Flirting

We have just completed another successful season of Leadership Training for Christ.  This is such a         beneficial program not only for spiritual growth, but also for Bible knowledge.  It makes my heart beam to see our kids sit down after nailing a quality speech or acing their song in song leading. I love to see […]

We have just completed another successful season of Leadership Training for Christ.  This is such a         beneficial program not only for spiritual growth, but also for Bible knowledge.  It makes my heart beam to see our kids sit down after nailing a quality speech or acing their song in song leading. I love to see the excitement and the     anxiety of our kids as they come out of their shell and step out of the box with a drama skit or chorus melody.  I would love to see 100% participation from our youth group and I hope that you will consider this in the future if you are not participating.

Saturday afternoon – Most of the events are  winding down and pockets of kids are gathering as relief is setting in on a job well done. One of the gatherings consists of teenagers from many congregations.  They are sitting in a circle, boys on one side and girls on the other side.  They are singing at the top of their lungs.  They are praising God in the most awesome way possible.  They are having fun.  They are smiling and laughing at each other. As I watched the group from a distance, I noticed that one boy seemed to be looking and smiling at one girl.  Then I   noticed the same from another boy.  There seemed to be some magic.  There seemed to be a twinkle in the smile as the boys looked across the divide.

As I stood at a distance and watched and listened, another parent came up to me and said, “FLIRTING, CHURCH OF CHRIST STYLE”. I liked this kind of flirting.  As I thought about and continued to listen to their angelic voices, I thought to myself, they are flirting with God.  They are wanting to show their love for God. They are wanting everyone to hear their love for God. Their love for God was on display for all to see.

In my day to day life, do I flirt with God?  Does the twinkle in my smile say that I am a Child of God?  Do my actions say to those around me that there is no doubt who I belong to?

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. MY HEART LEAPS FOR JOY, and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 28:7

 

Heart of the Gospel

The heart of the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Paul expresses it in this manner: 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that...

Eclipse

An eclipse is an exciting thing. It was evident Monday at about 2:00 p.m. when I was driving back to the office from making some visits. The traffic was minimal. I even saw several vehicles pulling off the road to catch a glimpse of the moon covering the sun. I even...

The Same Story

Frank Wampol did an outstanding job on Sunday morning directing our hearts toward a better understanding of the emotional and physical agony that Jesus experienced during his crucifixion and the time leading up to it. Before Sunday, I knew that Frank was going to...

You’re Kidding

We were in Pigeon Forge with some of Jane’s family. While there, we visited the replica museum for the Titanic. A very interesting exhibit. We were at the bottom of the replica of the grand staircase listening to the guide explain the rich details of this beautiful...

Theme Verse

You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. (Exodus 15:17 ESV) This is the theme verse for this year’s Leadership Training For Christ...

Changing Seasons

I need spring to come and winter to end. Honestly, this has been a constant thought in my mind since mid-January following a series of unfortunate events: a trip to the ER, an ablation scheduled, missing a conference due to heart issues, waiting for the ablation,...

Jacob and Esau

I’m sure you remember the story of Jacob and Esau. But if the following brief summary is not familiar to you, read the whole story beginning in Genesis 25:19. 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out...

I Voted

I voted today. I took advantage of the right given to me as a citizen of this country to cast my vote for those who will lead our nation, state and county. I was even given a sticker to declare to others that I had voted.   It was only one vote, but it was my...

My Thoughts

My thoughts are mine! Aren’t they? One of Jane’s favorite expressions is, “I knew you were going to say that.” She loves to make me think she knows everything I’m thinking or that I’m going to say. I have to admit, she gets pretty close. But she’s not always right....

Our Comforter

Kimberly and I adopted our first dog together in 2013. She was a husky/German shepherd mix named Chloe. She was a big dog with a very loud bark. When I served in youth ministry, I often traveled out of town overnight. Kimberly traveled with me on occasion, but when...