Thinking about Life and the Lord!

The following article was recently posted by David Francis, Director of Sunday School for LifeWay Christian Resources. It is a tongue-n-cheek look at how churches sometimes are not welcoming to guests. I think you'll enjoy this! Thanks David for this article!! NASHVILLE, Tenn., 4/10/2008 -- April Fool’s Day is behind us, but it is still close enough for some people – like me! – to slip in some tongue-in-cheek jests. So in honor of April Fool’s Day, this list is for all those churches who really would rather people just leave them alone.Got too many people visiting your church? Need to do some things to discourage them from coming back a second time? Here are 10 ways to make guests feel unwelcome should they show up at your church or class. You don’t even need to do all of them. But be careful! If you do the opposite of even six or seven of the items on this list, you might discover that guests are returning for a second visit. Do the opposite of nine or 10 of them, and you could di...

Life is filled with questions! Every day we are surrounded by them. Some of the questions we face are easy to answer, while other questions seem to be impossible to ascertain. Several questions come to my mind for which there is no answer. Let me give you a few examples: Why is there not a shorter word for abbreviation? Why is there no synonym for thesaurus? Why do highly trained doctors call what they do “practicing medicine”? What is it that to stop Microsoft Windows, you have to click on the start icon? Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavoring and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons? Why is a man who invests all your money called a ‘broker’? Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour? Why isn’t there any mouse-flavored cat food? Why do you never read the headline, “Psychic wins lottery” if they can predict the future? Why are there Braille labels at drive-up ATMs? Why can’t women put on mascara with their mouths closed? As you can see, life is f...

Cal Ripken, Jr. earned the nickname "Iron Man" while playing for the Baltimore Orioles by remaining in the staring lineup for his team day after day for 2,632 games spanning over 16 years. This record broke the 56 year old mark held by Lou Gehrig. Ripken went on to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility on January 9, 2007. What was it that made him special? It was this: Ability made him good, but consistency mad him great! The difference between a great and growing church as opposed to a mediocre and plateaued church is one thing: The consistency of its members to the things of God. Alan Taylor says, "Consistency is a mixture of direction, determination, and durability." Sounds a lot like what Jesus said in Luke 9:62, when He said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God (NIV)." What is Jesus talking about? He is talking about our focus or our lack of focus. I kn...