Coyote kill!

Check out the picture of Chandler and the coyote I shot last night after I didn't have any success deer hunting. He loves giving the thumbs-up sign!

I caved and bought a Big Hardee!

I know by now many of you have seen the commercial comparing the Big Hardee and the Big Mac. More meat and less bun is one of their catchy lines to contrast these two burgers. Is it fair to say that advertisers know how to get our attention with television commercials? Curiosity got the best of me one day, and I proceeded to buy the Big Hardee combo. No, I could not resist the picture of that big, juicy burger plopping down and dripping cheese and that special sauce.

Not only do advertisers know what we like, but Satan knows what is appealing to us. From the beginning of temptation until now, he still tempts us with his same arsenal: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. Check out my sermon link "We Can Overcome Temptation" to hear a fuller discussion on this matter. It may just help you be more aware of the source of your enticement!

Such Were Some of You

The recent sermon addition centers around the changed lifestyles of the Corinthian Christians in 1 Cor. 6:9-11. Paul made it clear that they had changed; they were no longer living those types of lifestyles. I made three observations about their remarkable changes: sinful lifestyles keep us from God; repentance brings us to God; obedience joins us with God. For all of you Rocky fans, there's even a quote from Rocky IV in my sermon!

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

I'm sorry it took so long, but I just added the sermon from Sunday night. In "Am I My Brother's Keeper" I evaluated the story of Cain and Abel to make some modern day applications in the church. I hope you'll listen to what was presented, and as usual I would appreciate any feedback. Hopefully this can help with some of the attitudes that are prevalent even in the church concerning things in our lives, and what responsibility we have toward each other.

Godly Sorrow or Worldly Sorrow?

Have you ever been caught in the act of doing something you had already been instructed not to do? I’m mindful of a time when I was out in a boat with my brother and my cousins, as they were visiting one weekend. Uncle Stan and my Dad were fixing a fence at the front of our property, and Stan Jr. decided he would play basketball. That left Cliff and Kyle who joined us in the boat for a little fishing expedition.

One of the rules at our house was anytime we went out in the boat, we had to wear a lifejacket. Needless to say, the four of us got in the boat without a single lifejacket. Dad spotted us from the house and called us in to the bank of the lake, as he swatted us all for being disobedient. All four of us were punished. We weren’t sorry we disobeyed; we were sorry we got caught!

Paul addresses the church at Corinth and commends them on their godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10. They were truly sorry their sins had hurt God. The opposite of this is what I call the cookie-jar syndrome. When someone is sorry they got caught, it’s like getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar. That person isn’t sorry they took the cookies; they are sorry they got caught! Those in Corinth experienced something life-changing. Paul says “For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it--for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while-- I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Cor. 7:8-10).

Many people in the world are only sorry when they get caught. God is pleased when those who sin against Him are pierced to the heart, even as the multitude did on the day the church was established (Acts 2:37). When we experience Godly sorrow, we are led to repent from our sins to change our actions. Only when someone experiences Godly sorrow will they show actions worthy of repentance. Worldly sorrow leads you down the wrong path. In fact, those who only experience worldly sorrow won’t have the chance to put on their “lifejacket” when they are cast into the lake of fire after judgment day (Rev. 20:14). Which type of sorrow do you experience in your spiritual life: Godly sorrow or worldly sorrow?

Check out this concoction!

Click on the link to my sermon from Sunday night to hear it: The Problematic Potion of Envy & a Wicked Woman. No, Lola-Margaret, it's not about you. I preached this lesson to show you what can happen when you mix together the bad ingredients of envy and wickedness. We see in the Scriptures what happens to Ahab and Jezebel for what they had done to Naboth.

As I started my sermon, I relayed a dream that I had when I was in preschool/daycare in Portland, TN. This was probably 26 or 27 years ago, mind you. Darrell Rogers (who probably has no recollection of this whatsoever) had brought a toy machine gun one day, and I really wanted that thing. I wanted it so much that I dreamed that night about going over to his house and taking it. I pointed out to the crowd last night that even though it was enacted through a dream, it was still envy.

Let us learn from these biblical lessons to keep us from the wrath of God!

Shocked!

I had something happen to me today that really shocked the fire out of me. A friend of mine whom I visited with in the hospital cursed me a blue streak when I walked in the room. Not once, not twice but at least three times he was using very colorful language aimed at me that would have made a sailor blush. Needless to say, I think he was having some health issues that led to him being out of character.

The next time you visit someone in the hospital, what kind of verbal bombs will they drop out of the clear blue sky? Be calm and say a prayer with them!