Posts from 2023

Have you ever wondered about the origin of New Year’s resolutions? I have. If they are to be trusted, the folks at the History Channel denote the Babylonians, nearly 4,000 years ago, as the founder of such culture-wide determinations. It was as part of a 12-day religious festival known as Akitu. Later, at the prompting of none other than Julius Caesar, the Romans, again as a nod to a god—Janus, the two-faced god who looked backward and forward—observed the advent…

Where has time gone? We are already toward the end of another year! At Lehman Avenue, the theme for 2023 was Engaging Everyone for Eternity taken from Ephesians 4:11-16. As we reflect on the year, we see where there was a lot of engagement among our Lehman family. From our church family pulling together to bring about Equipped, the start of the Cumberland Trace building project, the tremendous spiritual growth among the members, and the involvement of so many members…

Often, during this time of year, there is an emphasis placed upon the gifts brought by the magi to Jesus—“gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Mat. 2:11). They understood how Jesus was worthy of worship (2:2,11) and celebration (2:10). Their giving flowed from that recognition. The book of Hebrews turns the tables and reveals the Jesus who is the gift-giver. The same Greek word used to describe the wise men’s gifts to Jesus is used twice by the writer of…

I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase before: “He’s mailed it in.” It describes someone who delivers a performance without commitment or effort, with lackluster results. People usually “mail it in” when they give their two-week notice on a job or when the sports game is nearly over and there’s no chance of winning. An individual or group that has mailed it in may not quit outright, but they are just going through the motions and have already surrendered internally. As…

We struggle and strain to carry our load We buckle as it gets heavier on our backs We fall and hurt on this rough, rocky road The weight makes us stop in our tracks Looking around with a face full of pleading We wonder who is observing our pain We’re wounded, weary, broken and bleeding Set to surrender from the stress and strain Tears flow freely, we have been here before We know how the journey seems endless Certain we…

Philippians 4:6 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Today the world is in turmoil. There is so much uncertainty about what the future holds, and it is affecting lives like never before. Jesus and the New Testament writers have clearly spelled out that we can have control over our emotions (Jn 14:1). Paul deals with the problems of anxiety or worry that we perceive…

Sometimes a person wants so desperately to do something that they rationalize their decision to do so by crediting God with “sending a sign” or by concluding that “it’s meant to be.” In an age where God communicates to man, not by voice or directly through His Spirit but by His Word, this can prove dangerous thinking. The dilemma often is when we pray for something having multiple choices or outcomes, and then we have to make a decision. Most…

There are many ways that we could describe Christianity. We could focus on the truth of Christianity or the holistic nature of the faith that touches every aspect of our lives (1 Thess. 5:23). However, one thing we should also remember is that Christianity is a religion of beauty. Christianity is beautiful in the sense that the truths, concepts, and doctrines it espouses thrill the souls of its adherents and provides hope for the world. Christianity is not based on…

The late country music singer Joe Diffie had a hit song back in 1993 entitled “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)”. The song expresses the sentiment of a good ole boy who, should he kick the bucket, have his lifeless body posed in the honky tonk that he dearly loves. Even though the song is tongue-in-cheek and supposed to funny, it’s anything but humorous. One line in the chorus goes, “Lord I wanna go to Heaven, but…

Each of us is blessed with talents, although some are five talent people and others maybe a two or one talent person. I tend to believe we each have more talents than we might think. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, the master gave his servants varying talents. To one he gave five, to another he gave two and to another he gave one. Each of us is no different than the servants aforementioned. They, just as…

As you look at the contents of most church bulletins, you’ll find a list of people who need prayer. Most of the time these folks are sick, battling a serious disease, they are shut-in and unable to leave home or in nursing facilities. Some may need prayers of encouragement as they go through a difficult time. The prayer list can be quite long, with some names staying on the list for many months. Sadly, we may become accustomed to the…

All people in the world are watching our words and deeds. Jesus teaches, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Jesus is calling for a “walking confession,” a life which is an open book. aven” (Matt. 5:16). Jesus is calling for a “walking confession,” a life which is an open book. The Christian’s life is a manual, revealing what a Christian talks and…

The Bible emphasizes the importance of hard work as a part of humanity’s responsibility to God (Gen. 2:15, 3:19). However, for all that God teaches about the nobility of work he also emphasizes the need for humans to rest. Rest is not for the weak and fragile, rest is for the finite. Here are a few things to consider in regard to what the Bible teaches us about our need for rest. At the conclusion of creation God rested (Gen.…

Several years ago my family, my sister’s family, and my parents took a trip out west. For me, it was the trip of a lifetime. We flew to Denver, rented vehicles, and drove about 5,000 miles, visiting several states and many iconic landmarks. Over 17 days, we stayed in 13 different places. Most of the places we stayed were major tourist attractions, and we knew the timeframe to see them in the summer was pretty short. We knew that in…

Paul makes an interesting statement while addressing the successful effort the Corinthian church made in disciplining an erring brother along with the successful outcome of his having repented. He urges them to show him love, comfort, and forgiveness. The bottom line Paul gives for the urgency of their obedience is “so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11). Back in the first letter, the church’s attitude…

Henry Adams wrote, “One friend in a lifetime is much, two are many, and three are hardly possible.” While I do not share his pessimism or cynicism, I do believe that true, close friends are certainly not prevalent. There are too many factors at play. Friendships take time, trust, and transparency. Some things can be barriers to developing close companionship from contrasting values to clashing viewpoints. The Bible gives insight into factors essential to building true, lasting friendships. Since God…

Recently, I researched the spiritual resiliency of young adults as they went through college. During this research, I looked at many studies that agreed on one thing, that the majority (almost 2/3) of young people lose their faith when they leave home. College students, Lehman Avenue is a congregation that loves college students and young adults! We have a very active group called “The Crew” with Bible classes on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights in the multipurpose room, grub night…

He died on February 27, 2011, having reached the age of 110 years and 26 days old. As author Richard Rubin set the perspective, if you go back 110 years from the day of his birth it was the year the United States ratified the Constitution (Last of the Doughboys, 439)! Video interviews abound for Mr. Buckles. As you watch them, you will be impressed with a dignified, articulate, meek, and thoughtful man. Though that generation is often a forgotten…

There seems to always be a worship war taking place in some theological circles. Some are worried that not enough passion is being shown and that there is a heavy-handed emphasis on being sure our actions conform to scripture. Others who are deeply committed to making sure the scriptures are being handled properly never stop to think of how our hearts and emotions must also be involved in worship. God is looking for us to worship him properly (John 4:23-24).…

The theme was timely and smart. Involvement was impressive! Attendance was perhaps unprecedented! It’s easy to see that so many of our Lehman family “stood for” this year’s Bible School! Community interest was astounding! Thank you for everyone you invited. Advertising was a huge success (thanks to David Chang for his parting effort, a fitting final effort in what has been an outstanding work by him with this church). But what did this VBS stand for? Visitors Bombarding Services! Not…

Opportunity is a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something. It is an event or moment at which actions of importance or significance can be achieved, a critical or decisive moment in time, a period marked by distinct conditions. Opportunity in the bible is mentioned as a season. Times of opportunities must be discerned. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” We as Christians should take…

Quick. Name the top three accomplishments of Grover Cleveland’s presidency. I’ll wait. Nothing? Don’t feel dense or unpatriotic. He’s not in most historians’ top 10 (25?) of American presidents. But nearly 137 years ago, he was at the helm and dedicated the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. This, if you don’t recall, was the proposed gift of French historian Edouard de Laboulaye in honor of America’s alliance with France during the Revolutionary War, sculpted by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, designed…

The title of this article is not meant to suggest that we have forgotten widows, but it captures an idea that runs throughout the Bible. God is often telling his people to remember the marginalized, the suffering, the hurting, the lonely, and the outcast. One group of people that is repeatedly mentioned by God as needing to be remembered and cared for by his people are widows. God commanded his people not to mistreat widows or he would see it…

Last year, a rare opportunity presented itself to me—a chance to go to South Korea. With Freed-Hardeman University’s business department finally being able to resume their South Korea summer program, I saw a door open to my home country. As conversations were had and plans were getting finalized, I ended up not going with the business students, but rather with a group representing the Lads to Leaders/ Leaderettes. Building up to the trip itself were a lot of nervous moments.…

About one quarter of the men on Old Providence Island are gone, and in many cases their families have no idea where they are. They are not vanishing into thin air. These Caribbean islanders are excellent mariners, and, being technically part of the country of Colombia and lying off the coast of Nicaragua, they have been swept into the net of drug trafficking. Very often, they are hired as pilots of “narco-speedboats.” If they successfully deliver their load, they make…