Help Wanted
I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. (Proverbs 24:30-34) Tomorrow is Labor Day. Scripture has a great…
What Are You Doing Here, Elijah?
It must have been a sobering experience for Elijah, hidden away in a cave, to have God ask, What are you doing here Elijah? How Elijah found himself in that cave and where he went from there make an interesting story, a story from which we can learn a great deal. It is recorded in 1 Kings 19:9-18. Elijah bursts upon the scene in 1 Kings 17during the reign of the wicked Ahab, King of Israel, with the prayer that…
The Church is on Fire!
If you have listened to enough sermons over the years, you might have realized that you often hear different preachers using the same illustrations. My dad has always referred to those as “Preaching 101” stories. One of them concerns a church building in a certain community that was on fire. Naturally, that kind of news spreads fast, and the entire community rushed out to see the excitement and watch as the firemen fought the flames. Among those drawn to the…
Jesus at the Wedding
At almost every wedding – it may be at the rehearsal or at the ceremony itself –there is at least one mistake or moment of crisis. I remember our wedding, for example, where the bride did not arrive until an hour after the ceremony was supposed to commence. She claimed that they ran behind getting everyone’s hair fixed and the delay was compounded with an exceptionally foggy night, making travel to the church building take twice as long as normal.…
Judge Righteous Judgment
Judge not that you be not judged. (Matthew 7:1) This might be the most frequently quoted passage of Scripture in contemporary America. At least, it’s habitually cited by people who rip it from context without any idea of what Jesus meant by this statement. It is a convenient verse to have in your back pocket to prove what you already want to believe. Accordingly, it is often used to advance moral relativism. “You live your lifestyle, and I’ll live mine.…
A Mythical Jesus?
With the rise of the internet, it is more likely than ever that you will encounter the theory that Jesus is a mythical figure. This has been a settled issue among scholars for decades; not even the most skeptical ancient historians or liberal theologians doubt the existence of a first-century Palestinian man named Jesus. Yet the popular imagination runs rampant with tales of conspiracy and corruption, myth and fabrication, and ubiquitous parallels of Jesus to ancient pagan gods. Perhaps some…
Opportunity Still Knocks
The following article is by Cleon Lyles and originally appeared in “Just a Moment” in March 1962. But it’s just as relevant today as it was then – I encourage you to think about it. – BP Every person can be what God wants him to be and do what God wants him to do. How few ever realize this to the fullest! It is not because there is something wrong with us. Recently I read this statement: Opportunity still…
Once Upon a Pew
Once upon a pew I sat. And heard the preacher ask “We need someone to teach an adult class, Now who will take this task?” Then God sat down beside me there And said, “Son, that’s for you.” “But, Lord, to stand before a class Is one thing I can’t do. Now Brett or Don would be the men to call, There’s nothing they won’t do. I’d rather hear the lesson taught From here upon my pew.” Once upon a…
A Friend Who Bears With Us
I’ve heard my dad tell the story often. When he was a boy, the family took a vacation to Yellowstone Park. If you have ever been to Yellowstone, or to most any area known to have bears, you have seen the signs everywhere: “Do Not Feed The Bears.” This is no secret. For whatever reason – maybe he didn’t see the signs, maybe he believed it wasn’t all that serious – my great-grandfather decided not to heed that warning. They…
The Christian Nation
This week we will celebrate Independence Day, commemorating the Declaration by the Continental Congress that the 13 colonies constituted a new nation separate from the British Empire. We are all fortunate to live in the United States; that is certainly something worth remembering, and we should thank God for this privilege. But that thanksgiving can go too far. A good example comes from just this past week, where First Baptist Church in Dallas held a “Freedom Sunday” service. They took…
Why Are You Idle?
Jesus once told a story about a man and the laborers he hired. He went early in the morning into the marketplace and bargained with his laborers for a day’s work. Late in the afternoon, he returned to the marketplace and found still other workers standing there. To those who were loitering while they should have been working, he asked, “Why do you stand here idle all day?” The answer of those workers was as inadequate as the course they…
A Family Resemblance
Today is Father’s Day. I hope all of the fathers and grandfathers reading this have a happy day. I remember the first time my parents came and visited when I was preaching in Spicewood. An older gentleman in the congregation asked my father, “Are you Bryant’s daddy?” My dad responded, “Does he owe you money?” That was good for a laugh, and the fellow in question never tired of retelling that story on me. But, you know, it is not…