12.30.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:41 pm by Administrator
I’ve said of late that in order to stay in a Bible-preaching church you’ll have to grow some rather thick skin. This was uniquely illustrated in the jail service last night. While we have a regular turn over in our jail ministry we’ll often have some of the same men for many weeks and months. The subject of the preaching varies from week to week while always presenting the gospel. Given the audience, I like to hit on Biblical manhood from time to time. After two great messages focusing on salvation from Bro. Roger and Bro. John I figured I’d hit the manhood subject before I preached a message on “So Great Salvation” (Heb 2). I quoted a verse from 1 Corinthians 11 on long hair being a shame to a man. We almost lost the service after this. Two men got up and left. Others had questions and comments, most in defense of long hair. (One guy said they didn’t have barbers in Biblical times – Roger showed him Ezekiel 5:1 afterward.) After more than an hour of being told and showed from the Bible that, apart from Christ, they were wicked, hell-bound sinners who would have thought that one Bible mention of a bad hair cut would have been the cause of so much consternation?
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12.28.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 5:34 pm by Administrator
On the theatre marquis in downtown Brewton I took notice recently of a catchy slogan that read, “Shop Brewton first, yesterday’s values, tomorrows technologies.”
Everybody loves a good deal, but for me “yesterday’s values” conjure up thoughts of much more than dollars and cents. All of us benefit greatly from modern advancements in technology.
The convenience of e-mail, the comfort of central heating and air, the blessing of indoor plumbing; I can’t think of anyone in a great hurry to go back in time in regards to the developments that have produced a greater level of comfort and convenience in our day-to-day lives. And yet, for many of us, there is a sensibility that our modern society has lost some ‘“values” of days gone by that the comforts and conveniences of “tomorrow’s” technologies can not recover.
Character qualities such as self-discipline, honesty, gratitude, modesty, respect, hospitality, responsibility, frugality, and dependability; seem to be fading fast in modern society and culture. I’m thankful in many ways for “tomorrows” technologies, but I’m afraid we’re missing out on many of “yesterday’s values.” To bemoan these changes while doing nothing about them is as much or more frustrating as watching the downward slide it self. Conservative, Bible-believing families can, however, do something about this shift in manners by raising their children to espouse and practice “yesterday’s values.”
“Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16).
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