Author Archives: russellmckinney

Jesus: The Conservative Icon

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #6) Ed Dobson was about as conservative as conservative gets. In 1979, when Rev. Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority (a Religious Right conservative movement that helped Ronald Reagan win the presidency in a … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Discipleship, God's Work, Ministry, Personal, Politics, Preaching, Racism, Series: "The Jesus You Know" | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jesus: The Cosmic Santa Claus

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #5) I was licensed to preach in October of 1992 and formally ordained into the ministry in February of 1993. Upon my ordination, I began my first pastorate. So, if we do the math, … Continue reading

Posted in Balance, Belief, Bible Study, Covetousness, Desires, Doctrine, Faith, Giving, God's Will, God's Word, Money, Needs, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Preaching, Problems, Prosperity, Scripture, Series: "The Jesus You Know", The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus: The Compassionate Liberal

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #4) It is remarkable how Jesus can be so many different things to so many different people. Thus far in this series, we’ve seen Him as the white supremacist’s sanction for segregation and the … Continue reading

Posted in Balance, Capital Punishment, Current Events, Extending Forgiveness, Money, Politics, Scripture, Series: "The Jesus You Know", Stewardship, The Bible, The Death Penalty, The Sermon On The Mount | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus: The Black Deliverer

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #3) I was born October 3rd, 1966, which means that I am very much a product of the 1970s and ’80s. When I was young, one of my favorite television shows was “Good Times,” … Continue reading

Posted in Church, Church Attendance, Heaven, Racism, Salvation, Series: "The Jesus You Know", Slavery | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Jesus: The White Supremist

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #2) I was born and raised in Mitchell County, N.C., and have lived here virtually my entire life. The county is small (total population around 15,000) and sits nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountain … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Personal, Racism, Salvation, Series: "The Jesus You Know", Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Does Your Jesus Look Like?

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #1) Since none of us have ever seen Jesus face to face, we are left to conjure up our own images of Him in our minds. I myself am still detoxing from a mental … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Favoritism, God's Work, Individuality, Ministry, Missions, Personal, Priorities, Series: "The Jesus You Know" | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Becoming Childlike

A man was driving down a treacherous mountain road. Suddenly, a deer bolted out in front of him, causing him to instinctively jerk the steering wheel to his left. The next thing he knew he was headed off a steep … Continue reading

Posted in Assurance of Salvation, Belief, Children, Doubt, Faith, Fear, God's Provision, Heaven, Needs, Problems, Salvation, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Different Way of Responding to False Accusations

How do you respond when someone accuses you falsely? I must confess that my first reaction is to rise to my defense, jump right back at the person, and go for the jugular with my comeback. For me, responding in … Continue reading

Posted in Adversity, Character, Complaining, Criticism, Discipleship, Humility, Justice, Persecution, Perseverance, Personal Holiness, Revenge, Reward, The Tongue, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

What Sin Costs the Christian

New Testament Christianity teaches that salvation comes by way of faith (belief) in Jesus Christ. John 3:16 can’t be much clearer: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should … Continue reading

Posted in Backsliding, Belief, Bible Study, Confession, Conscience, Conviction, Disobedience, Faith, God's Chastening, God's Holiness, Guilt, Holiness, Inner Peace, Joy, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Repentance, Salvation, Sanctification, Scripture, Sin, Sowing and Reaping, Temptation | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nothing Important Happened Today

Sometimes the facts get in the way of a good story. For years, a legend persisted that on July 4, 1776, the day the American colonies declared their independence from England, King George III’s diary entry read: “Nothing important happened … Continue reading

Posted in Commitment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Faithfulness, God's Guidance, God's Will, God's Work, Human Life, Personal, Priorities, Service, Submission | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments