BibleTalk Articles

They talked endlessly. Since there was no need to express and explain, their communication moved beyond the speed of light, yet the time taken by the exchange was imperceptible.

The cross and the plastic flowers along the side of the highway usually appear unexpectedly. You're rounding a curve or cruising along and suddenly someone's marked a spot where a life tragically ended in some terrible crash that is all but forgotten save for this roadside shrine.

We are well into the 21st century; 2023 is officially here. Those of us who remember Y2K feel like it was just a short time ago when in fact, the children born that year graduated from college last May.

​What a joy it is to assemble with God's people and worship God on the first day of the week.

In this lesson we examine 10 things that hinder church growth.

I have mixed emotions concerning this latest runaway hit streaming online called the "Chosen."

My birthday was in April and with each celebration I see more clearly some of the basic realities of my life.

I saw Mohammed Ali making an appearance on TV the other day. He was frail and shaky, a victim of Parkinson's disease. His spokesperson said the former champ was here to promote love and unity and Ali's eyes lit up when the kids approached to hug him and shake his hand - a response of love.

How many ounces in a gallon? Where is Smugglers Notch? In 1998 which football team beat Green Bay to win the Superbowl? Who was their quarterback? What is the difference between soul and spirit? Our heads are stuffed full of facts.

When one becomes a Christian however, the old man of sin dies, is buried in the water of baptism and a new man emerges. And this new man emerges with new ways of thinking and new ways of acting.

​Nobody just reads the Bible and says, "I think this book is inspired." It's not just a logical deduction. The Bible actually says this about itself in different places. Doesn't it seem natural that an inspired book would claim this about itself? The Old Testament takes this idea for granted since it continually describes dialogue between God and man.

It seems that older people are the ones who are interested in religion and younger ones have little time for spiritual things.

There is a lot of talk concerning war these days. The war on America, war on drugs, and the war against youth violence to name a few.

I have happily recovered from a nasty cold that never seemed to end. The experience led me to think about some very basic things that even the common cold can teach us.

When I was in Junior High my English teacher taught our class how to write a "precis". A precis is a shortened version of an essay or article that maintains the meaning of the original piece of writing.

I remember Christmas disappointments; left-winger equipment instead of goalie equipment; toboggan instead of pool table... Anybody remember theirs? The problem many times as children is that we are not clear on what was promised.

Comment on the death of Atheist, Christopher Hitchens, who stated that only the weak turn to faith when facing death.

Tommy Morrison, the heavyweight boxer from Oklahoma, has tested positive for the H.I.V. virus. He faced the media with this announcement recently and finished his news conference with the words, "I could have been a role model but I blew my chance."

There has been much talk concerning Social Security that has a lot of folks in a lather. The government is suggesting a variety of ways to save it or make it more viable.

The first of a 3 part series examining the qualities that promote harmony, joy, and intimacy in family settings.

Watching people die is always a growth experience. I don't say this lightly because the trauma for family and friends is real and painful. But if you're in the medical profession or serve as a hospice worker or minister, the constant passing of people from this life to the next occurs repeatedly in your everyday work and serves more to teach than frighten or depress.

I saw Mohammed Ali making an appearance on TV the other day. He was frail and shaky, a victim of Parkinson's disease. His spokesperson said the former champ was here to promote love and unity and Ali's eyes lit up when the kids approached to hug him and shake his hand - a response of love.

I have often been asked by young people considering becoming missionaries what they will "need" in order to get into full-time work. Of course, they are usually thinking in terms of education or money but after 25 years of ministry experience I can say that these are not the things that will guarantee success in these endeavors.

Fasting used to be part of the regular spiritual exercises of the early church. They fasted as part of their ministry of worship to the Lord.

Pope Francis has good teeth. I noticed this about him in a picture connected with his recent visit to the U.S. This is as it should be for one who strives to be the new face of the Catholic church witnessed by the carefully choreographed Papal appearances in New York and other cities recently.

It seems that there are three elements that help identify the "modern" church. One is a focus on music in worship. Orchestras, choirs, even drama with music are a must if a church is to appeal to today's church goer.

Which would you choose: Loss of body function or loss of mind function?

September 8th is "Grandparents' Day" according to the flower and gift industry. Certainly grandparents are worthy of a bouquet or an outing at the Golden Corral, but if we really want to please them, how about some things that would truly make a difference in their lives?

"How happy are the people whose God is the Lord", David commented during the zenith of his reign as the king of a nation whose heart and soul were devoted to God. How sad it is that there isn't a leader on earth who can make this declaration today, including here in the USA?

Last minute Christmas sales and talk of the "fiscal cliff" were brutally replaced by headlines reporting that twenty children and six adults were murdered in a Connecticut elementary school last week.

The ongoing controversy over accommodating Muslim women wearing various head coverings is more a debate over religious statements than demonstrating true spirituality.

The old adage, "Winning the battle, losing the war", is a warning to those involved in a struggle that it is important to keep one's eye on what you're fighting for.

My youngest was feeling a little low last week. The teacher sent home a long list of things that had been forgotten, ignored and left incomplete.

In my job as a minister I have watched many people die. As awful as this sounds, there is a sameness to the process that, with time...

Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged (John 19:1). When I try to imagine the reality of these words, I become indignant. What impudence, what arrogance, what monumental ignorance for a godless petty official to rain such humiliation on the Author of Life!

The duck people have gone and done it now. The patriarch of reality television's Duck Dynasty has actually shared his Christian perspective on the subject of homosexuality with a reporter for trendy GQ magazine.

Recently the men who attended our "Married Men Support Group" were asked to suggest ways that men could improve as husbands. Below is a sampling of some ideas that were brought forth.

The oldest joke about preachers is that when they begin to deal with our true bad habits and sins in their sermons, we say that "they've gone from preaching to meddling".

In this lesson we examine 10 things that hinder church growth.

In this lesson we talk about Ecclesiastes 3:1 where Solomon describes there is a time for everything. When we realize there is a time for everything it will add so much to our lives.

It doesn't matter what the world thinks of me...so long as Christ thinks of me.