Christmas day. I love the excitement. The anticipation. The joy. I still have a lot of kid in me on Christmas day. This Christmas is incredibly special. I received twelve gifts. Twelve unbelievable gifts. Twelve precious gifts. I don’t deserve any of them, but I am thankful for all of them. More than just thankful. Overwhelmingly, exceedingly, and abundantly thankful. So let me take a few minutes of your time to share with you my gifts. Like the twelve days of Christmas, I received twelve gifts. I think you will understand why I am so excited and so grateful. I Read the full article…
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Nov 2012
With Thanksgiving
November 22, 2012 Leave a Comment
On this day where we typically spend meals and time with families in a spirit of thanksgiving, I want to express my thanksgiving to you, the readers of this blog. The growth in the number of readers has exceeded my greatest expectations. I do not take for granted that you take time to read my articles. I often pray that God will provide me the content for people like you who visit my blog on a regular basis. It is my prayer that this Thanksgiving Day will be especially meaningful to you this season. And it is my prayer that Read the full article…
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Nov 2012
Entitlement and Thanksgiving
November 21, 2012 3 Comments
If I feel entitled, I complain about my job. If I am thankful, I am grateful to have a job. If feel entitled, I complain about the meal I’m eating. If I am thankful, I am grateful to have food on the table. If I feel entitled, I complain that the government does not do enough for me. If I am thankful, I ask what I can first do for others. If I feel entitled, I complain about my spouse. If am thankful, I express gratitude that someone has put up with me all these years. If I feel entitled, Read the full article…
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Nov 2011
Thank You
November 23, 2011 2 Comments
I am taking the remainder of this week off to spend time with my wife, my three sons, my three daughters-in-law, my three grandchildren, and Nellie Jo’s parents. Even as I wrote that sentence, I realized once again the many reasons I have to be thankful. It would be negligent on my part not to give thanks to you, the readers of this blog, for your willingness to read the brief missives I pen each week. I am honored and humbled that you would take time to read my words. During this week of Thanksgiving, may you, your families, and Read the full article…
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Nov 2011
With Thanksgiving for the Local Church
November 16, 2011 Leave a Comment
The local church in America gets a bad rap. And in many ways, the negative news is warranted. You’ve seen the dire trends and statistics. You’ve read about the moral failures of many church leaders. We certainly don’t need to have our proverbial head in the sand about the dire state of our churches. But it’s time to give thanks for the church. It’s time to look at what is good about the local church. And it’s time to focus on these positive attributes and build upon them. We don’t need to deny the reality of the problems, but we Read the full article…
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Aug 2011
When Hope Comes to Church
August 10, 2011 8 Comments
The reports can be discouraging. The statistics can be demoralizing. The trends can be disheartening. Year after year we hear about the dismal state of American congregations. We hear that the number of members connected to churches is down. We hear about declining conversion rates. We hear about change-resistant churches and discouraged pastors, staff, and laity. And the bad news is not made up. It’s reality. The overall macro-trends in churches in America are simply not that great. Looking for Hope What seems to be missing, however, in most of our reports of reality, is a message of hope. Though the Read the full article…
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Jul 2011
Five Reasons Christians Should be Patriotic
July 4, 2011 14 Comments
Perhaps my view is a bit biased. After all, my family includes many veterans who sacrificed much for their county. My uncle, Charles Spurgeon Keller, gave his life in World War II when he stepped on a landmine at age nineteen. My father, Sam Rainer, was likewise a World War II hero with a number of medals, including the Purple Heart. The bias may be there, but I believe that Christians should be loyal to their country, that patriotism should be the default for those who follow Jesus. I know that God is always first, even over country. And I Read the full article…
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Jun 2011
A Few Thoughts on Being Thankful
June 22, 2011 6 Comments
When the Paul wrote the church at Ephesus, he exhorted the believers not to get drunk with wine, but to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18, HCSB). In the verses that follow, the apostle describes some of the manifestations of the filling with the Spirit. I confess that I often overlook that verse that tells us that those who are truly Spirit-filled will give “thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). Always. For everything. A Need to Change If I were to do an analysis of all the Read the full article…
