Archive for December, 2009
« Previous EntriesGod’s Help for a Faithful Servant
Thursday, December 31st, 2009Matthew 25:21 “Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”
This familiar story of the Bible tells of a man going on a journey and entrusting his property to three servants: to the first servant, he gave five talents; to […]
Something Better is Coming
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009James 5:7 “Be patient then brothers until the Lord’s coming.”
Caroline told me this story. It always stuck in my mind. There was a woman who had been diagnosed with cancer and was given three months to live. The doctor told her to start making preparations to die, so she contacted her pastor and had […]
The Nightmare
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009Psalm 143:4 “So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart grows dismayed.”
I was twenty years old the summer before my senior year in college. My life had been regimented; I studied 30 hours every week, ran every day, and was heavily involved in campus activities. I was preparing for another kind of life […]
The Risk of Love
Monday, December 28th, 20091 Thessalonians 3:12 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other.”
White Fang is a novel by Jack London. It is a story about a wolf dog that is first treated horribly by man and then beast. White Fang’s mother was a dog and father a wolf. He was the only […]
What Does Christmas Mean?
Saturday, December 26th, 2009Matthew 2:13 “When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ”Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
It is the day after Christmas. Most […]
The Greatest Christmas Story Ever
Friday, December 25th, 2009John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
There are so many wonderful stories of Christmas. One of these is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. The Grinch is a bitter, cave-dwelling creature with a heart “two […]
The Worries of Christmas
Thursday, December 24th, 2009Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow…”
Today is Christmas Eve. Most of us are overwhelmed by the additional stresses of the season. We have to buy presents. We want the presents to be special. We want our houses to look festive with Christmas decorations. We have to have a Christmas meal. If we don’t […]
Death’s Dark Tinsel
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”
The colors of Christmas are usually colors of joy and happiness. Unfortunately, Christmas far too often is colored by the dark hues of mourning and death.
As a pastor to a large congregation, I know so well that there are people in my congregation who […]
When You Don’t Get What You Want!
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009Matthew 5:37 “Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’…”
I remember the year that Anna Camille was born. Caroline had an exceedingly long list of wanted presents for Christmas. It was a time in our life when Averette was in school obtaining her Masters degree. We had a lot of expenses in getting ready […]
The Eternal Gift
Monday, December 21st, 2009John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever should perish will have eternal life.” Christmas is almost here and gift buying is at the top of most people’s list. What is the right gift for the right person? This thought seems to be floating around […]
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