I recently read 2 Chronicles chapter 1 for my morning scripture reading...... the account of Solomon (as new King of Israel succeeding his father David) asking God for wisdom and knowledge to rule the people, in response to God appearing to him telling him to "ask for what you want me to give you".( v.7) If you know the story, Solomon was blessed by God with wisdom, knowledge and riches.... yet his heart was gradually led astray by his taking of many wives and concubines who worshiped other gods. It struck me that all the wisdom and knowledge in the world is useless without Obedience...............and how easily we are corrupted by material things, power, comfort and sensual pleasure.............. Read "the...
Election Day is tomorrow, and after months of endless insults and disclosure of improprieties Americans will decide who will lead our country over the next four years. This election is unprecedented in that it includes the 2 most unpopular presidential candidates in the history of our country; so the proper question would be: why are these our choices? I am not advocating for support of a third party, fourth party or any other party or person, my question is: why don't we have better and more palatable option? Is it perhaps that people are so sick of politics that no one wants to run for office anymore? Think about it, who wants to expose every part of their life...
My wife and I took a ride the other day to purchase a load of wood. Our journey took us eastward through the "foothills" area of the north Georgia mountains. Once past the multi-lane congestion of Atlanta, we wound our way through the picturesque countryside on the way to our destination. It was a beautiful early Fall day. The destination turned out to be a workshop full of some prime hardwood which was being sold in preparation for closing out the shop. The owner, a very pleasant and industrious young man was preparing to pursue missionary work in Africa in a few months. He patiently took the time to let us look through his wood supply and make our selections....
My accountability partners have fluctuated over the years but I’m always seeking new men to add. I have to be willing to take the risk of transparency first, and although sometimes it doesn’t work out, the rewards of developing deep and trusting relationships is worth any risk. We’ve mentioned the value of starting with simple matters when we form an accountability group and growing from there as time and trust increase. We’ve also stated the importance of setting up guidelines early on which will ensure everyone involved knows what’s expected. There’s one more area worth mentioning: Many churches or organizations publish a list of “tough questions” that are beneficial to establishing an accountability group, but I don’t see them as...
Looking at an old exterior door, seeing a weathered piece of wood, exposed to wind and sun, cold and rain; we see what age and elements do to the natural beauty of God’s creation. Within the weathered, worn and distressed, however, is where the prodigals exist. What a joy to take something once treasured and restore it to a place of beauty; brand new, yet still aged, recreated and yet honoring the original creation. What we love more than anything is taking those pieces of useless scrap and transforming them into something that can be cherished once again; realizing that apart from restoration, these old beauties are destined for the scrap heap or nearest landfill. Everything we do is...
