“Liberty and justice for all.” So we say in our pledge of allegiance to the United States of America. Those words were penned long ago in 1892 by Francis Bellamy. Now they seem somewhat prophetic of our present times as a cry rings out against injustice in our land. The buzz word for our society […]
God is sovereign over his kingdom. He decides who gets in and who is put out. Still he invites, entices, and pleads with people to accept the invitation into his kingdom. It is his good pleasure to give his people the kingdom (Luke 12:32). But those who are invited must respond. Our text comes once […]
Have you ever heard of unpaired words? Language experts consider a word unpaired if it stands alone even though on the surface it looks like it should have a straightforward opposite. For example, “dismayed” has no corresponding opposite (“mayed”). Here are some more examples: If you’re not disgruntled, are you gruntled? Since disheveled means you […]
Use one or both of these questions to introduce the lesson: 1. What were the best seats you’ve ever had to an event like a concert, baseball game, or stage play? Why were those the best seats? What are some ways people manage to get front row seats to big events? 2. Think of an […]
A deacon’s meeting had gotten out of sorts. Tempers flared, temperatures rose, and words got ugly. One deacon tried to calm the group by saying, “I think we should just stop and pray.” Another deacon said, “Has it come to that?” Why is prayer often a last resort as opposed to a first concern? Prayer […]
