In 1985, George Jones sang some lyrics, in his Texas twain, which pulls upon the heart strings of the Lord’s church today and apply to us, when he sang, “Who’s gonna fill their shoes? Who’s gonna stand that tall? Who’s gonna play the Opry or the Wabash Cannonball?” Ok, maybe not all those lyrics, especially the part about the Grand Ole Opry or the Wabash Cannonball, apply to the church. Lately, I find myself focusing on the future of the church rather than the past. Growing up in the church, I remember those who strived tirelessly to make a difference as they influenced others to do good, lead others to Christ, and to build up the body in Paintsville. Many congregations have dwindled to nothing, across the nation, because those faithful and diligent workers passed onto their eternal reward, and no one was willing to “fill their shoes.” I cannot help but consider the words of Samuel, in Judges 2:10, “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.” No one was prepared to fill the shoes of that faithful generation and, as a result, it led to apostasy. Could this happen to the Lord’s church in future generations?   For a moment, I want you to consider with me THREE requirements for us to fill the shoes of the faithful generations of the past, so we can build …

One child born to drug-addicted parents is one too many. One child placed in the foster care system is one too many. One child lost to drug addiction is one too many. One child lost to suicide is one too many. One child killed in a drunk-driving accident is one too many. One child that is emotionally, physically, or sexually abused by an adult is one too many. One unborn child that is murdered in the womb is one too many. While the child did not choose the circumstances that began or ended its life, but we do know that one child born or lost to these circumstances is one life too many. Sadly, only one of those statements has polarized and divided a nation that was once founded upon the basic principle that all are entitled to life. Do you find it hard to grasp some numbers? I do. For example, 63 million. That is a number hard for me to grasp! That is the total population for Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana combined. In fact, 63 million is over 19% of the current population of the United States. According to recent data from the Nation Right to Life Council, that is the total number of children who have lost their lives to abortion over the span of 50 years. Unfortunately, I was not surprised by the reaction to the recent Supreme Court ruling, on June 24th, 2022, in the Dobbs v. …

If you are like me, one of the things you are constantly trying to improve upon is your personal bible study habits. The Bible contains the inspired words of God, (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and the words of eternal life, (John 6:68). The Bible is the stitching which sows together the clothing of the person who has become a new creation in Christ, desiring to clothe themselves with tender mercies, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, (Colossians 3:12). But, how can I most effectively study the Bible? Often, many people will come and ask me questions, such as, “Where should I start in studying my Bible, the Old Testament, or the New Testament? How should I take notes when I study the Bible?” In answering this question, I will employ something I learned as a teacher, and that is, every individual learns differently. The question is not, “How should I study?” rather, “What studying technique will work best for me?” Though we study the same curriculum, we each have our own strengths as a learner and will learn in separate ways. However, I would like to share with you an acrostic, that I recently stumbled upon, which has greatly improved my personal study time, SPECS.  S: Sins mentioned that I need to forsake. Too many times, people look to the words of life for confirmation of the life they are living, rather than transformation to the life that God desires them to live. When studying the Bible, it can become convenient to …