Thinking about Life and the Lord!

Recently there was a campaign here in my city to increase the local sales tax as a way to offer incentives to companies to move their businesses into our city. While the measure actually failed, I was quite interested in listening to the debate among residents and city business leaders. I heard all kinds of good arguments both for and against the proposal. However, there was one particular gentleman in our city who was all for the proposal. He saw me and talked for 15 minutes. Over and over again he said the same thing, "Pastor, the people of our city deserve more and better businesses. Our children deserve more businesses. We just deserve to make life better for ourselves." I understand the guy's passion because who doesn't want things to be better for themselves, their children, or their neighbors. However, that one phrase he continued to use over and over haunted me for the past couple of weeks when he said, "we deserve better." This is a distinct refle...

Recently a good friend of mine was supply preaching at a church about an hour and a half away from where we live. Somehow he got a late start leaving his house for the church that was expecting him to deliver both the morning and evening message. Because he was running late, he drove in a hurry to the small town, drove up to the church, and into the parking lot. He received a call from the kind gentleman who had invited him to come and preach for their church asking him where he was. My friend apologized and assured the man that he was in the parking lot of the church about to walk through the doors. The man was relieved and hung up the phone to wait on the preacher to walk in. Meanwhile, my friend put on his sport coat, picked up his Bible and headed through the front door. He spoke to the 2 men who were ushering at the front door of the church, assured them he was present and laughed at how he thought he was going to be late. The two ushers let him know he had arrived just in t...