Contributed by Tim Smith on Jun 16, 2013
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Dave Navarro has written an article entitled, "The 5 People Who Secretly Control Your Life." In it, he says, what you may not realize is just how many people influence your life, feeding you ideas about what is "right," "wrong," "good," "bad," and practically every other subjective decision-making
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Contributed by Tim Smith on May 12, 2013
WORDS CAN KILL
Matt Roush in USA Today writes, "The tongue has the power of life and death..."
That may sound a bit extreme. I mean how can words kill anyone? But consider Karen Carpenter, the popular singer from the 1970’s who died in 1983 of heart failure as a result of complications with
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Contributed by Tim Smith on May 12, 2013
HOW THE MIGHTY FALL
Jim Collins has written a book called "How the Mighty Fall" about businesses who at one time were strong and effective and yet went from hero to zero during the last decade. Motorola was number one in cell phones in the world in 2004 and today they are on the edge of
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Contributed by Tim Smith on May 12, 2013
DO NOT TRUST YOUR EYES
The enemy's strategy is to be invisible, so we have to always be on guard.
Mike Slaughter tells the story of his mission trip back to Darfur and traveling from their compound in Ed Daein to Adilla Town, which is a six-hour round trip over rough desert terrain. On this
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013
LEE DYE ON NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
Lee Dye writes, “It’s that time of year again when we resolve to get off our duffs and run around the block more often, maybe even cut back on tall of those things which we know we aren’t supposed to eat, or drink or smoke. Ah yes, New Year’s Resolutions which for
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013
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BONHOEFFER ON CHRISTMAS
Dietriech Bonhoeffer was a pastor and theologian who spoke out against Hitler and the Nazis. As a result he was arrested, imprisoned and then executed just hours before the Allies liberated the concentration camp where he was held. While there, he wrote a series of
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013
WHEN ADAM HAMILTON SAW CHRISTMAS
Adam Hamilton tells the story of leading his youth group in Dallas, TX to south Dallas, a part of town that was largely forgotten and the remaining people who lived there had been largely forgetten as well. The neighborhood was filled with empty lots, boarded up
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013
STRESSED OUT SANTA
A shopping mall Santa Claus in California had a meltdown after refusing to cuddle a bawling toddler, calling the mother evil and ripping off his beard and costume in front of startled children. Kelly Fornatoro, 33, said she told Santa her 19 month old son, Brian, would stop
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012
THE GIFT OF THEIR LIVES
A Dutch pastor was helping Jews escape the Nazis when he himself caught. He was loaded into a boxcar with several Jews and others to be sent to a concentration camp. It was a long, frightening journey through the night. Finally the train stopped, the doors opened, and
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012
THE STORY OF OPEN TABLE
Open Table started with a chance encounter with a homeless man named Ernie who simply asked a youth group serving him a meal if he could come worship at their church. The adult youth workers were moved to agree to come the very next day to bring Ernie to their church
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012
With his life in disarray, Steven Lavaggi sat on his bedroom’s wooden floor, and began searching his Bible for answers. His wife had just left him to marry a writer for The Rolling Stone Magazine. Ten days later, Steven discovered his son was stricken with Juvenile Diabetes. Then he lost his
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012
During his first year of seminary, Alan Hirsch led a small group of newly converted Christians that included “gays, lesbians, Goths, drug addicts, prostitutes, and some relatively ordinary people.” After graduating, he and his wife were called to go to South Melbourne Church of Christ in 1989 where
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012
Jaymalis Davis was highlighted in the Times-Picayne series entitled, “Louisiana Incarcerated.” He lives in central city surround by drugs, crime and unemployment. His mother is crack addicted and largely absent from his home and his father, who was in and out of jail for drugs and car theft and
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012
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WORKING HARD TO EARN SALVATION
United Methodist Bishop Reuben Job writes,
"If we are just good enough, do enough, deny ourselves enough, we will be forgiven, redeemed, and reconciled to God. Following this path brings no peace, assurance, or sense of companionship with God. Rather than asking
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012
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J Vernon McGee told the story of the days before the Civil War in a city in the south. At the center of town, there is a commotion as a crowd gathers for a public auction to watch the proceedings. In the crowd is an uncouth, foulmouthed, loud, boisterous man who is the meanest, cruelest, most
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 30, 2012
Jim Buskirk was pastor of Tulsa First UMC for many years. He’s been a mentor in my ministry. I listened to his sermon tapes for years. He once told this story.
A man named Henry got off the bus near his church. As he walked up the street, he noticed a young boy sitting by a flower bed near a
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012
OBSTACLES TO WORSHIP
Don Chapman writes,
"Recently I visited a church where I had to jump over a few unnecessary hurdles before I finally took my seat in their worship service. There was no sign out front. I drove to the church's location and was surprised not to see a sign. Was I in the right
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Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012
WHAT COMMITMENT?
When I was in my first year of ministry, I walked into our District preachers meeting at the same time as Bobbie Potter, who was pastor of Munholland UMC in Old Metairie. He asked if I preach last Sunday which I did. Then he asked, "What did you ask them to commit to?" I said I
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