Category Archives: Priorities

The Elderly Woman

My previous post was the first of a two-part series on the Bible’s description of the ideal elderly man and woman. This description is found in Titus 2:1-5, and with that first post I covered the passage’s description of the … Continue reading

Posted in Adultery, Aging, Anger, Character, Children, Desires, Doing Good, Family, God's Word, Headship, Love, Marriage, Motherhood, Parenting, Priorities, Rebellion, Service, Sex, Sin, Submission, Teaching, The Tongue, Wives | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Fine Line Between Hard Work & Idolatry

Tonya and I once attended an academic awards ceremony for our son, Royce. He was finishing up his sophomore year of high school and receiving what the school called an “Academic Letter” for having a grade point average of 4.0 … Continue reading

Posted in Balance, Business, Choices, Commitment, Desires, God's Will, God's Work, Idolatry, Personal, Priorities, Prosperity, Service, Sports, Talents, The Sermon On The Mount, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God’s Fiddle

Bob Jones Sr., who founded Bob Jones University (a Christian university in Greenville, S.C.), used to tell the story of a student from North Carolina named Dorothy. Dorothy came from a family that wanted nothing to do with Jesus Christ … Continue reading

Posted in Balance, Brokenness, Desires, Discipleship, Disobedience, Dying To Self, God's Name, God's Will, God's Work, Idolatry, Joy, Music, Obedience, Priorities, Sanctification, Service, Submission, Talents | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Working Out Your Own Salvation

A man bought an acreage of hilly land dotted with boulders and covered with weeds and briars. He then began his work on the land. First, he paid a backhoe operator and a dump-truck driver to dig up the boulders … Continue reading

Posted in Backsliding, Change, Commitment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Faithfulness, God's Work, Ministry, Personal Holiness, Priorities, Salvation, Service, Sin, Temptation, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Word American Christians Don’t Want to Hear

But the Lord said him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s … Continue reading

Posted in Adversity, Children, Commitment, Courage, Disappointment, Discipleship, Faithfulness, Giving, God's Work, Loneliness, Ministry, Money, Parenting, Pastors, Persecution, Perseverance, Preaching, Priorities, Problems, Prosperity, Service, Sports, Stewardship, Suffering, Tithing, Trials | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Mayonnaise Jar

A philosophy professor stood before his class and began an object lesson. First, he sat an empty mayonnaise jar on the table in front of him. Next, he brought out a box of rocks that were each about two inches … Continue reading

Posted in Discipleship, Dying To Self, Family, Friendship, God's Will, Human Life, Needs, Priorities, Salvation, Sanctification, Service | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Greatest Commandment

A group of men went deer hunting. After setting up camp, they separated into pairs to do their hunting. Bob and Joe paired up to hunt together, and Joe killed a huge 10-point buck. Bob then volunteered to help him … Continue reading

Posted in Choices, Commitment, Discipleship, Dying To Self, Faithfulness, Humor, Idolatry, Personal Holiness, Priorities, Sanctification, Service, The Heart, Worship | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Church Attendance in the Summer

Memorial Day in America has long been called “the unofficial beginning of summer.” With that in mind, I’d like to talk to you about the “summer slump” most churches experience in regards to attendance in June, July, and August. I … Continue reading

Posted in Balance, Choices, Church, Church Attendance, Commitment, Discipleship, Faithfulness, God's Will, Memorial Day, Pastors, Personal, Priorities, Sports, Worship | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Idolatry

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21, N.K.J.V.) The Old Testament’s history of Israel is dominated by the Jews committing the sin of idolatry. Even though the first two commandments of Israel’s law prohibited idolatry, the Jews … Continue reading

Posted in Backsliding, Balance, Commitment, Confession, Discipleship, Idolatry, Priorities, Repentance, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Preacher Cassity’s Desires

I was sorting through some old stuff and came across a sermon outline from Richard M. Cassity. His friends called him Dick, but our entire county knew him as “Preacher Cassity.” He befriended me when my days as a young … Continue reading

Posted in Desires, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Family, God's Will, God's Work, Heaven, Ministry, Personal, Personal Holiness, Priorities, Salvation, Sanctification, Service, Thankfulness, Trusting In God, Witnessing, Worry | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments