What two things do Vance Havner, Charles Spurgeon, A. W. Tozer, G. Campbell Morgan, Robert T. Ketchum, and D. L. Moody all have in common? All of them had profound national influence for Christ and a lifetime of successful Christian ministry, and none of would have qualified to be on the pastoral staff most churches because of a lack of formal education. Now there is something to think about.

I thought you might want to see a picture of the newest member of our “family” This is Heidi’s pup, Hazard. She found him in Kentucky, thus the name.

Here is some good advice from Mr. Rodgers for tight times:
“The farther I travel in life the more I believe that nothing I buy can
Take away my loneliness
Fill my emptiness or
Heal my brokenness.”
— Fred Rogers
Think of that next time you are doing “retail therapy”

“It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgement.”
Michael Jackson was my age. Farrah Fawcett’s photo was on every other tee-shirt when I was in high school. Both of them are in eternity today. There is a lot of discussion and conjecture about the lives and deaths of these cultural icons, but now they will face the judgement of God as each of us will some day. Fame will not be a factor there. When we face the judgement of God our sin will fall …

Billy Currington’s new song “People Are Crazy” is a good example of what is bad in so much of country music. It is two parts God, home, and apple pie, and four parts divorce, drunkenness and immorality. This came to my inbox today. What do you think?

“The lyrics of Currington’s popular song describe a conversation between an old man and a younger one in a bar. The old man had lived an unrighteous life, drinking, smoking, divorcing, womanizing, but he and his philosophy of life are applauded in the song. …

Dr. Kevin Bauder has been speaking at the GARBC Annual Conference this week. Each evening he has opened his message with comments about GARBC history. Very worthwhile:
GARBC History Number One:
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
GARBC History Number Two:
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
GARBC History Number Three:
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
As usual my brother Kevin has a well-organized page of links for the conference audio here:

Now that the video of the Q&A at Advance 09 is available, I can look at it and feel bad all over again. Here’s what I regret, indeed what I have apologized for to the person who asked the question.
The first question to me and Mark Driscoll was, “Piper says get rid of my TV, and Driscoll says buy extra DVRs. How do you reconcile this difference?”
I responded, “Get your sources right. . . . I never said that in my life.”
Almost as soon as it was out of my …

This week I am attending the GARBC Annual Conference. For those of you who are uninitiated in this acronym that is General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. It was my privilege to do a seminar on storytelling. It was standing-room only and a lot of fun. Renald Showers, Kevin Bauder, and John Greening are the main speakers. I was “proud” of our own Pastor Ken Pyne, who led worship today. As usual he did a great job. It was wonderful to hear hundreds of really good singing thundering out in …

Matt Steinbeck is a great Christian guy. He is an experienced outdoorsman with a big, red, Dodge truck. Last summer he planned a trip to Isle Royal on the north edge Lake Superior. Kyle, our oldest son was invited to tag along. There were only five men in the party. They lashed a couple canoes to the Dodge and drove to Copper Harbor on the very tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. From there they took a four-and-a-half-hour, fifty-four-mile ferry ride northwest to the Island. They paddled into the interior of …

I have waited for years for what happened last night. Kyle Kenneth, our first grandson, came to visit the Granville Cottage. He brought his parents and his little brother, Oliver. He is two years old now.
For the first time last night I told him a story and he listened intently to every word. I think he knew that he was about to be banished to bed. I finished my story and it was quiet for a second, then he said; “More ‘torries, Gampa. More ‘torries.”
Ahh, music to my …