Posts from 2023 (Page 2)

Can you believe that June 2023 is already here? The year is almost half over. More importantly, what are each of us going to do with the second half, if God provides the time? It’s something to think about. Consider 2018-2023. Five years. Back in December 2018, the eldership published three goals in the church bulletin. These goals were: 1) Continue to make strong, solid Christians (Eph. 4:11-14) 2) Continue to make Lehman Avenue a strong, solid Church (Heb. 13:…

The church is the most important institution in the world from God’s perspective. Far from optional, the church is essential to our spiritual well-being (Heb. 10:24-25). It is imperative that we allow the Bible to inform our view of the church. Our world has many confusing ideas about the church, but the New Testament offers clarity. We should love the church of Christ because Jesus loves her as his bride (Eph. 5:25). Here are twenty important facts about the church…

Noah was 600 years old when the flood came upon the earth (Gen. 7:6). Abraham was 99 years old when God appeared to him and called him to a covenant (Gen. 17:1). Joseph was 30 years old when he finally rose to power under the Pharaoh (Gen. 41:46). Moses was 80 years old when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Ex. 7:7). Samuel was dedicated to the Lord as an infant, and was called by God…

Dillon Reeves was the seventh grader who saved a busload of students a few weeks ago in my mother’s hometown of Warren, Michigan. Dillon sprang into action, applied the brakes, and pulled the bus to safety when he noticed his bus driver was losing consciousness. Dillon credits the quick action to the fact that he did not have a cell phone. What else are you going to do when you don’t have a phone? Reeves said in an interview with…

An elderly widow had a tragic fire in her home. Her house burned completely to the ground. She lost her furniture, clothes, everything! Her son, who lived in another state, heard about it and called his mother. “Mom, is everything OK? Are you alright? Were you hurt at all?” She said, “I’m OK. I’ve lost everything, but I’m alright.” He said, “Well, Mom, do you have any money?” She responded, “Yes, son, how much do you need?” Surely there are…

When John the Baptist was born to his parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, we are told that he was the one who was going to prepare the way for Jesus (Lk.1:11-18, 1:68-80; cf. Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1, 4:5). John would get the hearts of Israel ready to receive her king. His primary focus was on calling Israel to repentance and then baptizing them for the forgiveness of their sins (Matt. 3:2; Mark 1:4). In addition to baptizing people John said some…

What a tremendous success it was. Sometimes it can be hard to find or determine success. The unit of measure can vary, but in this case on all levels we can easily say, “This was a great success.” If you want to measure it by attendance, I think we can safely say that our expectations were exceeded. We had somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 people come through our doors. If you want to measure it by how far and…

This weekend has no doubt served to equip us to be better teens, college students, young adults, singles, parents, members, elders, preachers, servants, and aging Christians. Such great speakers and subjects have helped us to grow in Christ and build a better spiritual future. At Lehman Avenue, we are trying to equip ourselves through several specific opportunities. With Western Kentucky University here in town, we have actively sought to minister to them and grow their faith. This is a significant…

Our society is becoming more ungodly and secular all the time. A quick glance at the news reminds us that more and more people are becoming anti-God in their thoughts and approach to life. However, the statistics still show that many Americans identify as Christians. Of the 332 million people that live in our country, 210 million people claim to be Christians (that’s 63%). That means some 210 million people in our country claim to follow Jesus, submit to him…

Was Jesus “radical?” The word carries a lot of political baggage nowadays, as it is used to describe extremism. Lately, I’ve heard this word being used to describe Jesus and his teachings relative to the religious customs of his time. Some of these were used to criticize “traditional” Christianity, suggesting that conservative Christianity is pharisaic and contrary to the radical spirit of Jesus who challenged the religious elites of his day. So, was Jesus radical? It is true that Jesus…

Pray, specifically, about having opportunities to share your faith. Think about the people in the various places you spend your time and ask God for inroads with these individuals specifically. Pray for courage, wisdom, and your words (cf. Col. 4:2-6). Pray for their hearts. Pray to pick opportune times to approach them. Cultivate your fields. Spend time thinking about who you have or can build a relationship with. That will be your area of greatest success. Be involved in their…

On the Lehman web page, there is an FAQ for our upcoming workshop, April 20-23, right here at the building. Registration continues to climb every day. Please take a moment to do so, if you haven’t already. Consider this article to be a supplement to the information there. Perhaps you, your parents, or grandparents watch(ed) Jeopardy growing up. One of the distinct features of the show was that there were answer clues, and contestants had to supply the questions. I…

It is interesting to read the Bible and see God using people of various ages to serve him. We sometimes say, “God can use anyone to accomplish his will”, and this is true. However, it is fascinating to read the Bible and notice that God often did some of his greatest work with those in their senior years. God commissioned Noah to build the ark and save the human race around his six- hundredth birthday (Gen. 7:6). Abram was seventy-five…

Miyamoto Musashi is a legendary Japanese sword-saint and philosopher who lived during Japan’s feudal period. He is undisputedly the greatest swordsman in the history of Japan, thanks to his record of 61 duels. He remained undefeated, and at the end of his life, Musashi crystalized all the wisdom he learned in his book, The Book of Five Rings. In it, this quote can be found: “I must say that to die with one’s sword still sheathed is most regrettable.” What…

Have you ever thought about the time that you have wasted? In Ecclesiates chapter 3, Solomon said everything has its time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven.” Some ways in which we use our time may have little lasting value. But the things we do for the Lord and His kingdom will have an everlasting effect on us and the Kingdom and future generations. Do you remember Esther and Mordecai’s…

Anugrah Kumar, a Christian Post contributor, shares a strange offer from a Southfield, Michigan, attorney. Perhaps Walter Bentley was seeking publicity, but the law professor and Detroit-area lawyer offered his services for free to the “lucky” couple with the best break up story. He added his twist of irony by providing this “gift” on Valentine’s Day, a day so many in our nation use to demonstrate their love for their mate in a special way. Bentley claimed to have had…

When you read the gospels it is apparent that no one loved children more than Jesus. Jesus held children up as an example of the type of character that must be possessed to enter the kingdom (Matt. 18:1-5). He assured his disciples that the kingdom of heaven belongs to children and those like them (Matt. 19:13-14). While Jesus did not heal every sick person or raise every dead person from the grave it is interesting to see those who did…

Several of our classes have assistants to the Bible class teacher. She (or perhaps in select cases “he”) serves in a support role, helping students do handwork, find Bible verses, or occasionally keep order. These are vital roles, and often a teacher’s aid later actually becomes a teacher. Teachers’ aids are part of a great team and education system that benefits everyone in the classroom. There is a constant, pressing need for more teachers’ aids. I don’t mean in the…

We love to talk about resolutions and plans to make positive changes in the early parts of the new year. Something that is less emphasized in that process, however, is the acknowledgement of past mistakes and being aware of what needs to be addressed. For example, gym memberships spike in the new year as people with newfound resolve flock to their local gyms with lofty goals to transform their bodies. However, the downfall of many of these people—and the reason…

Thankfully, every Sunday, we notice sounds throughout our assembly – the wonderful sounds of babies and toddlers. I am so glad to hear it! Sunday morning services without the sounds of children are quite sad, and likely indicate a dying congregation. This eldership always wants to encourage our mothers and fathers to keep those children in church! To the young parents: Most of us have been where you are now. We understand and support you. We know it can be…

APPEAL. ANNOUNCE. ASSIST. ATTEND. It’s possible that you have seen these words on the Lehman Facebook Members Group page. On April 20-23, 2023, we will have some of the greatest men and women speakers in the entire brotherhood converging on our facilities to challenge us to make our Christianity more practical. They will motivate, encourage, and convict you. In addition to SEVEN of our members (David Chang, Dawson Eubank, Caden Hammer, Brittani Kemp, Hiram Kemp, Kathy Pollard, and myself), we…