Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps…” I Peter 2:21 I was watching the Heisman trophy presentation on TV the other night. Coach Saban, of the University of Alabama, had two players nominated for the award. It was only the 6th time that two players were nominated from the same team in the prestigious history of the award. Quite an honor for any coach; but it is what he said about the players that I would like...
And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” Genesis 22:5 What a peculiar statement by Abraham! Here he is about to sacrifice his only son on the Altar of God, and he calls it worship! When the story is examined further and thought thoroughly the statement and proclamation of worship makes perfect sense. For in this event in the lives of Abraham and Isaac we find a perfect definition of what is true Bib...
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11 Have you ever considered the power of words? Of course, you have if only subconsciously. Our lives are shaped, molded, directed and designed by words, phrases and directives, aren’t they? Sometimes those words are uttered in love, harmony and peace, yet at other times in anger, discord and frustration. How, when and in what setting they are given lends to the power and lasting effects for which they arrive and s...
Have you ever considered the power of words? Of course, you have if only subconsciously. Our lives are shaped, molded, directed and designed by words, phrases and directives, aren’t they? Sometimes those words are uttered in love, harmony and peace, yet at other times in anger, discord and frustration. How, when and in what setting they are given lends to the power and lasting effects for which they arrive and stay. I do not know about you, but my mother encouraged us as children with the age o...
“If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.” Proverbs 24:10 Don’t you just cringe when you read some of Solomon’s pithy yet profound nuggets of truth in the Wisdom book of Proverbs? Yet, this is exactly why it is so important for believers to read a bit of Proverbs every day. … They are written for the purpose of giving one wisdom and instructions for the everyday ups and downs of life. In light of Solomon’s “prickly” truth for today, allow me to ask a question: What...
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 Have you ever come against a struggle, a roadblock, or a seemingly insurmountable obstacle? Of course, you have if you have lived any length of time or tried anything considered off the beaten path. Sometimes those barriers are self-imposed; other times they are tossed in your path by a boss, a co-worker, a foe, or friend. It matters not how they get there; they hurt and challenge just the same. Sometimes it is good to...
“Few men during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.” --Admiral Richard E. Byrd Born in the later 19th century, Admiral Richard Byrd was one of those men given to adventure and the intrigue of the unknown. He was best known in my memory as the one who braved frigid temperatures for long periods of time as he explored the then-unexplored regions of the South Pole and Antarctica. However, he was als...
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” --Martin Luther King, Jr. Like most of you, I have been watching, reading, and praying for our riotous society over the last few days. First let me say that I am appalled, saddened and heartbroken by the events of the death of the man of color in Minneapolis, Minn. No number of tears, anxiety and yes, even rioting can turn back the clock or right that hideous wrong nor bring jus...
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34 Solomon in all his wisdom hit the nail on the head with this nugget of truth, didn’t he? The Psalmist said it this way in Psalm 33:12a, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” And one of America’s most beloved Presidents, Abraham Lincoln had a favorite scripture he oft quoted, “And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:25 NKJV) Well, it does seem at this time that ou...
“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” --Proverbs 24:10 “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” --Napoleon Hill Have you ever come against a struggle, a roadblock or a seemingly insurmountable obstacle? Of course you have, if you have lived any length of time or tried anything considered off the beaten path. Sometimes those barriers are self-imposed; other times they are tossed in your path by a boss, a coworker, a foe or friend. It matt...
Vince Lombardi, the coach of the winning team of the first two Super Bowls, once said, “Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price that each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” This game has grown to proportion once reserved for Christmas, Easter, Memorial or Labor Day. At first it was just a championship game, then it became Super Bowl Sunday, a...
Lucius Annaeus Seneca, a Roman statesman who lived from 5 BC-65 AD, made a statement that should be written and remembered in 2020. He said, "We become wiser by adversity; prosperity destroys our appreciation of the (what is) right." A very profound statement, isn't it? Especially when we consider it was written by a man who died in 65 AD. This thought kinda runs counterculture to the prevalent thought of today, doesn’t it? In a day when prosperity, ease and opulence seem to be the norm for m...
Years ago (more years than I care to remember) I started an Insurance agency with my main company being one that was less than 15 years old at the time. It was a company rather unique in its products, management and methods of motivation. One such motivational method was a mantra which was repeated as group meetings in and conventions. It went like this: “I will win. Why -- I’ll tell you why. Because I have faith, courage and enthusiasm!” There were hand motions and gyrations that accom...
“…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus…” --Philippians 3:13, 14 George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” Wouldn’t life be easier to “swallow” if we could just remember these words? I often wonder why we worry so much about making mistakes -- sometimes so much so that it paralyzes our creativity and even dulls our ability to dream....
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” -- The Golden Rule “For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” --Matthew 7:2 NLT Ah, the golden rule…remember that one? As kids, it was drilled into our heads and hearts by parents, teachers, clergy and the man on the street. Years ago, it was the mantra of business, church and government alike. However, through the years it has lost its luster so to speak and...
No, I am not going to preach you a sermon this morning; this verse is just apropos to what I have been thinking about and dealing with -- thought maybe some of you have, also. Have you ever just wanted to stop the world for just a few minutes? We move at such a rapid pace in 2019 -- used to be we’d had to wait for the evening paper or Walter Cronkite to come on the 6 o'clock news to let us know what was happening around the world. Now, all we need do is “move a mouse,” click a button and shaza...
“Do unto others as you would have Them do unto you.”--The Golden Rule “For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” --Matthew 7:2 NLT Ah, the golden rule -- remember that one. As kids, it was drilled into our heads and hearts by parents, teachers, clergy and the man on the street. Years ago, it was the mantra of business, church and government alike. However, through the years it has lost its luster, so to speak, and been replaced by the greed and self-ce...
“…Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 This is one of my favorite Psalms and one that has helped me through some tough bumps in the road of life. We all have those crooks in the “road” coupled with a “pothole” or two as we travel down life’s roadway, don’t we? It’s called life, but some are a little tougher than others. One of the tough ones is when you lose a friend, a mate, a classmate, to death. And as we mature (age) it seems as though that event comes mo...
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” --Genesis 6:8 I am not going to bore you with how I happened upon this verse concerning the time of the great flood and righteousness of one man; however, what struck me was the concept of grace. That word is used in so many ways and situations today, the meaning can become quite convoluted and even watered down. Many say “grace” before a meal, which means, of course, the giving of thanks. When it comes to bills or insurance policies, we are aff...
In the fall of 1958, it was the day of our an annual athletic physicals in our small rural community. On this appointed day every would-be athlete walked down to the local clinic to see Dr. Helmut Hartmann for the necessary health check. This was my first of seven such fall afternoons, and my excitement was off the charts. Dr. Hartmann's nurse lined us up a few at a time at the scales and recorded our height, weight and blood pressure on a small card before handing us the medical card to give...
Proverbs 28:27: “He who gives to the poor will not lack, But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Were you raised in a home where your parents, grand-parents or care givers told you over and over that “it was more blessed to give than to receive?” I surely was and today am extremely glad to have had that “life lesson” drummed endlessly into my psyche as I have truly found that axiom to be s...
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must Be lived forward.”--Kierkegaard Is that statement right on target or what? I read that quote in a book I am reading, and it hit me squarely between the eyes! I suppose said another way is more familiar to most of us and that is “hindsight is always 20/20.” I was watching a TV show several years ago and a line on the show went something like this “our scars can tell us where we have been, but they should not dictate where we are going!” I don’t know if it is the approach of another birthday, th...
“To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, Knowledge and happiness…” --Ecclesiastes 2:26 ESV “True happiness... is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” -- Helen Keller PASTOR JIM NEAL Do you ever tire of hearing people individually or corporately bemoan, “I’m just not happy” or “that just doesn’t make me happy” or even “if you would do this and that I would be a happy person?” As if being happy is the end all to everything in life. It was President Abraham Lincoln who said, “I’ve have foun...
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7 Every choice you make has an end result. Zig Ziglar If you were a salesman of any ilk from the latter half of the 20th century or the early part of the 21st century as I was, one became well versed in “Zigisms” like this one. Perhaps Mr. Ziglar’s most popular one was his life’s motto: "You can get everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want." He believed...
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, Your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” -- Mahatma Gandhi I heard a speaker say one time that the worst thing a person can do when starting a speech, sermon or an article such as this is to begin with an apology. But here goes. You will please forgive me as I share on the subject of forgiveness. You see, I have had a very full week, with this subject taking center stage on each turn. And then on top of that...
