Podcast: Download (168.4MB)

Kathy and I are working on a little project at the farm that requires some expert advice so I called my architect friend, Doug Thornton, to set up an appointment.  Doug designed our facility at DeSoto Hills and is a former member.  He and his family now attend a church in Hernando that’s closer to their home.  I still miss them, but that’s a story for another day. Doug and Michelle are both from Corinth where I ministered many years ago, so we have a long history together.  I performed their marriage ceremony and have served as their pastor in three different churches.  Doug is a gifted architect so we were anxious to have his input.  Over the phone, I gave him a little info about what we needed.  He said he would text me and let me know when he could see us.  This is when the communication began to break down on my end.  Later that week I got a text from him which simply asked (simple is the key to texting)  “would 130 or 322 work for us”?   I looked at my watch and it was already after 1 o’clock, so I sent a reply saying that 322 would be fine.  I called Kathy and told her we had a meeting set up that very afternoon with Doug. We were pumped to be able to see him so quickly.   A little later it struck me kind of odd that the appointment time was 322.  He must be really disciplined and extremely busy to be setting times to see folks in that fashion.  That’s when I checked the text again and discovered that in my excitement, I had read the thing wrong.  It did not say “130 or 322”.  It said “130 on 322”.  Our appointment was for March 22 at 1:30.  Oops!  One small two-letter word made all the difference.   Maybe today you have misread what the Lord is saying.  You are disappointed or a little frustrated because he hasn’t done what you thought he would.  Perhaps you should go back and reread the message a little more carefully.  You may find that, like my text message from Doug, you have read his word all wrong.  A small word can have a world of difference.
[

Podcast: Download (169.9MB)

One of the many well-known quotes by Benjamin Franklin says, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”  If that’s true, you should have one very rich preacher, sharp as a tack, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.  I am an “early to bed, early to rise” kind of guy.  Now I bring that all up to say that the issue in this “nook” is not a problem for me, but merely a cause that I am taking up for those more geared towards sleeping in.  Every Monday through Friday morning I hear it at almost exactly the same time.  It’s one of those piercing sounds designed to get your attention.  It’s not an alarm clock jarring me to life as you would think.  This sound comes from outside and several streets over.  You’ve heard it before.  It’s made by everything from a school bus or a delivery van to a forklift.  It always occurs when the vehicle is backing up as a warning to anyone or anything that might be in the way.  You know the sound “beep…beep…beep.”   Nothing wrong with that sound, but when it happens every morning around 5 am, it can grate on your nerves, especially if it rolls you out of bed.  I am up, or at the very least, awake when it goes off, but I can only imagine what the neighbors must think as their sleep is abruptly disturbed every weekday morning by a sound that seems more suited for a warehouse than a suburban neighborhood.  Hey, I don’t fault the driver for working.  I even admire their energy in being up and ready to leave so early, but it’s just that “beep…beep…beep” that I keep thinking about.  In my mind there is a simple solution – back in each afternoon so you can pull straight out in the morning.  Maybe today there is a “beep…beep…beep” in your own life that could use some thoughtfulness on your part to be a little less annoying.

Sweet dreams,
[

Podcast: Download (181.4MB)

Are you a “tipper” or a “tither”?  I first heard that terminology used years ago at a training seminar for evangelism, of all places.  It was not used in a derogatory way, but simply stated as a fact. The concept has stuck with me all these years, although I have never shared it with folks in any public forum.   Some people regularly, and I might add Biblically, give a percentage of their income to the work of the Lord, while others lean more towards “tipping”.  Generally tippers give less often and less money.  They are moved to give at times by a song or a message, or perhaps even a special service or need.  Giving for them is not necessarily a budgeted thing, but typically just falls into the category of miscellaneous expenses.   The danger of this kind of giving is that more often than not, the amount of the tip seems to be derived by whatever resources, if any, are left over.   Don’t get me wrong.  We appreciate what is given, no matter how little the amount or how sporadic the timing.  However, we cannot flourish here on tips alone.  Thanks to all the giving that is taking place now, we continue to survive even in these tough economic times.  However, to address our expanding ministry needs, more resources will be needed. My challenge for all of us today is to prayerfully consider moving from being merely a “tipper” to a faithful “tither”.  If you are already tithing, I encourage you to likewise consider adding an extra tip to your tithe.  Tithing is the scriptural place to start giving, but certainly not a place to stop.

“Will a man rob God?  Yet you rob me.  But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’
“In tithes and offerings…Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse…test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty,” and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessings that you will not have room enough for it.” 

Malachi 3:8-11
A tip for us all,
[

Podcast: Download (177.3MB)

What might have been considered science fiction only a few years ago is now a household word.  It is an item that is used by countless people everyday.  Some probably use it out of necessity while others just enjoy the novelty of the thing.  I am referring to a GPS.  Even if you don’t have one, you probably know that those letters stand for a Global Positioning System.  Via satellite, one of these handy little devices can tell you where you are, and perhaps more importantly, how to get to where you need to go.  For this east Tennessee boy, it is truly an amazing technology.  But this spring, in Southern Baptist Churches all across America, this term is going to take on a whole new meaning.  The North American Mission Board is challenging us to “till the soil” in the weeks leading up to Easter by blanketing the neighborhoods around our church with prayer, brochures, and as the Lord leads, some personal visits in an operation they are referring to as GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing).   The hope is that through these efforts, non-believers will not only come to church on Easter, but be more receptive to the message of Easter.  I want our church to be a part of this.  We’ve been assigned the neighborhoods surrounding our church.  We need as many volunteers as possible to help us even if you can’t be at every event.  Listed are some ways you can be involved.

We need you to:

…Pray

March 1-19 we are individually focusing on praying for those who are lost in our community.

…Stuff

On Monday night March 8 and possibly March 22 we need to stuff come bags with info that will be handed out later.

…Walk

We are going to Prayer Walk the neighborhoods that surround our church on Saturday morning March 20.  This will give us an opportunity to silently pray for the needs of those who live in that area while at the same time getting a house count.

…Hang

We will return to those same neighborhoods on Saturday, March 27 to hang or hand out packages with information on salvation and our church family.

Please consider stepping up to help us with this evangelistic thrust.

Every Believer Sharing,
Every Person Hearing,
By 2020.