There are so many who acknowledge Jesus with their mouths, but their lives are lived apart from him. There is no evidence of God at work in their mouths, their finances, their time, their relationships, their service. As Jesus said,“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain... Continue Reading

Fathers, your life, filled with love for Christ, is the curriculum. We don’t have to be perfect, but we need to be men who are honestly walking with God. We need to be men whose hearts are being shaped daily by His Word instead of by the world.   I’ve been reflecting on Deuteronomy 6... Continue Reading

Our culture also worships youthfulness and fears the aging process, having long ago lost touch with a biblical view of aging well. Gray hair, which Scripture describes as “a crown of glory” (Proverbs 16:31), signals obsolescence or even invisibility to the man or woman whose greatest treasure is found in this world. Certainly, we don’t... Continue Reading

Therefore, here comes Rev. Larry E. Ball, a resident of Sullivan County, Tennessee (for 45 years), requesting that the Commission of Sullivan County, Tennessee, prohibit the erection of any Islamic mosques within the geographical boundaries of this County.   To the Honorable Members of the Sullivan County Commission Blountville, Tennessee A Public Proposed Resolution to... Continue Reading

We are commanded, equipped, and most importantly of all, we are promised to grow. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3). “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8:29).   Every person who turns to Christ is a new... Continue Reading

Man’s “wisdom,” (better, accuracy in facts) with regard to subordinate things, can be helpful.  But even there, it must recognize, as it “trips” upon objective truth, that it is “bumping” into the Supreme Christ; and it must bow to the reality that all true Wisdom is found in God, and it is brokered through Christ.... Continue Reading

You are living at a distance from your Beloved. Perhaps you hardly even think of Him as your Beloved anymore. By your prayerlessness you seem content to remain hidden from Him. Though He watches you with love, and urges you to speak, and tells you  He wants to hear the sound of your voice in... Continue Reading

We can drift in and out of periods of sadness; we can walk through seasons of anger; we can experience the pain of regret; but there is something unique about feeling forgotten. See, as bad as those other emotions and experiences might be, you can still feel validated as a person inside of them. But... Continue Reading

Think of how the Christian church went into a gradual decline for the 300 years between Constantine and Phocas. Don’t we see there cause both to lament the sin and folly of men, and adore the righteous severity of God? As Christians grew gradually to be loose, wanton, and sensual, and their leaders became contentious,... Continue Reading

I remembered from premarital sessions that effective communication centered on speaking the truth in love to edify others (Eph 4:15-29). I realized I needed to repent and make sure that I led my wife in the right direction: that we would submit to God’s sovereign plan for our lives and trust Him to provide what... Continue Reading