Submitted by Tim Perkins

Across the Preacher's Desk: A New Year… A New Start…

January 7, 2022 - The Christmas Holiday Season is behind us, the decorations (well, most of them anyway) have been stored for another year and we have celebrated the New Year. A classic poem written by Helen Field Fischer came to my mind the other day. It is probably familiar to you.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: I’m Dreaming of a...

December 23, 2021 - My favorite Christmas Song, without a doubt is “White Christmas”. It was written by Irving Berlin for the movie “Holiday Inn” in 1942. My favorite recording artist for the song undeniably is Bing Crosby. I could not begin to tell you how many times I have listened to it over the years. I used to even be able to play it on the piano.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: You Can’t Help Some

December 9, 2021 - I want to apologize in advance for the tone of this column this week. It just seems that sometimes no matter how much you try to help some people, the less you seem to accomplish. That said, I have had enough! I resolve that never again will I try to help someone.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Has Christmas Made a Difference?

December 2, 2021 - Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, “Black Friday” is past and “Cyber Monday” is in the history books. We have officially started that season of the year we call the “Christmas Season”. It is a time filled with happiness and joy. There is Santa Claus, Christmas Trees, Hot Chocolate, all kinds of candies and good things to eat. It is also the time of the year when the majority of the religious world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Across the Preacher's Desk: Thank You Lord!

Tim Perkins November 25, 2021 - It's the season for Thanksgiving, and to be sure, we have much to be thankful for. Most of us will never be rich in the way that the world measures riches and yet all of us may be rich toward God.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: "The Footsteps of Jesus"

November 19, 2021 - Peter was writing about Jesus when he penned these words in I Peter 2:21, “Leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” Those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus should examine our lives and see how we are doing at following in the steps of Jesus.

Those footsteps of Jesus led him to the waters of baptism, the wilderness of temptation, the house of worship and the fields of Service. They led him to the mountain of prayer, the garden of despair, the cross of suffering, the valley of death and ultimately to the throne of God.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: “Down In The Dumps”

November 11, 2021 - Most of us have our bad days. On those days, our every act, our every thought, our every spoken sentence seems to have a “but”, a “can’t” a “don’t”, or such like. On those days, we are at our worst. We fret about our health and our circumstances and we pity ourselves to the very verge of tears.

But what do we get out of it? Well, we get misery and worry. By compounding every problem and considering every obstacle, we make matters worse than they are.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: “Which Gate”

November 4, 2021 - According to the teachings of Jesus, every person is going through one of two gates. Either they are choosing to enter the narrow gate and the narrow way that leads to life or they are choosing the broad way which leads through the broad gate to destruction.

These two ideas represent two ways of life. One represents the way of good while the other represents the way of evil. The thought taught by Jesus in Matthew 7 is that more people will follow the easy and popular way of life than the one prescribed in the scriptures.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: “Take A Little Honey”

October 28, 2021 - Do you remember hearing that old saying, “you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar?” It is something we have heard all of our lives.

If you turn to the book of Genesis, when Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food, they took a lot of gifts, balm, spices, myrrh, nuts, almost are all mentioned and Genesis 43:11 says “a little honey.”

We have all known folks with a lot of ability, a lot of intelligence, but there was no honey in their lives, no sweetness, no joy.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Living God’s Kind of Life

October 21, 2021 - Sometimes, the best thing we can do is just get out of the way, not make any comment and let the Word of God do all the talking. The dictionary defines obedience as “compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.”

That said, here is what Jesus said in the Sermon on The Mount in Matthew 7:21; “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (KJV)

Here is that same passage in some other translations:

Shelby County Today

Menu