Tuesday, March 22, 2011
GOD'S HEART BREAKS FOR MARRIAGES
Man, just got in here this morning and already found out that two Christian marriages have tanked or are tanking out. The husband in one marriage is an uncaring, unfeeling workaholic and the wife has grown emotionally numb from neglect. So what does she do? She calls it quits and then calls her lawyer. The other marriage has lasted over 35 years, but a husband's consuming thoughts for a woman from the past finally broke the heart of his wife now. Regrettably, he chose a former fling, over an awesome present and an incredible future.
Whatever happened to "til death do us part"...which by the way most couples ask to have deleted from their wedding vows? Christan men need to "man up" and Christian women need to "woman up" and follow Jesus in their marriages, especially in their marriages. Jesus said "I have come to bring you life, and life in abundance" even to your marriages. I believe what was true then is still true today.
My heart broke this morning over the news, but you know what? I believe God's did too!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
TIME WITH GOD
The Preacher Man
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Tension Is Good
When you say the word tension most people hear it negatively. Tension is almost always seen as being a bad thing, sort of like cancer. You hear the word cancer and images of sickness, painful treatments, and even death come to mind. But unlike cancer, tension can be a very, very good thing.
If you are a tight rope walker, tension in the cable you are walking across is a good thing. Tension is good for your muscles. When you lift weights you have to put your muscles under tension in order to strengthen, develop, and grow them. Engineers love tension because tension in heavy duty cables is what makes structures like the San Francisco Bridge possible. And without tension in our lives we end up physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually soft.
Many years ago, as we were talking about my future in ministry my supervisory professor at Southern Seminary, Dr. Charles Bugg said to me, “Scott always make sure you are in a position that is more than you can handle.” I thought for a second and then asked “What?” He said again, “Always make sure you are in a church or position of ministry that is more than you can handle.” Then I asked “Why?” He said, “Because it will keep your edge sharp! It will cause you to get up early in the morning, develop your talents, work hard during the day, and sleep well at night.”
What Dr. Bugg was saying was that the tension caused by taking on more than I could handle would help me to fully become the man God had created me to be.
In other words, the tension is good. May it good for your as well!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
FROM GRITS TO PILGRIMS
Family was suppose to go to Applebee's for dinner and then to see True Grit. Applebee's was great except we bought 2 tickets there for less than the going movie rate which did not want to print. In any case we were cutting it close so their ticket printing issues made us 15 minutes late to True Grit. I figured no big deal, we would move fast, tons of commercials....plenty of time. Not Happening!
I was moving so fast when we got there that I almost crushed a young girl who was on her way to get popcorn. When we did finally walk into the theater the movie had already been running for 5 whole minutes. So there the 4 of us stood in the back.
What do we do now? We had already missed the opening scene plus...did we really want to walk all the way down to the front thereby disrupting all the people and totally embarrassing ourselves OR just leave. To the front or leave, to the front or leave? As we discussed our options we kept walking in and out of the theater which only ticked off the people off in the back. About that time in walks the girl I had almost crushed with a bucket of popcorn.
That did it. We got our money back for the tickets (at the higher movie rate by the way) picked up some ice cream at DQ, and drove home to watch Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. It was a good night after all!
As the old saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" that is if you like lemonade! :-)
God Bless,
The Preacher Man
Thursday, February 3, 2011
IT ALL BEGINS AGAIN
-our current President who, in his State of the Union Address, said something like...."We should invest in the fuels of the future, not in the fuels of the past?"
-and the current crisis in Egypt which is partly due as one reporter put it "to the power of the social network."
If we are to have any hope of impacting the future for the cause of Christ we have to engage it through Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and any other form of communication that may present itself. So this aging Preacher Man begins to blog once again and I would invite you to come with me!
God Bless,
The Preacher Man
Monday, October 19, 2009
THE CHALLENGE OF LEADERSHIP
Monday, July 20, 2009
COMPASSION: ANSWER FOR THE HARD LIFE
Life Is Hard! But Jesus knows that because in Matthew it says that "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
Dear God give me that kind of compassion!