Submitted by Tim Perkins

Across the Preacher's Desk: Don’t Be A Quitter

April 1, 2021 - Jesus didn’t quit assembling with the disciples because Judas was a hypocrite, or because Peter was always “buttin’ in”. Nor did he quit because James and John “flew off the handle” occasionally. His interest in these men was not lessened because they were envious and jealous of each other at times. He did not quit teaching the high standard of life because some of his close associates failed miserably to live as they should. He did not refuse to teach others because they were unkind and unbelieving.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: How Many Loaves Have Ye?

March 25, 2021 - We read in Mark chapter 6 that Jesus and the disciples were trying to get away from the crowd of people for a little peace and quiet. They needed some R & R as we would say. Yet, Mark tells us the multitude followed and Jesus spent the day teaching them. The “day was far spent”, evening was coming, and the great crowd of people needed to be fed. In Mark chapter 6 and verse 38 Jesus asks the disciples, “How many loaves have ye?”

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Be Generous with Butter

March 18, 2021 - If you come to our home and look in the refrigerator for the margarine, you won’t find any. You will, however, find real, sweet cream butter in both salted and unsalted varieties. We use butter at our house, lots of butter and I have the waistline to prove it! This morning, as I applied a generous amount of butter to my biscuits, I watched it turn into a beautiful golden liquid as it soaked into that dry biscuit. That beautiful golden liquid made me think of the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:12, you know, the passage we call the “golden rule.”

Across The Preacher's Desk: Dad's Fireplace

March 11, 2021 - One of the things I miss from my childhood is the fireplace we had in our home. I can remember many cold, dreary winter mornings laying in bed, pulling the covers up tight and hearing the sound of my father chopping kindling to get a fire going. It was still dark outside, there were coals in the fireplace from the fire during the night, but dad wanted to make sure there was a big fire going before my mom and I would get up in the mornings.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: The Eloquence of Silence

March 4, 2021 - Words are wonderful things. They have a beauty and eloquence all their own. Yet, there is often an eloquence without words. “Silence is golden” someone has said. Silence can also be eloquent. Jesus was the master at using the eloquence of silence. He used it many times.

Across the Preacher's Desk: Are We Thankful?

February 25, 2021 - When Paul wrote to Timothy in his second letter, he has this to say in chapter 3, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves… unthankful.” Does that description fit us in our own day and time? Lovers of self would indicate a certain degree of selfishness and along with that comes a lack of gratitude.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Dealing with Life’s Cares

February 17, 2021 - Ruth Graham wrote a book titled In Every Pew Sits A Broken Heart. All of us need to remember that from time to time. There is also a familiar passage in I Peter chapter 5 and verse 7 we need to remember. Peter writes there, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.”

You and I are in this verse! There is so much in our world that is impersonal. We live in an age of bigness and numbers. Everyone wants to know “the last four of your social” when you call wanting information.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: That I May Know Him!

February 11, 2021 - There is a little obscure sentence found in Philippians 3:10 that expressed the deepest longing and desire of the apostle Paul, where he writes, “That I may know Him.”

Across the Preacher’s Desk: What The World Needs

February 4, 2021 - The year was 1965. Hal David wrote the lyrics to a song and Burt Bacharach composed the music. The song was first recorded and made popular by Jackie DeShannon and the title was, “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” The first stanza reads like this:

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some, but for everyone.”

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Jesus’ Transforming Power

January 28, 2021 - It was at a wedding feast, in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed his first miracle. They had run out of wine, a real social miscue in that day and time. So, Mary told Jesus the problem and then told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Well, you remember the story.

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