Last week I introduced this series of articles under the theme of Breaking the Addiction of Tradition. The basic focus is to see how man has often taken God's truths, altered them in some way, resulting in a tradition that no longer embodies God's truth. This week I want to take a step or two back into our calendar and consider once more the birth of Jesus. For many years I have been taught that God has a plan for your life. Likewise, parents, friends, and even ourselves

Truth has the potential to be replaced by a tradition that seems similar but is really far from the truth. We have just gone through a season of holidays that are filled with family traditions such as menu items and decorations. My focus is not on whether a family has turkey or ham for Thanksgiving or Christmas - that is a family preference (I am still very partial to my grandmother's recipe for dressing with the turkey on Thanksgiving). Rather, for the next several weeks I

Have you ever tried to write an article or blog post when you have a significant sinus infection? After a couple of attempts, my advice is DON'T. I have a series of three I am anxious to write but they will all be moved down a week on the January calendar. Thankful for autocorrect for the first time - it has saved some embarrassment. Thank you for your understanding. Have a great week.

Only a few days remain in our calendar year 2025. Of course, with the ending of one calendar year, a New Year (2026) will begin the next day. These days of transition are when we tend to evaluate the condition of our lives and lay plans for how we are going to improve in the next year. The term "New Year's Resolutions" becomes a catch phrase during these days. There are two aspects to "New Year's Resolutions." The first aspect is to try and remember the resolutions we made

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are traditionally filled with decorations, gifts, food, and family. The eyes of children sparkle while parents watch and enjoy their children's responses. There is nothing wrong with any of these traditions. However, I just want to remind all of us that first and foremost, Christmas is about celebrating and worshiping Jesus on the day designated to remember His birth and coming into our world as the promised Christ. Before Christmas Day end

In our continuing look at the first coming or advent of Jesus into our world, we have seen the HOPE that was presented by the Old Testament prophets as they spoke of what God was going to do to bring real HOPE into our world. Next, we saw the LOVE of God revealed in the town of Bethlehem where baby Jesus was born in a stable, a place of humility and innocence. Last week we considered the shepherds who heard of the birth of Jesus from the angel and saw the great JOY that was

If you have read the last two weekly posts of mine, you have some background in understanding Advent. It simply means the arrival or coming. In terms of Christmas we are considering the arrival of Jesus as the Christ or the Messiah. The first week focused on the PROPHETS who foretold the coming of the Messiah and emphasized HOPE. The second week focused on BETHLEHEM, the place of Jesus' birth, and emphasized LOVE. Today, we look at the third focus which is upon the SHEPH

In 1982, I had been serving for two years as the church planter and founding pastor of a church in a small but growing suburb in Texas. The members and attenders had moved to the area from several different states. Their cultures and religious backgrounds were varied but their desire for community had brought them to our church. We had just moved into our first permanent building and Christmas was only a few weeks away. Was there a way that through understanding the true

Introduction In 1982, I had been serving for two years as the church planter and founding pastor of a church in a small but growing suburb in Texas. The members and attenders had moved to the area from several different states. Their cultures and religious backgrounds were varied but their desire for community had brought them to our church. We had just moved into our first permanent building and Christmas was only a few weeks away. Was there a way that through understand

This week many families will gather to celebrate Thanksgiving. From the harvest feast in 1621 shared by the English colonists and the Wampanoag people to Abraham Lincoln declaring Thanksgiving Day to be a national holiday to 2025, the celebration of Thanksgiving has gone through many variations. In many gatherings, the practice of giving thanks will be overshadowed by football and food. In other gatherings, some families will take the cue of the day to share their thankfuln

Growing up I watched Rin Tin Tin and Lassie . While each show featured a dog, a boy, and some adults, the star of each episode was the dog - Rinty (a nickname) and Lassie were always there to save the day. Rinty protected Rusty in the old west while they both lived at Fort Apache. Lassie always knew when Timmy had fallen into a well and needed help. Well, those two television programs are no longer being shown. Instead, to understand dogs and people better I watch all th

November 11 is Veteran's Day in our nation. It is a time to specifically recognize and give thanks to those men and women who have served in our military. Veteran's Day was named in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This date had originally been named Armistice Day at the conclusion of World War I. The armistice between the Allies and Germany was officially signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. My maternal grandfather was a veteran of WW

This weekend was the conclusion of another round of Daylight Saving Time. I am not sure where the time was saved because I am still behind on several projects. I was told that this time change enabled me to regain the hour of sleep I lost in the spring. However, I know that I have lost more than one hour's sleep over the last month and a lot more since last spring. Just last week I lost several hours watching the 18 inning World Series baseball game - when do I get those

Having lived most of my life in Texas, preparation for winter was not a major endeavor. But life in Colorado is considerably different. Our lawn sprinkler system was shut down and the lines blown out about two weeks ago. Hoses have all been disconnected from the hose bibs so that inside pipes won't possibly break. Our furnace has been serviced and is working well. The bears in Colorado are foraging for food up to 20 hours per day seeking 20,000 calories per day to add 60

Have you ever considered what your life would be like if God answered every prayer you prayed with a positive response? You and I often pray with little thought to the full consequences of a positive answer. We do not know what tomorrow holds much less a few weeks, months, or years in the future. As a teenager, I heard a sermon on prayer. Our preacher said that God answers prayer as "Yes," "No," or "Not Yet." He went on to say that a "Yes" answer may come with some revisi

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There is an old joke about a pastor asking children a question during a Children's Sermon one Sunday morning. He asked if any of the...

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THERE WAS A TIME when words kept violence at bay, when words were spoken in truth, when words were the value of a man, when words brought...