I distinctly recall the first time I met Harry Reeder. He had recently come to be the pastor at Briarwood Presbyterian Church and we had a graveside funeral together at Elmwood. How did that happen? The deceased was a Briarwood member whom I had gotten to know because I pastored his daughter and family. TheyContinue reading “Harry Reeder: Thoughts from a Grateful Neighbor”
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THE key issue: The Authority of Scripture
“I know what the Bible says about abortion, but I am for it!” Even after many years, those words still hit me like a gut punch. They were spoken to me by a person who was in church almost every Sunday and even led in a Sunday School class at their church. While there areContinue reading “THE key issue: The Authority of Scripture”
Life’s Seasons
I shared this devotion with our staff team today and decided to share it in this space. My favorite season of year just started: FOOTBALL SEASON!! Seriously, we all know that there are four seasons of the year that all of us walk through. We all have our favorite and least favorite seasons. For me,Continue reading “Life’s Seasons”
My thoughts on the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention
Because I know that this post might have greater interest than usual, I decided to provide a brief recap at the beginning (for those who want a quick bottom line) and then take a more detailed dive into some issues in the rest of this post for those who are interested. MY SUMMARY OF THEContinue reading “My thoughts on the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention”
Appreciating My Pastors
“The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17, NASB95) October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Like many pastors, I have been blessed with a number of personal cards and words of appreciation during this month. In recent days, IContinue reading “Appreciating My Pastors”
When You Are Weary of the Dying
I was only a few weeks into the pastorate of my first church. Riley walked into my office – a man in his 80’s who wanted to “get to know” his new 23 year old pastor. It was quickly apparent that Riley was a little lonely and just wanted to talk. It wasn’t long untilContinue reading “When You Are Weary of the Dying”
Personal thoughts on the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention
Since returning from Nashville, I have been asked about the convention by several members of the church I serve, as well as friends and family. Some indicated they had been keeping up through the news media – which frightens me! Others indicated they had heard the convention was “going liberal.” In an effort to communicateContinue reading “Personal thoughts on the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention”
Good Friday 2021
Take time to focus on Christ today. We decided to share our Good Friday service completely virtually this year. Grab your Bible, get in a quiet place, and let this service point you to Christ.
A Pastor’s Reflections on 2020
On Sunday January 5, 2020 I walked to the pulpit at Lakeside Baptist Church and preached a message entitled “Power for 2020.” The message was the beginning of a series through the book of Acts and the focus was on how we need the power of the Lord in our day more than anything else.Continue reading “A Pastor’s Reflections on 2020”
The Last Season
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, ESV) WILL WE EVEN PLAY? This was the question hanging over the 2020 Briarwood Lions football season. The COVID-19 pandemic had affected everyone and everything. The total shut down that came in the spring had given way to gradualContinue reading “The Last Season”