R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y is a four-letter word today. Well, not really, but it sure seems that way sometimes. Our society is coddling certain segments of people or special interest groups and guarding them from being responsible for anything that they do. So, if some people mess up, they would never assume (or have to assume) responsibility for it. In another way, some parents are…

In the very first letter that we have penned by the apostle Paul, he told the church in Thessalonica, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:19-20). Think about how much Paul loved…

A financial investment article addressed how readily we accumulate debt sometimes, without giving any thought to the future. The article concluded with this statement, “It’s mostly because we’re very aware of the short-term and happily ignore the long term.” Isn’t that sometimes a summary of human life? We focus on the short-term (i.e., the here-and-now, the what-can-I-get-out-of-this-right-now, the instant-gratification) and neglect to…

How often have you heard someone say something like the following: “Well, they don’t go to the church of Christ anymore, but they go to something that’s pretty close to it”? Would you say that “something pretty close” to the church of the New Testament is good enough? What if I told you one of the following statements-would it be “good enough”?…

It happened again. Another story came out about another celebrity who had a “wardrobe malfunction.” She placed the blame for a part of her body being “unintentionally” exposed on her  wardrobe “malfunctioning.” Seriously? How are young people today going to learn to take responsibility for their own actions when they hear that you can just place the blame on an inanimate object?…

There were some “enemies of the cross of Christ,” in Philippians 3:19, “who set their mind on earthly things” (3:20). There are things that are “upon the earth” for which some seek, but notice the sharp contrast that is drawn with those of another group. Paul says that the “citizenship” of faithful Christians “is in heaven.” God uses plain language to distinguish…

There are three words that are, seemingly, almost painful for many of us to utter–“I don’t know.” To voice these words makes us vulnerable, perhaps brings ridicule from others, sometimes causes disappointment in others, and usually makes us  feel great embarrassment. But, when we state these words in openness and honesty, there are benefits that can follow. Saying “I don’t know” can…

Stress. The very word itself, just saying it, is distressing! It closely resembles “stretched,” which is what some stress feels like. It rhymes with “press,” which is what other stress feels like. Life often has a way of gripping us with tension, worry, anxiety and troubles of all sorts. When stress has you stressed, may I encourage you to take a moment…