5 Things to Do When Others Fall
Sin brings heartbreak to lives, families, and churches. All of us grieve over the fall of people we have loved, and even some whom we have followed. Our response to...
Our Attitude Toward Those Who Fall
Our Attitude Toward Those Who Fall We are all fallen creatures, living in a fallen world, and surrounded by other fallen people. The entrance of sin into the human race...
Finding a New Beginning
Someone has rightly observed, "Life is a series of new beginnings." Thankfully for the believer, our God is the God of new beginnings! The Creator who alone could make something...
“Thank You For Your Service”
One of the blessings of the last few years has been the privilege of flying out of a small regional airport in our hometown. It is only about 20 minutes...
Everybody Needs a Friend
Just days ago I walked somberly through an exhibit that showed the horrors of Auschwitz. It was a stark reminder to me of how hatred consumes darkened hearts and how...
Well Fed Christians
Let me begin by saying this is not an article about food or a healthy diet. The truth is that most of us are physically very well fed - perhaps...
Changing Seasons of Life
The last few months have been some of the most blessed and some of the most challenging of my life. I don’t understand how those two things coexist, but they...
How Do You Remember Things?
One of God's greatest gifts is memory. If you have lived long enough, you have discovered that it can be both a blessing and a curse! Spurgeon said that "by...
Your Kids Grow You.
Last night was a very special night for me and Tammy. For more than twenty years we had the privilege of being a part of the work of God at...
Takeoff and Landing
Air travel has become more than a luxury for our mobile society. It has, for many, become a necessity to business and commerce. Like the Roman roads of Paul's day...
Selah | Hitting the Pause Button
Selah | Hitting the Pause Button There are moments when we all need to hit the pause button. Life races on and, if we are not intentional and careful, we...
The Real Issue
It is fitting that at the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Christ there is a renewed discussion on the sacredness and dignity of every child. Herod...
Let the Sun Shine Again!
I stood at the hotel window looking at the sun that had just risen. The light. The heat. There is something truly amazing about the power of that ball of...
“Prayer Is Still the Answer.”
This afternoon a memorial service will be conducted for a man who was used of God to encourage me greatly. Pastor Dave McCoy served for forty years at the People's...
Some Fall Early
A hint of fall is in the air and leaves are beginning to turn. This week I watched the first leaves falling from some trees near our house. Most of...
Do You Remember?
It was a beautiful, sunny morning. As I made my way from one building to another on our campus a co-worker came running out onto the sidewalk. I still remember...
Why Does God Bless ANY of Us?
There are some meetings that stand out in your memory, not because of what God did in others but because of what God did in your own life. It was...
5 Ways to Stand Apart In A Cruel World
Do you know what sets people apart in a crowded world? It is not skin color, educational background, ethnicity, language, economic standing, professional title, talent, or even physical appearance. It...
He Only Lived to 33.
Life is a vapor for every man, but for the God-Man it was especially brief. A short thirty-three and a half years was all that He lived on this earth....
TRUTH.
Such a beautiful word: truth. Its substance is much the same as its sound - simple and straightforward. There seems to be a short supply of it in our world...
Lessons Learned On A Walk Through the Woods
Henry Drummond who wrote the classic work on 1 Corinthians 13, The Greatest Thing In The World, was a naturalist. He believed that every spiritual reality has some natural parallel...
How To Make The Most Of This Season In Life
Seasons are marked by change. The autumn leaves turning colors and falling to the ground are a reminder to us all that time is passing. And while we love some...
How NOT To Choose A Mate
When I was a young man someone told me, “Choose only a date who would make a good mate.” That was good advice. A casual relationship can quickly turn into...
The Greatest Challenge I Have
A few days ago, it was my great joy to untangle the many strands of Christmas lights that somehow magically weave themselves into ridiculous knots during the off season. Why...
What We Miss While We Are Looking At Our Phones
Have you noticed? Everyone is looking at their mobile device...constantly! In the grocery store. Around the dinner table. Driving down the road. Walking through town. Consumed with a digital world,...
Lessons Learned At The Bulletin Board by Dr. Charles Keen
In my school days, the "social media" existed in two mediums - the water cooler for the faculty and the bulletin board for the student. From these two locations, we kept current with (our)...
7 Truths My Dad Taught Me
Tonight I had the joy of sharing these thoughts with our church family. Perhaps they will be of some help to your family. My dad has been one of my...
Loving What You Do
“Do you enjoy what you are doing?” I hear this question often. The answer for me is...absolutely! While there are challenges in every work, there is nothing as fulfilling as...
Great Minds Or Great Hearts?
Early this week I was in Fort Myers, Florida. One afternoon between meetings I had the joy of visiting Thomas Edison’s and Henry Ford’s winter homes. It was fascinating to...
Reflections On The Death Of My Childhood Friend
Last night I was asked to share a few thoughts at a memorial service for one of my childhood friends. Ramie and I attended kindergarten through high school together. He...
Grateful People Are Always In The Minority
All month on Enjoying the Journey we have been studying the life of thankfulness. Around many tables today people will share a list of things for which they are grateful....
The Danger Of Shipwreck
As I ran along the coast in a Florida community some time ago I saw one of the most vivid reminders of the dangers of life. The sun was shining...
From The Back Of My Journal
I am nearing the end of another journal and, God willing, will begin another soon. This is always a reminder to me of the passing of life and the importance...
What To Do When You Are “In A Lull”
Call it what you will. We all have those times when things seem just a little off the normal pace. The schedule may be the same or even heavier than...
Birthday Meditations
Birthday celebrations are special, especially when you get to enjoy them with family. The older I get the more my celebrations turn to meditations. (They tell me that reflection is...
An Epidemic Of Loneliness
Recently NBC aired a special news report on the increase of loneliness in people around the world. The British government has now instituted a "minister for loneliness." This new undersecretary...
“Thank You, God, For 13 Years”
Today is my son's 13th birthday. We have had a wonderful time celebrating this week as a family. How could we have three teenagers?! I asked Grant to lead us...
A Self-Made Man?
Society is full of people who speak as though they made themselves what they are. Churches are too. It is so easy to think that it was our own effort...
The Difference Between Faithfulness And Routine
"Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2). We all want to be faithful...but what does that mean? Faithfulness is not a schedule;...
A Big Day
Tomorrow is a big day for our family. In just a few hours Lauren will turn 16 and Morgan will graduate from high school. As a dad it is both...
Family Worship
Did you know that the first time the word "worship" is used in the Bible is in the context of the home? On top of Mount Moriah Abraham taught Isaac...
Too Much News!
This generation has grown accustomed to the 24-hour news cycle. Our eyes, ears, minds, and emotions are bombarded by the constant flow of headlines and pictures. We know more detail...
My Shortest Post Ever – 2 Words to Help You Today
This is the time of year when so many people become sluggish. Schedules are hectic. The newness of the new year has worn off and the freshness of spring has...
A Personal Testimony that Taught Me A Powerful Truth
Preachers do not always preach the most powerful sermons. Sometimes church members do. Not long ago I sat in an auditorium as a humble man rose from his seat to...
The First Step
The first day of a new year. What will we do with it? It will never get any easier than today to take action. Never. Do you want to learn...
The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards
Christmas and New Year are a time for family and fun. But for a believer it is a season of faith. A time to turn our eyes to Christ and...
3 Marks of True Friends
As a boy, I heard an older man say, "If you have a handful of true friends in life you are a wealthy person." At the time I thought it...
How to Make Winter the Most Fruitful Season of the Year
Winter is not often thought of as fruitful. In many parts of the country short days and cold weather begin to limit the activities of the church. Depressed moods can...
Taken For Granted
We take family for granted…until they are gone. We take health for granted…until it is broken. We take sleep for granted…until it refuses to come. We take children for granted…until...
A Lesson From A Student
A few days ago I was talking with a school teacher who has a number of special education children in her class. As we spoke about the importance of this...
Are You In A Holding Pattern?
There are few things more frustrating than the pilot's announcement that your flight is in a holding pattern! How long? Why? What is the problem? When will this end? In...
Suicide is More Than A Statistic
Suicide is up 300% from my father's generation. Over the last few months I have read an alarming number of articles on the suicide rate in our nation. A quick...
Ideas for Keeping Yourself Fresh
Living on the road can be a challenge. In fact, life itself is a challenge! The duties and demands of every day. The pull and pressure of people. It is...
Why I Started Running & Why I Plan to Continue
A little over two years ago I started running. I didn't plan to do it. In fact, I'm not sure why I went out that first day. I remember saying...
Departures, Delays, and Detours
Someone said to me not long ago, "You must really love to travel!" Anyone who has spent much time on the road will tell you that the initial thrill and adventure...
How to Be Happy In An Unhappy World
My favorite book of the Bible is the little New Testament book of Philippians. I love it for many reasons, but most of all, because it is a book of...
The Most Important Lessons I Learned in My College Years
A few days ago I had the joy of addressing a group of college students in a local church. There were freshmen and upperclassmen, full of hope and excitement as...
A Simple Practice to Add to Your Morning Routine
What is your morning routine? We all have one. Typically, mine begins with a trip to the coffee maker! While there are simple variations to my morning routine I try...
A Tribute to Pastor Sexton on His 50th Ministry Anniversary
With Pastor Sexton in front of his first pastorate, Greenback, TN Along the journey God brings people across your path who will forever affect your life....
The Danger of Erasing History
In 1948, Winston Churchill said to the House of Commons, "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Our own nation is in the midst of a revolution....
My Final Trip
Late last night I returned from meetings in Georgia and Tennessee. Soon I will leave for another appointment in Ohio. It is a way of life in itinerant evangelism. A...
A Post By My 17 Year Old Daughter
Tammy and I thank the Lord for our children. Like every parent we pray that they will desire to follow Christ. More and more I understand the words of John,...
What to Do with Your Emotions
Emotions are a gift from God. They are also marred with the sin nature of Adam. When they are under God's reign they feel as He feels, but when they...
3 Things I Am Praying for My Words
Words are powerful things. Spoken, written, typed, or texted - they are vehicles of communication that tend to last. If not on paper, in the hearts and minds of others....
What I Learned Clearing a Fence Row
Over the last few months we have been clearing a fence row around our new home. The underbrush was thick and the work was slow going. Thanks to my dad's...
Go East Young Man!
Our culture is obsessed with the ability, beauty, and virility of youth. Somehow in all of this obsession we have forgotten the wisdom of age. Young people miss the examples...
Family Vacations
In a few weeks school will be out and summer will be in full swing. This is the time of year that young people (and their parents!) begin counting the...
Making the Most of the Evening Hours
Through the years I have written a number of things about making the most of the mornings. (You may read several articles about how to begin your mornings here.) In Genesis 1...
Think First!
As children we were always instructed to think before we speak. Now, with children of my own, I realize that this is good advice for adults too. This simple rule...
Why You Should Keep A Journal
Recently I encouraged a dear friend who is living through a trial to keep a daily journal of what God is doing in his life. My suggestion grew out of...
What to Do When Everything Changes
This past year has been a year of change in my life. Our home has changed. My work has changed. Schedules, routines, and so much that had been familiar was...
What I Have Learned in My First Year of Evangelism
What I Have Learned in My First Year of Evangelism It has been a privilege this week to take part in a special conference on revival and evangelism. I have enjoyed...
How to Make the Most of the New Year
A special hour-glass sits on the desk in my study. It was a gift from my family and means a great deal to me. It actually measures fifteen minutes of time...
6 Things to Do in the Last 6 Days of the Year
The final week of the year is perhaps the strangest week of the year. It is like living in limbo. One year seems all but gone and the next is...
Quiet in A Noisy World
This is a busy time of the year. It seems that every season has become a hectic one! So much noise. Beneath the surface our hearts long for quiet -...
3 Truths to Remember When You Are Disappointed
Life in a fallen world is full of disappointments. Situations don't always turn out the way you hope. The best people let you down. Your own intentions fail to become...
A Word of Encouragement for Single Adults (Archive)
For a time in our ministry Tammy and I had the privilege of working in the single adult department of our church. We had watched many of these young adults...
90 Days and Counting
28,835. That is the estimated number of days the average American now lives. Sounds like a long time, doesn't it? Until you start figuring up how many days you have...
Medals and Crowns
Like many people around the world I have watched with great interest the Olympic Games in Rio. Particularly the medal count! It is the talk everywhere I go...Which nation has...
A Word to the In-Laws
I know. The title has real potential. A preacher friend of mine recently said to me, "I have no problem with mother-in-laws. I love my wife's mother-in-law!" (For the record,...
7 Thoughts to Consider When You Are “Bored”
We live each day between two extremes. On one hand we fight the danger of idleness; on the other, the danger of busyness. Someone once said, "It is not so...
My Advice to Those Who Are Seeking God’s Will
This week I will speak in commencement exercises in a couple of states. I love these special meetings and it is an honor to be part of such a great...
Dealing with Disappointment – Part 2
Have you faced any disappointment in the last week? The last 24 hours? The last 10 minutes? It is inevitable. Disappointments come. In the last post I shared with you...
Dealing with Disappointment – Part I
We all have them. Disappointments are a part of life in an imperfect world. Every day we face the possibility of disappointment with circumstances, people, and even ourselves. It may...
The Battle That Never Ends
As a young Christian I imagined that some day it would get easier. My flesh would not rear its ugly head; the world would not seem as attractive; the devil...
Identity Matters
We are living in a day of identity confusion. Gender confusion. Political confusion. Doctrinal confusion. A confusion of roles within the family. Confusion seems to be the order of the...
Lessons Learned on My Daily Run
Running has become for me many things. It is a means to stay in shape, a stress reliever, time to think. Recently it has become a classroom in which the...
Daily Battles (Daily Living – Part 6)
There are many daily blessings in the Christian life. There are also daily battles. One of the ironies of walking with Christ is that much of the blessing comes through...
A Better Way to Say Goodbye
Over the last few months several of my dearest friends have said goodbye to loved ones and watched them slip away to Heaven. Moments like these remind us all that...
Run Your Race!
About five months ago I did something I have never done - I started running. I should have started years ago. While physically it has helped me, I am amazed...
Still Enjoying the Journey
About four years ago I began blogging. I have been more regular at times than at others, but it has been a good exercise for me. Many friends have been...
Turning a Holiday into a Holy Day
Turning a Holiday into a Holy Day Recently I had the joy of sharing with several young married couples a few thoughts on how to make this holiday a holy...
An Open Letter to Our Friends
December 18, 2015 The Lord has been very gracious to me and to my family. Twenty-one years ago I came to Powell, Tennessee to attend Crown College. It was here...
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 beautiful, about snow. This morning...
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, we did not get to do whatever...
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 the form of some evil...
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 our hearts were turned toward...
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 way you think they...
