I served as pastor of Southern Baptist churches in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana for almost 30 years before taking a medical leave from the pastorate in February 2013 due to dysautonomia (POTS) and moving to Norman, Oklahoma. Blessed with renewed health, I was called as Senior Pastor of Pleasant Ridge Baptist in Morganton, NC in February 2015.
In this blog I share daily devotions from my own personal Bible readings, as well as sermons, book reviews, illustrations -- and occasional humorous "peeks" at life inside this pastor's home!
Tag Archives: heaven
“Little By Little” (Deuteronomy 7:22 sermon)
I have a friend whose dad recently passed away, and now he has to deal with all his dad’s “stuff”: here’s a photo he posted on Facebook of just ONE of the storage buildings of his dad’s stuff. Someone might … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged A.W. Tozer, Alive Again, baptism in the Holy Spirit, brick on brick, C.S. Lewis, Christian life, Christianity, cobweb on the soul, Deuteronomy 7:22, Emily Dickinson, Ephesians 1:13, Eugene Peterson, finances, G.K. Chesterton, George MacDonald, glorification, heaven, holiness, justification, justification sanctification glorification, Les Miserables, little by little, lottery, marriage, marriage counseling, patience, perseverance, Promised Land, Proverbs 24, reading, reading challenge, sanctification, sluggard, Tony Robbins, Victor Hugo, x + 1
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“The Biggest Problem You Have” (Luke 5:17-26 sermon)
What is the biggest problem you have? Most of us probably had something just come to mind. Maybe it is a health issue you have; or a relationship that is giving you trouble; or a financial burden; or a problem … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Burke United Christian Ministries, C.S. Lewis, Death, finances, forgiveness, Haiti, heaven, hell, Hrip, Jesus, John 19:30, Joni Eareckson Tada, Luke 5:17-26 sermon, marriage, Matthew 10:28, paid in full, paralysis, poverty, problem, problems, quadriplegic, Romania, Royal Wedding 2018, salvation, sin, Southwest airlines accident, tetelestai
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“Meeting With God” (Exodus 29:42-45 sermon)
Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met? I was talking to Barbara Riddle the other day, after Billy Graham had passed away, and she was telling me that some years ago Ruth Graham was at the same hospital … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged adultery, assurance of salvation, Bible Reading, Billy Graham, Christianity, consecration, Exodus 29:42-45, fellowship, forgiveness, God, good deeds, heaven, holiness, homosexualiity, I John 1:5-6, I John 2:3, I Samuel 3:9, Jesus, John MacArthur Laverne & Shirley, Joy Behar and Mike Pence mental illness, language, mercy, note-taking, pornography, prayer, religion, revelation, salvation, Universal Studios, worship
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“The Man Who Almost Gave Up His Faith” (Psalm 73 sermon)
One of the best known memoirs of the Holocaust is Night by Elie Wiesel. Wiesel was a devout Jew before his experience in the Nazi death camps, but his time there destroyed his faith. He wrote, “Why, but why should I … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons
Tagged Asaph, Bible Reading, church, devotionals, doubts, Elie Wiesel, eternity, faith, Harvey Weinstein, heaven, hell, Holocaust, Hugh Hefner, it will end better, John 6, judgment, justice, Luke 16, Psalm 73, Psalm 73 sermon, punishment, questions, revelation, rewards and punishments, Rich Man and Lazarus, scripture, temptations, unanswered prayer, Whitney Hand knee injury, wrong side of history
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“What The Centurion Can Teach Us” (Acts 10 sermon)
Well I learned something new this week: Cheryl & I had dinner with Chris & Gina Bailey, and she made the best homemade eggrolls. I asked her what was in them, and one of the ingredients she mentioned was “white … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons
Tagged Acts 10, Acts 10 sermon, American flag symbol, baptism, baptism point of no return, baptism symbol, Baptist, commitment, Cornelius, Ephesians 1:13, faith, heaven, Holy Spirit, hymn To God Be The Glory, Muslims and Christian baptism, Nik Ripken, racism, Romans 3, salvation, sexuality, sin, subway, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives, the vilest offender who truly believes, universalism
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The Search For Delight (Psalm 37:4 sermon)
“Hedonism” is the belief that pleasure is the most important thing in the world, and that you should live your life, for pleasure. Most Christians would say that hedonism is wrong — but a few years ago pastor John Piper … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons
Tagged Alexander Von Humboldt, Amazon jungle, Bible Reading, Brave Companions David McCullough, C.S. Lewis, Christian hedonism, commitment, daily quiet time, delight, delight yourself, Delight yourself in the Lord, desires, devotion time, devotions, Divine Country, Ecclesiastes, effort, family, football, fulfillment, garden of Eden, heaven, hedonism, Hop on Pop, Job, John Piper, joy, Made To Crave, marriage, occupation, personal worship, pleasure, prayer, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 17:17, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 42, Psalm 4:7, quiet time, reading, river of delights, scripture memory, sin, Song This Blood, soul mate, vocation, worship
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“Reckoned Righteous” (Genesis 15:6 sermon)
One of the great blessings of reading through the Bible together this year is that in the course of the year we will come across all of the greatest verses in the Bible at one point or another. Our verse … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons
Tagged Abraham, Abram, Acts 10 Peter and Cornelius, Al Mohler, Augustine Confessions, Augustine of Hippo, commitment, cross of Christ, deserve, faith, forgiveness, Genesis 12, Genesis 15:6, Genesis 15:6 sermon, Genesis 17, Genesis 20, heaven, holier than thou, Holy Spirit, II Corinthians 5:21, imputed righteousness, Isaiah 53:4, Job 19:15, justification, Martin Luther King, MasterLife, paralzyed man Matthew 9, R.C. Sproul Jr. content of His character, reckoned, righteous, righteousness, Romans 3:10-12, Romans 4 and Genesis 15:6, salvation, sin, Spurgeon, thief on the cross, tzedek
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