A news article arrested my attention this morning.  It featured a Chicago Funeral Director proclaiming “These Kids Don’t Expect To Live a Full Life” anymore.  In his neighborhood, violence and murder are so common that many kids he talks to expect to die young in a violent death.  It’s just part of their...

There is always something going on at FSBCA designed to help people, and we don’t always take  the time to tell the success stories we hear.  For example, in April, our church was the host site for Project Connect, a ministry sponsored by our church and the Valley of the Sun United Way to...

I’m not a University of Kentucky fan.  Those that know me best (or even know me casually) know that I am a fan of another group of Wildcats.  Nevertheless, I learned some interesting things during March Madness about the University of Kentucky basketball team, and many of those things have...

On Monday, I heard the beep of the intercom on my phone.  I was expecting the standard, “John Doe is here to see you” or “You have a call on line 1.”  Instead, the message was totally unexpected, “Hey, Pastor Jack.  Holly says there’s a man in our dumpster.  Can you check it...

As I’ve mentioned before, I like to promote good movies that are also good movies.  I want a movie to be both enjoyable and to present a worthy theme.  I don’t necesarily expect a movie to be blatantly Christian, but I don’t want it to undermine Christian morality or to attack the...

I read a disturbing blog today about race and the church, and I’ve been thinking about it all day long.  Essentially, the blogger (Ed Stetzer) reminded me that churches are still far too segregated in many ways: Over 90% of churches in the United States are racially segregated, with 80% or more of the congregation comprised...

I read this poem last Sunday, and I had several requests for copies, so I thought I’d post it on my blog.  However, let me share with you a few disclaimers:  (1) I have been unable to find the author so I can’t give proper credit.  (2) Don’t take the...

I love a good movie.  But let’s be honest about it; seldom do we agree on the definition of “good.”  For some people, a good movie is set in the old west.  (Especially if it stars John Wayne!)  For my daughters, the best movies are musicals with love stories.  One of my...

Many years ago, a perceptive church member came up to me after my preaching and said, “Good message, Pastor, but what are we supposed to do?”  Apparently, I had proven my point but I did not give a very strong personal application.  Since that time, I always close my sermons with...

A candidate for president whom I otherwise respect said something this week that should cause all Americans–and especially all Christians–to stop and think seriously about our freedom of religion.  He said that communities should “have the right” to ban Muslim Mosques if they so choose.  And he was warmly applauded...