Santa's Loot

I recently posted some pictures to my Facebook account showing the before and after photos of the playroom at our house. Before our big cleanup day, it was a wreck. It looked like Santa's workshop had exploded. After the cleanup, it was nice and clean, and hopefully it will stay that way. A friend of mine named Kay Kay Sharp wondered if it was a messy playroom or Santa's loot!

That makes me pose a question: how many others children wind up after Christmas with way too much in their possession. My mother-in-law said they're only little once; however, my theory is there should be a limit to how many toys that Mr. C can bring at this time of year. I keep having to clean up our house and take boxes and bags of toys to the basement because we have too many messes to clean up otherwise. Just to prove my point, I've posted some pictures of the before and after views. Tell me what you think.

For a better look at the pics, go to my account on facebook. You can view them in a larger size there. Enjoy!

The Greatest Gifts

Introduction

What is the greatest Christmas present you've ever received?

• Is it a big wheel?
  
• Is it a diamond ring?
  
• Is it a Barbie?
  
• Is it the complete set of Star Wars movies?
  

Whatever you might consider your greatest Christmas gift ever, we are very aware of the fact that we as Americans are extremely blessed with ample material possessions.

With so many people focused on gifts that we give and receive this holiday season, I wanted us to pause tonight and reflect on some of the greatest gifts we have ever received from our heavenly Father

1. He gave us His Son
   
   1. After the fall of mankind, the world needed reconciliation with God
      
      1. We had lost the perfect relationship
         
      2. Sin had reared its ugly head
         
      3. We needed a Savior
         
   2. It was prophesied as early as Gen. 3:15 about the coming Christ
      
      1. Isaiah 7:14 said "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel"
         
   3. At approximately thirty years of age He began His ministry
      
      1. He taught the people
         
      2. He healed the people
         
      3. He provided the perfect example for the people
         
   4. The climax of His time here was spent in agony as the Jews tried him and sent Him to suffer at the hands of the Romans
      
      1. The gospel accounts reveal that Jesus was mocked, beat, slapped, blasphemed, spat upon, scourged and crucified
         
      2. Jesus told the disciples in John 15:13…
         
      3. What a great gift He gave us in His Son
         
2. He gave us His Spirit
   
   1. Jesus had promised the apostles that after He left He would send the Helper, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit
      
      1. When the church was established that first Pentecost after the ascension of Christ, Peter made that promise to the multitude that those who obeyed the gospel after repenting and being baptized would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit – Acts 2:38-39
         
   2. We don't know much about the work of the Holy Spirit, but some things we do know:
      
      1. Those of us who are Christians have the indwelling of the Spirit – 1 Cor. 3:16
         
      2. The Spirit intercedes in our prayers for us when we don't know how to pray as we should – Rom. 8:26
         
      3. The Spirit serves as a seal of our promise and the pledge of our inheritance that we have a reward waiting for us – Eph. 1:13-14
         
      4. We are led by the Spirit in that we can bear fruit of the Spirit – Gal. 5:16ff
         
3. He gave us His Word
   
   1. We have in our hands 66 books written over a period of at least some 1,600 years
      
   2. We've got 1,189 chapters or 31,273 verses which God has blessed us with to read and study
      
   3. We have both Old and New Testaments
      
      1. The Old Testament contains the books of law, poetry, wisdom literature, prophecy and apocalyptic literature
         
      2. The New Testament, which contains the law we're under today through Christ, includes the gospel accounts, history of the church apocalyptic literature and letters to churches and dispersed Christians
         
   4. He gave us everything pertaining to life and godliness – 2 Pet. 1:3
      
   5. Truly we have a treasure in our hands which is an immeasurable gift from God
      

Conclusion

I want to challenge all of us as we exchange gifts this holiday season to remember what James said in 1:17: "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow"

Among some of the greatest gifts ever:

• He gave us His Son, which He sacrificed for our sins, because He wanted to renew a right relationship with us
  
• He gave us His Spirit, which is given to all who obey the gospel, showing we belong to Him
  
• He gave us His Word, which we have to guide our lives, so we can know what God expects of us
  

With all of these gifts, there are some responsibilities:

• We are to tell others about what His Son did for us
  
• We are to teach others how to bear fruit worthy of the Spirit
  
• We are to study God's Word and teach it to others
  

Is Christmas not a time of giving and receiving?

If you have received, then freely give the knowledge of these things to others so they can be blessed

'Preciate It!

I think all of us remember the story Jesus told of the ten lepers who were healed, only to have one come back and express appreciation (Lk. 17:11-19. He speaks of the others who did not come back to give God the glory in contrast to this one Samaritan who truly appreciated what was done for him. At this time of year, I can't help but make an analogy.

With Christmas being a time of year that we give and receive gifts, it is very easy to "depreciate the 'preciation." What I mean by that is sometimes we can forget to say thank you. I have to admit, I am not good at thank you's in general. When it comes to writing thank you notes, I am probably one of the worst ever. It's not that I'm ungrateful, but I do forget to express it like I should. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to write thank you cards for all of your Christmas presents. What I am saying is that we need to be very mindful of what we receive as gifts every day of our lives. Make sure to express your appreciation to those who have blessed you with something.

Who knows, when you say 'preciate it, you may even hear a 'preciate the 'preciation in return!

New Bible

I wanted to let everyone know about one of my early Christmas presents from Dianna. I was able to locate a good deal on an ESV Journaling Bible from Crossway. It just so happened that I ran across one on their website one day, and I liked the thought of having the two inches of lined margin space in which to write notes. I received it last Monday, and I am thrilled about it.

I typically use the NASB, but I like the ESV as well. I was wondering if any of you have tried the journaling Bible? The one I bought is premium calfskin, hardback and black. It's great! If you get some time, tell me which Bible version you're using now and why.

Changing Course

A while ago I was out bowhunting when I witnessed something I had never seen before. One of the biggest fox squirrels I had ever seen was working his way toward me as he meandered at a steady pace as a "rodent on a mission." I was sitting in a ladder stand on a black walnut tree, to which the squirrel finally jumped onto above my head about twelve feet. Before, I've had gray squirrels hit those walnuts and knock them down to the ground. Yes, I felt like ducking for cover when they came falling to the ground!

This fox squirrel didn't do that. He was only interested in getting across to the other side of field to the red oak tree. As he made his way out on one of the limbs, he got ready to jump by hunkering down, but he didn't proceed. He backed up, jumped up to a higher limb that reached across the field more, and then he jumped with all his might to the old oak. I pondered to myself as to why he decided to change course.

The longer I thought about it, the more I realized that we could learn a lesson from that squirrel. He changed his position before he jumped because it was too far for him to jump. What would happen if more of us human beings contemplated that certain moves wouldn't be the best for us to make? That squirrel knew he might fall if he jumped the first time. Many times I think we don't take into consideration what might happen if we act without thinking. Let's learn from the fox squirrel as I continue to look for little things in nature to teach us lessons.

Hunting Report

This was my fourth time to go hunting this season, and I was bowhunting within the city limits of Columbia, TN. There were three does already out in the field when I got there about 3:45 this afternoon. I watched several more does throughout the evening, as the rain began to fall lightly from the overcast sky. The problem was I couldn't get the does within bow range. My comfortable range is out to about thirty yards, but it wasn't happening.

About ten minutes before dark, I began hearing a deer walking up the bank from the creek behind me. If you can picture my setup, I was dressed in camo sitting in a white plastic chair in the woods about five yards off the edge of a field. When I heard the deer, I knew I was in trouble if the deer came straight toward me; he did! I had simply turned my head around to see what came out, and I watched a small spike appear over the rise. He walked up within three yards of me sitting in this white plastic chair. As he got behind me, I began moving intentionally because I thought I heard another deer in the field. He finally spooked, but he only ran a few steps further.

I don't like shooting young bucks, but as he sat there staring at me, I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind. Nonetheless, I waited until he left before I walked back to my car. It was truly a nice evening to be out there.

I Hadn't Noticed That Before!

Do you ever see things that you knew were there all along but seemed like they suddenly appeared to you? I'm sure you've heard people use expressions such as "I couldn't see the forest for the trees" and "if it would have been a snake, it would have jumped up and bit me!" Sometimes we just don't pay enough attention to our surroundings to see something important. The reality is that although we might not have noticed that something, it was really there all along.

Such was the case with me yesterday while I was out looking for another treestand location at a spot I hunt here in Columbia. I had been looking for a spot to put an extra ladder stand, but I was having trouble finding the right tree. I don't know how many times I had walked by this one spot, but it had never entered my mind that it could be the one spot I wanted to find. Covered up by quite a bit of brush and smaller trees was a humongous red oak. It was only when I fixed my eyes on it that I realized how good of a stand location that could be, especially given the cover that is around it. I immediately began to think ahead to next year thinking what I would be planting to hold the deer there.

The tree had been there the whole time, but I never got a good enough glimpse of it due to all of the brush in front of it. Somtimes Bible study is like that. How many times have you been reading a passage of Scripture when you discover something new? I've heard many people utter a phrase similar to this, and I've even experienced this myself. God's Word is so full of information, we can't help but discover new things if we continue to study it. Are you going to look for things that you haven't noticed before?

2 Tim. 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

Why Did the Lord Pick Peter?

I love being around senior citizens; I guess that's why I teach four classes at assisted living homes during the week, as well as one at West 7th on Sunday mornings. They say some of the neatest things at times, and they also make some very good observations. Sister Ravenelle Hale, a sister in Christ and a resident at Morning Pointe in Columbia, asked a question this morning as to why the Lord picked Peter as one of the twelve.

We had just finished discussing how Peter is so much more familiar to us than his brother Andrew, who brought him to Jesus. One of the observations that I made was Peter's diagnosis of what I call the foot-in-mouth syndrome (you know, where you open mouth and insert foot by speaking before thinking). Many times we see Peter's outspoken nature lead him to say things that he doesn't really understand. From statements such as "God forbid it, Lord" (Mt. 16:22 - rebuking Christ as He told of His upcoming death & resurrection) to his words "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head" (Jn. 13:9 - misunderstanding the lesson of service Jesus was teaching by washing the disciples' feet), Peter shows his true colors. However, we see Peter do many great things such as making the great confession, preaching the first gospel sermon and becoming an elder in the Lord's church.

So what was it that Jesus saw in Peter? An observation from my perspective is that Jesus picked Peter to show how the Lord can use and imperfect person to accomplish His perfect plan. Peter had a lot of imperfections that are laid out for us in Scripture, but he played a major part in advancing the cause of the kingdom. Peter shows us how to grow and mature in the Lord, for we too all have character flaws that hinder our paths to spiritual maturity. Why did the Lord pick Peter? Deuteronomy 29:29 says "'the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.'" We don't know exactly what the Lord was thinking, but we know what outcome He had in mind. What flaws can the Lord mold in your life to further His cause?

"And what about the baby's rights?"

There are some television programs that I do not watch, and Boston Legal is one of them. I'm sure there are some good lines and moments on it, but I also know that it is very obscene at times. While I don't follow the show, I do catch many of their previews while watching certain programs on the tv. This morning I saw a preview for this week's show that provided one of those good moments.

It appears that this week's show deals with a prospective abortion. A young girl comes to the law firm because she can't get an abortion without parental consent. Her mother will not back her in this decision, as she feels it isn't right. In a discussion between lawyers, James Spader's character has a disagreement with William Shatner's character. After being asked about the mother's rights, Shatner's character says "and what about the baby's rights?" Why are more people not asking that question today?

The Bible clearly teaches that an unborn child is still a life, whether certain people in today's society admit it or not. Under the Mosaical Law, anyone who struck a woman causing her to go into premature labor and lose the child was to be executed (Ex. 21:22-25). This was an accidental death. If God felt this way about the accidental death of a child, how do you think He feels about abortions where innocent lives are being taken deliberately?

Even though Shatner's line was acting, I hope that it might cause people to open their eyes and see what they're doing by aborting, I'm sorry, I mean murdering, these babies.

Is It Bird Hunting Season?

I ask this question due to something that happened to me today. Mike Kesler (one of our elders at West 7th) and I were traveling to the VA community living center in Murfreesboro to visit a brother in Christ who just moved into his new home there. Before we arrived at the facility, a truck came squealing out of a gas station in front of us, and he shot the proverbial bird out of the clear blue sky (I'm not talking about dove hunting, either!).

He made a very obscene gesture as he wanted to make sure to get his point across. Not only was he firing one-handed at us, but he was also yelling something as well. Mike and I were totally puzzled at what unfolded in front of our very eyes. Our first reaction was to ask what he was doing. Our next reaction was wondering if it was even targeted at us. I looked back at the gas station to see if there was anybody there, but there was not. What had we done to deserve such flippant and vulgar use of human ammunition?

We were just traveling down the road minding our own business, so I personally think the guy was crazy - a few sandwiches short of a picnic if you ask me! I have no idea why he did what he did. I think if nothing else, it just goes to show you that you never know what you are going to experience each day. I'm really thankful that we could not make out what he was saying, as that probably would have really ruffled our feathers!

When Did Hunting Begin?

I pose this question, not to be silly or frivolous, but to point out some things from Scripture. Some people in the world are animal rights activists who continually bash outdoorsmen who hunt, whether for sport or for food. As long as there are people in this world, this conflict will exist. I want us to ponder this question, partly because of a recent post where a friend of mine was inquisitive about my comment on hunting being a part of stewardship. Let's see if we can tackle this one.

Upon the creation of man on day six, Adam and Eve were not given instructions to eat anything they wanted. Prior to the first sin in the garden, mankind and animal life was given plants and fruit to eat. "Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life; I have given every green plant for food'; and it was so" (Gen. 1:29-30). Yes, it was a vegetarian diet at this point. There were no meat-eaters; this even included the dinosaurs!

When did this change? After the flood, God changed the diet of mankind. God gave the charge that all of the creatures had been given over into mankind's hand. "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant" (Gen. 9:3). Not only did we have dominion over them as God said in Gen. 1:26, but now we would be a cause of fear for them. This would have changed things drastically in the animal kingdom.

We go on to read about Nimrod, who was a great-grandson of Noah, and he was a mighty hunter (Gen. 10:9). Fast-forward to today, where hunting abounds as ways to acquire food solely for some, but also as an outdoor conservation method. The fact that God gave us rule over the fish, birds, cattle and every other creeping thing has not changed. When we talk about stewardship, we mostly think about money and what we give back to the Lord. However, I proposed a few years ago that hunting and fishing is a part of our stewardship. How is this?

One of the reasons we hunt is to control the animal population. How many of you have come close to hitting a deer while it is crossing the road? If hunting were to stop, can you imagine how many more automobile accidents would happen as a result of this? Take Tennessee for example. A few years ago, the TWRA increased the limit on deer to three does a day. This has really not even made a dent in the population, as many hunters are only able to hunt on weekends. Deer are still being hit by cars and they are still contracting certain diseases. If hunting were stopped, there would be so many ill effects on the human population that it wouldn't be a laughing matter. I wish everyone could go back and read an article by John Sloan in Reader's Digest. It will make you think!

Don't think of it though only in terms of keeping the population in check. Think about it in the sense of continuing to do what God told Noah upon exiting the ark, as well as understanding what God said early on about us having dominion over them. So, when did hunting begin? Hopefully I answered any questions you might have had about this subject about its necessity and beginning. We can surely say it is scriptural!

Oprah's Ignorance

As it has been shown in the past, Oprah Winfrey showed her ignorance last night prior to Obama's acceptance speech. She had already said there couldn't be just one way to Heaven, as Jesus had stated roughly 2,000 years ago. Last night, she was speaking of her feeling that she needed to publicly endorse Barack Obama for president. She tried to recall what the Bible said about gaining the whole world only to lose one's soul. She felt that if she didn't endorse him then she would have lost a part of her soul in the process.

When Jesus said "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?," (Mk. 8:36) He was contrasting the rewards of this life versus eternity. In other words, you could gain everything this world has to offer, but it won't matter in the end if you don't have Christ as your Savior. It kills me to think that someone like Oprah can take this verse so much out of context. Don't get me wrong; I don't have anything against Oprah as a person. She's done a lot of good things with her money over the years. However, you can be a relatively "good person" in life and still not have a relationship with Jesus.

Hot Hunt in November

When you think about going hunting in November, you don't think about it being in the 70's even as the daylight starts to fade. There I was in my treestand yesterday evening sweating from the heat. All I had on were some camoflauge clothes over my dress clothes. Up until about fifteen minutes before dark, I was saying to myself that I shouldn't have even gone hunting.

I was hearing white oak acorns dropping all over the forest floor. It was really hard to hear between that and the highway traffic behind me (I can see the vehicles driving by on highway 7). I did manage to catch a glimpse of a little spike buck foraging on acorns. There is some buck sign in the general vicinity of my stand, but after seeing him I was sure hoping that he didn't make it!

Was I glad I went? You bet! Even though it was hot, you just know there won't be very many more of those days ahead. It's worth it just to be out there among God's creation.

Post Election - What Next?

I never thought the election would wind up this way, but we did witness history last night. Barack Obama is now our president-elect, and John McCain had to concede graciously after a hard fought race for the presidency. I wholeheartedly voted for McCain. Was I disappointed last night? You better believe I was. However, from that point forward we have to move on in this process.

We learn from Romans chapter thirteen that God established the authorities. He does not hand pick every person for those positions, for we have seen leaders from all around the world do bad things at times. Rather it is the office that God has established. Therefore, even though I disagree with president-elect Obama on several moral and political issues, I will back him and respect the position. Let us pray that the upcoming appointments for his administration will be those who will seek to uphold standards of God's Word and keep America as one nation under God.

Strange Flesh

What was the biggest reason God destroyed Sodom and Gommorah? Looking at the Scriptures, we can't help but notice some of the following observations: their sin was exceedingly grave, they were wicked, their outcry was great before the Lord and they went after strange flesh. Let's see if we can narrow this down.

The labels of grave sin, wickedness and great outcries seem very generic, as they don't point to anything specific. All of these were charges brought against them by God in Genesis chapters 18 & 19. To be much more specific, we see the men of Sodom surrounding Lot's house commanding him to send out the two visitors so they may have sexual relations with them. The two visitors were angels of the Lord, according to 19:1, and they struck the men of Sodom with blindness to allow Lot and his family to escape the impending destruction. What sin was so great that God sent brimstone and fire from heaven to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah according to 19:24?

Jude says in verse seven "these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh..."
This was no doubt the sin of homosexuality. Paul described this as exchanging what is natural for that which is unnatural (Rom. 1:26-27). My question with all of this in mind is are we showing signs of Sodom and Gomorrah today?

It is a sad fact that homosexuality is rampant in America today. Though studies and statistics will always give different numbers, the truth is we don't know exactly how many homosexuals there are. In my book, one is one too many. It's so prevalent now that they are on television shows, cartoons, movies, etc. Yes, they are even targeted in a new series of Hallmark greeting cards. Why is this happening?

In my opinion, America is getting so politically correct that we want to make everything acceptable without criticizing anyone. At what expense are we protecting certain individuals and giving them more rights than the rest of us? I'm afraid that America is showing too many similarities to Sodom and Gomorrah. If we continue to pursue this course of elevating and promoting the positions of those going after strange flesh, where will we be in God's eyes?

Today is election day. Homosexuality is one of the issues at stake. Have you done your homework to find out which candidate is supportive of sinful practices such as this? I know I have. Yes, the economy is very important, but in my book I'm going to put moral issues up front and center to decide for whom I will vote for President.

"They Don't Believe in the Old Bible!"

It bumfuzzles (yes, I use that word!) at times to hear about some people believing that "the churches of Christ" do not believe in the Old Bible (that's what some call the Old Testament). I don't know how many times I have been singled out on issues like this, but it does give me opportunities to give an account for the hope that is in me as Peter once stated (1 Pet. 3:15). First of all, I am not a church of Christ preacher. I am simply a Christian, one who belongs to the family of God as He added me upon my obedience to the Gospel. I do not want to be called a "church of Christer," as that would imply I'm being denominationalized. Second of all, I do believe in the Old Testament. Here's how I would discuss this with someone who thinks I believe otherwise.

The Mosaical Law was for Jews and Jews alone (Gen. 17:9-10). They were once the chosen people of God. When Christ died on the cross, the old law was nailed with Him (Col. 2:14). Jesus provided a new and better covenant, which made the old law obsolete (Heb. 8:13). Does that mean that the Old Testament should be disregarded today? Absolutely not!

Paul says "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction..." (Rom. 15:4). Paul made it very clear that there was a distinct difference in the old covenant and the new covenant in 1 Corinthians chapter three, as he contrasted both laws. If the old law has been done away with yet it is still important, what does that mean for us today?

Paul told Timothy "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16). This includes the Old Testament, because it was inspired by God as well! However, that's not the law that we are under today. We have so many great character examples, Bible history and lessons for us all in the Old Testament. I'm so grateful that we have all of God's inspired Word. Along with the changing of the law, here are some other things that changed.

First, the priesthood changed. High priests under the Mosaical Law had to come from the Levitical tribe. Jesus changed that because He became our High Priest inaugarating the New Covenant (Heb. 7). Along with that, those of us who are members of Christ's body are part of the priesthood of believers (1 Pet. 2:9). Second, the sacrifice changed. Instead of the offerings of lambs, bulls and goats which were offered up continually, Jesus offered Himself up once for all time (Heb. 10:10). Third, worship changed. Not only did the day of the week change from the Sabbath to the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2), but our practices changed. It is well documented in the Old Testament that people worshipped with instruments, but in the New Testament the examples and commands indicate that we should only sing and make music in our hearts (Acts 20:7; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Fourth, the people changed. The Gospel was first shared with the Jews on the day the church was established, but the Gentiles were finally given equal opportunity beginning with the household of Cornelius (Acts 10).

Thanks be to God that we are under the perfect law of liberty in Christ Jesus (Jas. 1:25). Peter even said the Old Covenant was a yoke that was unbearable (Acts 15:10). When somebody asks you why you don't believe the Old Bible, can you give them an answer? I know I can, partly because I am so thankful that God gave us His Son as the "guarantee of a better covenant" (Heb. 7:22).

BCS Shakeup

Alright, so I'm here at home watching the Texas vs. Texas Tech matchup that has been highly anticipated. Is anybody surprised that it looks like Texas Tech is going to come away with an upset? I mean, how long could Texas actually keep up their run? They've had some very high emotions to deal with in the last few weeks. I'm actually wondering if the Tennessee Titans are going to be in the same boat.

It's very hard to go undefeated. I honestly didn't think the Titans would come back against the Colts on Monday Night Football, but they showed a great deal of resilience. As I'm writing this, Texas just pulled within three points after a 91 yard touchdown pass. Obviously the NFL and college football are very different, but they have many of the same elements. One thing you have with college is a typical BCS shakeup.

Several schools will be vying for a spot in the national championship game, and with games like this one tonight it makes for a very intriguing end of the season. Pair this with the talk about the end of the Phil Fulmer era, and you've got lots of conversation! Don't you just love college football?

Great News!

Too many times in the world today, we are bombarded with bad news: the moral decline of America, a crumbling economy, what seems like a never-ending election process...how about some good news for a change?
Well, actually it is great news! Among all of the negativity in the world, a precious soul was added to the family of God yesterday. His name is Gary Garrett, and he is a resident at Signature Health Care in Columbia, TN in room 104. Some people have probably questioned about the efforts of evangelizing assisted living homes and nursing homes, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this makes it worth it: the addition of one precious soul into the family of God.
Luke records three parables in chapter fifteen of his gospel account. Each of them focuses on the value of one who is lost: the sheep, the coin and the son. With the recent decision of Gary to be baptized into Christ, I can't help but think about the question that Don Petty of Lewisville, TX asked recently in an email: "What is the value of one soul?"
Partly as a response to his question and partly my interest in sharing this experience, I would like to tackle this question. In my opinion, whether I ever baptized another individual from any of the homes around Columbia or not, it was worth it just to see Gary obey the gospel. Jesus said in Luke 15:7 "...there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." At times do we feel discouraged? At times do we question how much of an impact we are making? At times do we even question our abilities? The resounding answer to all of these questions is YES! But, we do not let these overpower our desire to save one soul who is lost.
So, in answering the question, the value of one soul is their inheritance in eternity. I mean, come on, their eternal outcome is at stake! If the Son of God took the time to focus on this in three consecutive parables, shouldn't that send a clear message to us? You better believe it! With that being said, what are we doing to make an active difference in the lives of others? Are we sharing the gospel with those who need it? We can't sit back and wait on them to come to us. The statement uttered in the movie Field of Dreams, "if you build it, they will come," has much truth in application for us today. We have to realize that if we are going to be soul winners, we have to be active in His service. How can we sing hymns such as "I want to be a soul-winner for Jesus" and "Lead me to some soul today" if we will not take the initiative to look for the lost?
In closing, let me challenge all of us, as Jimmy Allen challenged all of us at West 7th recently. We need to be bringing people to Jesus. A couple of times in the gospel of John, we see Andrew bringing people to Jesus. Let us learn from his example that we need to be active, as the value of one soul is precious in the sight of God.

Our God Is Awesome!

Has anybody been able to look at the beautiful fall colors and not been able to realize the power of God? This time of year always amazes me. It's definitely in times such as this that I think about what Paul said in Romans chapter one. "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:20).

One of the greatest places to experience this is in the woods during hunting season. Some people can't understand why some of us like to hunt animals. I'm not going to get on my soapbox talking about how that is a responsibility of us as stewards of His creation. I'll save that for another day. Many people don't realize that when we're out in the woods, we are among God's creation to witness His handiwork firsthand. It's very peaceful to sit in a treestand or a ground blind and watch the falling leaves flutter to the ground. We also get to watch a variety of animal life go about their daily activities: squirrels jumping from limb to limb, deer following a trail looking for acorns and hawks scanning a field for a meal.

If you haven't gotten away from the latest hustle and bustle of life, go out in the woods for a little while and get away from it all. I think you'll come away with a renewed sense of God's creative power.