The King of Frugal Footwear Finders

I may not be great at many things, but there is one facet of my life in which I consider myself in the upper echelon. While I do not take great pleasure in shopping, there are a few things in which I take great pleasure doing. When it comes to purchasing a new pair of shoes, I rule. To be more specific, these shoes must fit the "3C" criteria: cheap, comfortable and convincing. I'm always looking for a frugal buy, they must feel pleasing to my feet and the style of the shoe must look like it belongs to me. If you think I'm just bragging on myself, let me give you the evidence.

Last May while in Memphis for a relative's wedding, I realized I had forgotten my black dress shoes. To quickly remedy the situation, my uncle and I hopped in the car and drove to the factory outlet mall. We were both in search of shoes, so we strolled into one of the stores. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the store, but let's just say their pricing was foreign to my taste buds. Even on the clearance rack, I was having trouble finding what I wanted.

That's when it hit me! I glanced across to the stores on the other side of the mall, and there was a Hush Puppies store. The hope of very small dollar signs flashed before my eyes, so I ran over to the other side while my uncle was still in search. As I entered the store, I ran straight to the clearance rack. Size nine, black dress shoes, look for the stickers with the highest percentage off, and yes, we have a winner. I tried one on, loved the fit and feel, and yes it encapsuled my "3C" criteria. I quickly took it up to the clerk and said I'll take these, please. I was in and out of the store in less than five minutes. Those shoes only cost me nineteen dollars and some change. I was even waiting on my uncle when he was paying for his shoes. Do you think this is luck?

Yesterday, I was in search of some new brown dress shoes. Again, it had to fit the criteria. I walked into Rack Room Shoes here in Columbia, where I was met immediately by one of the clerks. I told her I was looking for a cheap, brown dress shoe, and I told her I would know it when I saw it. After walking straight to the clearance rack, I found a pair of brown dress shoes that matched my criteria (cheap, comfy and convincing). I tried one on, and I walked to the counter still wearing one of them. I told them I would know it when I saw it. These shoes were marked down from sixty something dollars to eighteen dollars. Yes, this was another pair of shoes under twenty dollars, even after adding tax! Again, I was not even in the store five minutes from the time I walked in the front doors.

Ladies and gentlemen, I now and forevermore dub myself the King of Frugal Footwear Finders!

The Bridge Report

Several of you are aware of our worhsip service on Sunday night at the Bridge, one of our local assisted living homes here in Columbia. Last night was a total shock to me, because there were 48 people in attendance. The record crowd had been 37, but last night blew that right out of the water! I give God the credit for so many good people wanting to sing and hear a message from His Word.

For those interested, I have posted the audio sermon of last night's lesson. We looked at the story of the Philippian jailer, examining one of the great cases of conversion from Acts 16:25-34. I must say if you listen to the sermon, don't be surprised when you hear people clapping when I started. There was a tremendous crowd, and they were excited by that. I am uncomfortable with people clapping when I am speaking, but given the circumstances I let them be enthusiastic about it. You've got to remember, about 2/3 of our group are not members of the church! I hope and pray that the crowd continues to increase, because there are many people in attendance who can be reached with the gospel in its simplicity.

Please pray for this effort, as God will give the increase in this area of ministry to senior adults!

I've Come to Expect That!

Have you ever driven through a parking lot only to have some crazy driver come flying across in front of you? I can tell you that I have had this happen to me in Maury County on multiple occasions. I've had it happen at Wal-Mart, Fred's and who knows where else over the years. People don't pay attention to what they're doing. I think these circumstances cause me to become a very defensive driver.

No, that's not all I encounter when I'm traveling in Columbia. I have drivers all the time think they have the right of way to turn left at a green light when I'm opposite them at the same green light turning right. It's the craziest thing I've ever seen. Who taught these people how to drive? I know that I did not learn to drive like that. Are people that ignorant of the rules of the road or are they just inattentive?

The next time you come to Maury County, make sure you bring your second set of eyes. The driving is crazy down here at times. I've come to expect that!

What are you devouring daily?

We as human beings ingest many different types of written material on a daily basis. Some people can't start the day unless they have a cup of coffee in one hand and newspaper in the other. Others have their daily fix on whatever type of magazine they prefer. Granted it can be a great thing to be able to devour the information contained in these for our consumption, but how often are we devouring the information contained in God's Word, the Bible?

The Bible is and will continue to be the world's best-selling book, yet sadly it is one of the most neglected. The majority of all American households own at least one copy, yet I wonder how many of those have pages who have never or seldom been turned. What keeps people from devouring the Word in contrast to other forms of written communication.

The way I see it, the reason for a lack of daily Bible study is due to two things: lack of time commitment and lack of love. It's not that we don't have the time available in our daily schedules; it's that we devote our time to other things instead of making the time for Bible study a priority. It's not that we don't love the Bible; it's that we love other things more, and we show it by the activities and material things to which we attach ourselves rather than God's Word.

Let's make sure we're giving daily attention to God's Word by making the commitment and showing our love for the Bible. The Psalmist says in Ps. 119:97 "O how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day." We learn from the early church the importance of studying the Scriptures. The Bereans were considered more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, "for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). Also, one of the things that Paul told Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:15 was that we gain God's approval by studying His Word, as we diligently digest God's message for us.

I see three things that we can take from the early church. First, we need to put an emphasis on daily Bible study. The Bereans were searching the Scriptures daily, and so should we. Second, we need to put an emphasis on personal responsibility. The Bereans weren't taking Paul's word for it; they were looking for themselves to see whether these things were so. Third, we need to put an emphasis on God's approval. Are you being diligent to present yourself approved unto God? What kind of approval rating would you give yourself? Better yet, what kind of approval rating would God give you? What are you devouring daily to further enhance your knowledge and walk with God?

Hummingbird Hero

Okay. I'm not one to have lightning strike twice in the same place. Last week, I rescued a hummingbird from its peril as it got its beak stuck in a light fixture in our garage. For those of you who didn't read about it on Facebook, I was able to take the bird in my hand while its wings just dangled there lifelessly from its body. With a wiggle and a tug on the little hummingfowl, I freed the bird and watched it hover toward the heavens.

Here's where it gets crazy. I came home today, and my oldest son, Conner, told me there was a hummingbird in the garage again. Believe it or not, it was the same hummingbird (best I could tell) that I freed last time. This time it wasn't stuck; it was simply hovering around aimlessly like it couldn't find its way out of the big hole called our garage door opening!

I tried relentlessly this afternoon to find a way to free this fowl, but hummingbirds can be very hard to catch when they're not stuck. They're crafty little fliers, and I was afraid to be too rough with its delicate little body. After taking a break until this evening, I was able to return to the garage and make another attempt. Patience and careful stalking paid off again! I managed to pin that little hummingbird to the ceiling and clutch it in my hand. With the bird shrieking, I descended the ladder to walk out in the dark night and set the bird aloft. I couldn't see her take off, but I could hear the good vibrations of her wings as she flew the coop. It feels good to be a hummingbird hero!

Those Noisy Monkeys!

On Saturday Dianna and I ventured out with the boys to the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. We were in the middle of one of the animal shows at the ampitheater when the howler monkeys started in with their howling and rioty ruckus. You could tell that the presenter in the ampitheater was having to compete with the noise of those monkeys. You could even tell that everyone else present was aware of all the noise behind us.

The early church was like those howler monkeys to some extent: they were making noise! When we study some attributes of the early church, one of those attributes that stands out is the fact that they were willing to make noise and make themselves heard for the cause of Christ. I see from the book of Acts that they were causing a disturbance (Acts 4:1-4), they were going about preaching the Word (Acts 5:40ff) and they were risking their lives (Acts 7). If we're going to take some notes from the early church, we need to be making some noise today instead of staying silent.

If you want to listen to my thoughts in more detail, check out my latest sermon audio link that I posted this morning. Let's make sure we're being heard, as the church should be the voice of God carrying His Word to the world. We should be causing a disturbance and rocking the boat at times. We should be preaching Jesus and teaching His message by evangelizing others in their homes, in the workplace or wherever we can. We also need to be convicted about this cause so others can see that we would risk our lives for Christ if necessary. God help us to be more devoted Christians as we make noise for Him!

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

I thoroughly enjoyed preaching the series on proving the inspiration of the Bible several weeks ago, but I want to make sure I give credit where credit is due. There are two main sources where I compiled information given in my sermons: Kyle Butt and Wayne Jackson. Kyle is the director of biblical research for Apologetics Press in Montgomery, Alabama, who so happens to be my first cousin. He really inspired me to present this series of lessons on the inspiration of Scripture. Wayne Jackson developed the Christian Courier, another great resource for the church, and he also preaches in Stockton, California. Wayne's material on Babylon is found in chapter eight of Kyle's book, Behold the Word of God, and material from the other sermons on proving inspiration are found there as well.

Both of these men have made significant contributions to the defense of New Testament christianity, and I pray that they will continue to labor for the Lord as long as possible. I am grateful that men like this have provided this kind of information, for they have worked long and hard to compile such facts for their writing. Though I might not have mentioned all of this in my sermons, I felt like this was a proper and sufficient way to give them the credit for my sermon inspiration. I pray that other preachers will take advantage of such sources like Apologetics Press and the Christian Courier for the benefit of their hearers. May the Lord continue to bless the efforts of all of you who labor for His kingdom.

Attributes of the Early Church

I just started a new set of lessons on Sunday nights at the Bridge. I am spending some time addressing some areas of emphasis on restoration as we look back to some attributes of the early church. Sunday we looked at how the early church was continually devoted to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42). I have just posted it on my sermon link for those who are interested.

I'm looking forward to this coming Sunday when we look at how the early church was making noise, something that I think we've lost to a certain extent. If any of you are reading this, feel free to make some comments or observations about why this is. I look forward to hearing from you!

I Didn't See That Coming!

I was waiting for George Lopez to come on television, so I caught the last few minutes of Malcolm in the Middle on Nickelodeon. I never watch that show, but I saw one of the funniest things. There was a huge traffic jam, and everybody was outside of their vehicles waiting for it to be resolved. The dad on the show saw a pigeon rolling on the ground, as it had been caught up in a plastic, six-pack holder. He wanted to do a good deed, so he freed the bird and watched it hover from his hands. Out of nowhere, a dog leaps up in the air and chomps down on the freed fowl. All you can see are feathers flying everywhere!

Isn't life a lot like that? Every now and then we have things pop up out of nowhere and take us by surprise. Whether at home, work, etc., we all have times when we didn't see something coming. How can you respond to an unexpected surprise? Remember the five P's: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. I think this can especially hold true for someone surprising you with questions about your faith.

Peter says we need to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Pet. 3;15). The best way to do this is be a diligent student of the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15). Has anyone surprised you lately with a Bible question? Let's study our Bibles to make sure we're prepared to handle what pops out around the corner!