Submitted by Tim Perkins

Across the Preacher's Desk: Consumerism and Christianity

January 23, 2020 - In our day and time, we have become obsessed with the consumer mentality. To be sure, it has permeated every aspect of our lives. We look for a restaurant with the best price, menu, atmosphere and location. We shop for clothes at a store that carries our size, has our taste in clothes and the best sales.

Sadly, many take this same attitude with them when it comes to church. To be sure, we call it “church shopping”.

Across the Preacher's Desk: Leaving The Lord

January 16, 2020 - Take a leafy branch from a tree. Lay it carefully aside and watch. Slowly the color fades, the leaves go limp, they curl up and it is dead.

Take a fish out of the lake. Lay it carefully on the sand and watch. Frantically it twists, and struggles and gradually weakens, moving its gills slower, then quivers and it is dead.

Living For Jesus in 2020

January 9, 2020 - I once read where someone said the most dangerous thing in the world is to try to leap over a chasm in two jumps. That ranks right up there with the story of the young boy who cut his puppy’s tail off an inch at the time so it wouldn’t hurt so badly by cutting the entire tail off all at once. Both of those little stories illustrate the tragic mistake many people make about Jesus.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: No Room In The Inn

December 18, 2019 - There is a sad and tragic statement in the Gospel According to Luke in regard to the coming of our Savior into this world. Dr. Luke tells us that when Jesus came into the world he was “wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn”.

We read that passage through the prism of 2,000 years of history and are quick to speak harsh words about the innkeeper who forced Jesus to be born in a stable with the animals. We wonder why he could not have found a room for a woman who was great with child.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Hurt Feelings

“Tis a sad, sad story they relate, These weak and foolish beings, Who never get through the day, But someone hurt their feelings.”

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Football and Church

December 4, 2019 - Well, except for the Bowl Games, the College Football Season is about over, and as much as I like football, I am almost persuaded to quit attending sporting events. I came across the following that was written by another minister (I am not nearly creative enough to come up with this!) and he makes some compelling arguments much like the arguments folks make for quitting the church. Here are the reasons he has decided to quit attending sporting events.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Are We One of The Nine?

November 27, 2019 - Dr. Luke records a story for us in Luke 17 that occurred one day when Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and was passing through Samaria and Galilee. Jesus was approached by ten lepers, miserable creatures afflicted with a horrific disease.

Across the Preacher’s Desk… Belonging To The Church

November 21, 2019 - A preacher one time was asked if a certain man and his wife belonged to the church where he preached. His reply was, “No, they do not belong to the church here. They are members, but they do not belong to the church.”

It’s like this,” the preacher explained. “neither their time, their affection, their energy, their money, nor their influence belong to the church.”

Across the Preacher's Desk: The Family Table

November 14, 2019 - "Ready or not, here I come" was the way we announced to our companions we were coming to hunt for them when we played "hide and seek" as children. Well, as far as the Holidays are concerned, "ready or not, here they come."

I was thinking the other day about the holidays of my youth (yes, it's been a while!) and going to my grandparents home for Thanksgiving. Though we never went over the river and through the woods in a sleaigh, we did over the years make some rather long trips in the Oldsmobile!

Across The Preacher's Desk: Look In The Mirror!

November 7, 2019 - Oftentimes we wonder why the church is weak, and why that in a recent nationwide poll, almost 70% of those who claim membership in church never attend services.

We could blame it on our secular-progressive society, and we often do. We could blame it on the godless politics of our nation, organizations like the ACLU and Freedom From Religion Foundation, and they too are often our “whipping boy.” We could even blame it on churches, hypocritical members and uncaring preachers and there are numerous Christians who are doing that also.

Shelby County Today

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