It’s hard to believe that we are more than halfway through 2017. If you’re keeping up with our Bible reading schedule, we should be wrapping up the Old Testament as we go back and read through 1 & 2 Chronicles, recapping the genealogy and history of Israel before diving into the life of Jesus. If … [Read more…]
Our independent nature and affinity for democracy sometimes gets us Americans into trouble. It’s not that we don’t recognize authority; it’s not that we don’t respect duly appointed authority. It seems that sometimes we just don’t recognize authority that is not established by election or by some other mechanism of group consensus, such as rules … [Read more…]
The Declaration of Independence tells the world, very clearly, what our Founding Fathers understood to be the foundational reasons for this country’s separation from England: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty … [Read more…]
In the May 2017 issue of Christian Standard magazine there are two news items that have affected me personally. Both are tributes to ministry leaders I have known who have passed away. Mike Grooms was the preacher at the church in Northern Kentucky where I was a part-time youth minister while I was studying at … [Read more…]
The April 2017 issue of Christian Standard focused on the question, “Why are we so afraid?” Throughout the issue there are articles about living in a culture of fear and how to resist it. One article was written by a couple who have been missionaries in England for the past twenty some years. Having returned … [Read more…]
If you were to ask our financial secretary, he might tell you that he has a full-time job answering calls from the gas and electric companies offering to save us money on our utilities. With all the calls we receive, it’s pretty obvious that power is big business. And we would certainly notice if our … [Read more…]
I recently heard an anecdote about a college professor in a life sciences course who often asked this “stumper” question on a test: Of the six nutrients that are essential to building and maintaining a healthy life, which is the most important? While the students were usually able to name the six nutrients – carbohydrates, … [Read more…]
As I write this note, it’s 50 degrees and raining. That’s not what we’d expect for a mid-winter day, but I’m not complaining. Typically, we would expect to be nestled away in our homes, hopefully insulated against the cold. As winter progresses, I would be surprised if we didn’t find ourselves dealing with snow and … [Read more…]
As we approach the new year, we are planning our annual congregational meeting for Sunday, January 8, immediately following the worship service. In this meeting we will be approving the candidates for elders, deacons, and trustees who have been identified by the nominating committee and approving the budget proposed for 2017. According to our bylaws, … [Read more…]
Beginning January 1, 2017, we will launch a year of biblical literacy. Throughout this next year, we will focus on reading the Bible on our own as individuals and studying the Bible together through the Sunday morning sermon, through Sunday school lessons, in small group studies here in the church building and in our homes. … [Read more…]