I want us to think about friendship. I suppose we all have friends. But is it possible that we underestimate the value of friendship? I heard about a man who went to a psychiatrist because he was unhappy. The psychiatrist told him he needed friends, so he gave the assignment to get three new friends. He came back and said, “Ok, I did what you asked me to do—I got three new friends.” The psychiatri...  Read More

You have probably heard the expression, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” I like that and I love apples. They are both delicious and nutritious. However, when I was a kid I used to go every year to the Louisiana State Fair where I would get a candied apple. You probably know what that is. They take the apple and dip it into liquid sugar. The problem is that when you do so, the nutritional va...  Read More

Years ago, Clyde Fant Jr., a homiletics professor, wrote a book in which he proposed the second greatest confession of scripture is when Paul acknowledged, “We, too, are only human like you” (Acts 14:15). Personally, I think that is probably wise for us all to admit.In the story of Elijah, the prophet stayed at the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, during the long drought so that he would have wa...  Read More

The Rock Star Elvis Presley appeared in Las Vegas in one of his last concerts. He began to sing, “Are you lonesome tonight?” then the crowd grew quiet as the music stopped, and Elvis appeared for a moment to have an emotional breakdown before their very eyes. He stumbled on his next words as he wiped tears away and said to the crowd, “I really am very lonely.”Have you ever felt lonely? Some people...  Read More

This past Sunday I preached on Job. I shared with you: “Everyone wants the patience of Job; we just don’t want the experience of Job.” However, let me remind you that God used Job’s experience to develop his patience. And patience is a big deal in scripture—· “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7).· “Wait for the Lord and keep His way” (Psalm 37:34).· “Be completely hum...  Read More

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). The Apostle Paul wrote to those who were the recipients of God’s grace in Galatia and instructed them on the responsibility that was theirs to one another in the church fellowship. They not only had a responsibility for one another, but they had the God-given ability to help one another. The same is t...  Read More