Posts from 2025

From time to time, I think it is good to revisit articles that have been written by others in the past—even if I have printed them in this space before. The following article is by Cleon Lyles and originally appeared in “Just a Moment” in March 1962. Looking at my records, it appears that I published it here back in July of 2018. But there’s a lot of us who either weren’t here at that time or perhaps missed it—and…

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands…

In our sermon this morning, we will explore the question, “What is love?” I want us to ponder a particular example of it here. The scene is Bethany, a village just a few miles from Jerusalem. The time is the night before Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city. In just a few days He will be arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified. And Jesus is aware of what awaits him. So what does He do this night? He goes to a…

This past Sunday was Groundhog Day. Many of you have probably seen the movie of that name. Bill Murray’s character, Phil Connors, relives February 2nd over and over again in Punxsutawney, PA. It is never made explicit, but the best estimates are that Phil spent at least 3 decades in this loop. How does he cope with this monotonous existence, when it seems like nothing he does matters from one day to the next? He looks for happiness in different…

I randomly came across an interesting article in a Facebook post this week where I learned that the supposed Icelandic translation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, first published in 1901, was discovered in 2014 to not be a translation at all. Instead, it was more like fan fiction: the author had taken the gist of the story, changed a good bit, and come out with something completely different. And then I noted, in response, several people had so cleverly commented with…

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. – Psalm 19:1 This past week, we enjoyed the rare sight of snow blanketing our town—and, in fact, the entire Gulf Coast. We relished spending all morning long out in it; from pictures I have seen, I know that many of you did too. And while I realize that not all of us might have been quite that excited about it, no one can deny the…

As Christians, we are people who are forgiven by God; as a result, we are to be people who are forgiving. The forgiveness we extend to others is a result and reflection of the forgiveness God extends to us. Paul puts it: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32). Of course, that is easier said than done. How do we put aside our hurt? Our pride? The key is in…

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus…

At this season of the year, we often are thinking about setting new goals. In conjunction with that, it is also wise to consider common pitfalls to avoid. Israel reached the zenith of its power during the period of the United Kingdom, when Saul, David, and Solomon sat on the throne. These kings have many things in common. They were chosen of God to rule his people. They were all men of great ability. Each did some outstanding things during…