There’s something about the transition from one calendar year to another that creates a sense of hopeful anticipation. I’ve always been somewhat puzzled at why we make such a big deal about something that really is very arbitrary and inconsequential. Truth be told, no fundamental reality shifted in the moments between December 31, 2018 and January 1, 2019. All that really happened is we created a...
Step Away and Pray
It’s been quite some time since I’ve played a game on my cellphone with any regularity. During our time up north, however, I saw a word game advertised on Facebook and decided to give it a try. The game is called Wordscapes. The game is a crossword puzzle of sorts. The game provides you with a certain number of letters and boxes in which to place them in order to form a predetermined number of...
The True Meaning of Christmas
One of my must-see movies of the Christmas season is A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s short, sweet, and to the point. I’m not one who talks all that much about things being better “way back when,” but there is something special about a movie for children that so clearly delivers the truth of Scripture. The entirety of the movie builds up to the moment when Charlie Brown asks the question of the...
Santa and Jesus
Santa Claus has been quite the controversial character for most of my life. He was never really a central part of my Christmas experience growing up or now with my children, but having attended some very conservative Christian schools, there were some very strong anti-Santa sentiments. One of my college professors often referred to him as “Satan Claus,” and took every opportunity to explain why...
Spreading Christmas Cheer: A Social Experiment
The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. – Buddy the Elf Last week I experienced a week of Mondays. I don’t know if that’s a thing or not, but I’m pretty sure that’s what I experienced. It took every ounce of energy to stay focused on the task at hand. I had several unplanned situations develop, all of which demanded my immediate and complete...
Stealing Christmas
One of my favorite holiday pastimes is watching Christmas movies. Over the years, I have collected quite the library. Some of them are more modern releases, such as Arthur Christmas, Polar Express, and Elf. Others are Christmas classics, such as A Christmas Story, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. In a strange twist of irony, the newest addition to my collection is...
Home for the Holidays?!
As the song so eloquently states, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” (Be honest with me… you just sang that line in your head, didn’t you? I know you did…) I am a HUGE fan of the holiday season. I have had Christmas music playing in my truck since November 2, which is the first day that Sirius XM Radio fired up their Christmas channels. In my office, at this very moment, I have a 4-foot...
May I Have a Word
Last Sunday night we had an amazing worship experience here at First Baptist Church. We had the honor and privilege of hosting a Community Unity Service. Members of different churches from all over Seymour, Indiana came together on the campus of FBC to celebrate the work and person of Jesus Christ. The intent of the service was to put aside the things that divide us, in order that we might focus...
Leaving a Legacy
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines LEGACY as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor from the past.” To put it in more basic terms, a legacy is the content of one’s life left for others to carry after one is gone. Our legacy is our proverbial footprints on the sands of life, allowing others to follow our example and continue to propagate what was of value during...
Investment and Return
I regularly find myself reflecting on the many men and women that God has brought into my life through the years. As I think back over the proverbial path that God has led me down, I can see the faces of several faithful men and women of God who played meaningful roles in making me who I am and leading me to where I am today. I don’t know if they knew it at the time, but these people made...
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