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"I Don't Understand!"

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Recently, during our Sunday morning Bible study group, we were dealing with a challenging paragraph from Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. The text included a short passage of three verses on Jesus’ statements of woe (Luke 6:24-26). The teaching was characteristically paradoxical in nature. The kind of challenge that often has the best of Bible students shaking their heads. One of our class members confessed aloud to everyone gathered around the table, “Hey! I don’t know about you, but I’m going to need some help with this one!” Image credit: istock.com Monique and I love to watch episodes of The Chosen on television. We like the vividly fresh way that the producers and actors depict the life of Jesus. Sometimes these creative writers take liberties with the literal accounts of Scripture (like a paraphrase would do!), but we have found that the end-product usually captures the essence of what the Bible is teaching. One memorable, thought-provoking, and entertaining scene (obviously extra-...
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"Are We Going to Pray?"

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Recently, I visited one of our members in the hospital. She had just received a sobering diagnosis. I had no sooner entered the room than she shared what the doctor had told her. I had not met her before, but I think she had recognized me as the care pastor from the church before I had the chance to introduce myself. Image Credit: istock.com Although I have been in previous situations like this many times during the years of my pastoral ministry, it is still difficult to hear such a serious diagnosis. It gave me pause as I observed the pleasant expression on her face. I was gathering my thoughts just as one of the patient’s family came into the room from out of town. I reintroduced myself as he put some personal items down on a nearby couch. Then, as he made his way over to the loved one’s bedside, he spontaneously asked this question, “Are we going to pray?” I was caught off guard by his prompting, but immediately responded as I put my hat, gloves, and phone down on a chair, “Sure!...
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Managing Incidents

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I was perturbed, and felt inconvenienced, until I discovered what was going on! This snow and extremely cold spell have had my nerves more than a little on edge. So, when I looked up to see 18-wheeler trucks and other vehicular traffic lined up farther than my eye could see, I complained aloud to myself, “Here they go again! These guys looking for a shortcut are further tearing up our badly maintained Sherman boulevard! What’s going on?!” Image credit: gettyimages.com Eventually, I would be able to make my right turn and join the flow traveling through a couple of traffic lights and across the Sangamon River up to Peoria Road. On the way, I saw a small but insightful sign above the I-55 directional sign. It simply read, “Incident Bypass.” I knew immediately, this was not about shortcuts, but rather IDOT was managing something up on the interstate highway that required a diverting of traffic through our quiet little village. Recently, I have had one thing after another of personal and...
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Sharing Hope!

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My family and I have been eating black-eyed peas with ham and corn bread on New Years Day since January 1, 1978. We had moved to Granbury, Texas, four months before and quickly began learning the culinary ways of Southerners. On that first New Years Day in the Lone Star State, some close friends invited us to dinner and introduced us to the tradition of eating black-eyed peas. We soon learned the reason behind this perceived good luck and prosperity! Photo: Compliments of our Texas son, Marc! This tradition is thought to have had its roots in the post-Civil War era when African American slaves celebrated the Emancipation Proclamation with hopes for freedom and a new beginning. While many northerners would consider black-eyed peas to be nothing more than animal feed, Southerners knew that these peas with ham hock had kept them from starvation during Sherman’s march. I cannot imagine the great suffering and loss behind the tradition that emerged from those awful days in our country’s his...
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Have You Been with Jesus?

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After preaching recently, I received some kudos from close friends within our church family. While I appreciate these kind remarks, I always remember the saying, “You’re only as good as your last sermon!” Our fulltime pastors know well the weekly stress of sermon preparation. No sooner do you close the week’s message out with a benediction than it is time to begin the process all over again! I can remember many Sunday afternoons when my after-lunch time was spent at the computer with Bible in hand typing out the next week’s sermon outline! Among this most recent feedback, I was surprised by one comment. This sweet lady remarked, “Pastor, I appreciated your message last Sunday. And I like your accent, too! ” I wasn’t completely sure what accent she was referring to, but I ventured a guess with this reply, “You mean, as in Texas?!” And she nodded and responded, “Yes!” I then commented, “Well, you’re not the first to note that subtlety. I did spend fifteen years in Texas, and it did leave...
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"Plans Flipped Upside Down!"

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( Today’s guest blog features my grandson, Klay. These edited devotional remarks were shared during a worship service in a nearby senior living facility.) “Good afternoon. I want to begin by thanking you all for having me here today. It’s truly a blessing to be with you and to have the opportunity to share. My name is Klayton Michael DeFrees. I’m fifteen years old, and I’ve been told many times that I have an old soul! I’m the oldest of four siblings, and I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, about eighteen hours from here. I’m home for the holidays, spending time with the family I love very much, and I’m grateful to be here with all of you. My Poppi asked me to share a devotion today, and it’s an honor to do so. Klay & Poppi Making Big Plans! This afternoon, I’d like to reflect on a few lessons the Lord has been teaching me over the past year, and then look ahead together at how we, as the Church, can step faithfully into what God has prepared for us in the year to come.  ...
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Ignore Seasonal Distractions!

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Our pastors often begin worship services with this phrase that calls the congregation to worship, “Let’s quiet our minds and center our thoughts.” Although it is unusual, there are still times when an occasional distraction occurs. Such was the case, during a recent sermon, when the ring tone of a congregant’s cell phone startled us by repeatedly playing the theme song from Gilligan’s Island. I was not alone in chuckling about the obvious distraction. 😊 Ringtone Surprise! Image: dreamstime.com During the final week of Advent, there is a hectic rush up to the “Big Day!” In these days, I find myself stressed and more in need of “quieting and centering” to protect my emotional and spiritual well-being. As many of us know, hosting a family gathering means that there are many necessary tasks that can potentially bring distractions from the blessed spirit of the Christmas season. These family gatherings require numerous tasks to be performed. For me, there are still several boxes to check...
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