Surveys show that currently about 13% of Americans don't celebrate the 4th of July. There are various reasons, and feelings of patriotism ebb and flow for some based on the political landscape. And I want to be clear - you don't have to be patriotic to be a Christian. My first loyalty lies in the fact that I am a citizen of ...
How many here wanted to grow up to be an astronaut, or maybe a doctor, or a professional athlete, or a movie star? Many little kids have huge dreams for their lives. Anyone here ever want to grow up to be a butler? I'm not sure I've ever heard that one from a kid. I was wondering how does one even ...
Have you noticed that many dystopian movies and books feature some form of authoritarian government that separates families, parents from their children, in order to exercise control? And it's easy to spot in fiction and see the dangers when the family unit is broken up - but it's also been a reality throughout history. We can look...
Some people have the gift of encouragement, but it seems some have the gift of discouragement. This life is rough enough without all the various discouragements that come our way. What we all really need is more encouragers! So today, I want to focus on the words of one who truly had the gift of encouragement....
I read an article entitled, "How Covid Reshaped the Black Church". And one of its points was that during the time of 'online only' services - many people 'shopped around' and viewed many different Churches virtually. They could see then if what that Church taught lined up with what they personally believed. And many chose what are...
Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day for remembering and honoring the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30th, 1868 and was first enacted to honor Union soldiers of the Civil War. But the idea originated in 1866, two years earlier,...
Back in 2012, a couple in England booked the Manchester town hall for their upcoming wedding. After they learned that the Queen was scheduled to be in town that same day, the couple wrote a lighthearted letter to Buckingham Palace inviting her to join their party. They were surprised to receive a reply from the Palace thanking them...
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, (5) who through faith are shielded by...
There is no denying that our nation is experiencing some difficult times. Many are likening it to the times of unrest in the 60's and 70's with all the global tensions, the protests and the financial instability. The upcoming elections have people on edge. The rising inflation in fuel and food and housing costs continue to cause hardship...
Anyone here able to run on a treadmill for, let's say, 50 years straight? No? What if I stood there alongside you and just kept shouting, "You're doing it wrong! Try harder!" - Would that make any difference in your physical performance?
