George Whitefield and George Mueller read the Bible each...
At the Half-way Point of the Year
On January 1, 2014 I sat in my study and wrote out ten very specific goals for this year. They have served as reminders to...
