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Borrowed Wisdom: One Last Cove Seminar in 2027

The Weekly Post The Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, North Carolina, sponsors weekly worship services and Bible studies for believers who want to get away for needed rest and spiritual renewal. For the past twenty-five years, I have been honored to be one of their many guest speakers each fall. My wife and I have really enjoyed the comfortable accommodations, beautiful mountain setting, delicious meals and uplifting fellowship extended to us. The music at the four scheduled services is always inspiring and there are few places I enjoy preaching more than at “The Cove” where everyone is eager to study God’s Word and to be edified by it. But all good things must come to an end. I celebrated my 83rd birthday last week and must face reality. I recently watched a documentary of famous aging singers who were still trying to perform... October 11, 2026

Around the Table

The Weekly Post Have you ever noticed how often Jesus asked questions? Simple questions like: "Have you caught any fish?" Probing questions: "What were you arguing about as we walked along the way?" Easy questions: "Who do men say that I am?" Personal questions: "Who do you say that I am?" Difficult questions: "Why did you doubt?" Challenging questions: "Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" Liberating questions: "Woman, where are your accusers?" Conversation among Christians should edify, encourage, and "spur one another on toward love and good deeds." But we often spend an entire evening talking about sports, current events, children, restaurants, and movies but never go deeper, and we waste opportunities to fortify one another in the Christian life, and unfortunately we can miss opportunities to share the gospel. Throughout the Old Testament God encouraged the Israelites to remember... October 4, 2026

Does Clothing Matter to God?

The Weekly Post Three weeks ago a neighborhood Bible study asked me to model the garments of a High Priest. They were studying Exodus 28 which gives details of what the Jewish high priests were commanded to wear when performing their sacred duties. Moses was told, "Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor". (Exodus 28:2) The rest of the chapter details what the high priest was to wear when he led worship in the temple. One of the women in the Bible study had taken hours to sew precisely the elaborate apparel God prescribed for the designated mediator between God and man. That's me, in the photo, complete with a fake beard, wearing all the accessories of a high priest. Prior to the lesson I was reading in a side room and forgot to take off my "cheater"... September 20, 2026

When Crime Goes Unpunished

The Weekly Post In January 2023, Lindsay Clancy strangled her three young children—Cora (5), Dawson (3), and Callan (8 months)—in the basement of their Duxbury, Massachusetts home. This past week her trial ended in a mistrial. Her defense attorney said eleven of the twelve jurors were prepared to declare her not guilty on the grounds of insanity; the prosecutor disputed that reading of the jury's notes. While Lindsay Clancy admitted she murdered her children, her defenders argued that she was over-medicated and in the grip of postpartum psychosis—that perhaps the drugs she was taking, or the illness itself, caused her to lose her mind and commit such a horrific deed. Only one member of the twelve-member jury stood firm in opposition to that argument. As a result, the weeklong deliberation ended without a verdict and the judge declared a mistrial. Lindsay Clancy could be... September 7, 2026

There Be God

The Weekly Post There is an old sermon illustration I heard again recently that explains why dragons are pictured on some ancient maps. Terrifying experiences were thought to lie in wait at the far edge of the ocean, so cartographers would sometimes paint dragons or demons on their charts to mark the regions no one had ever explored. "Here be dragons" became the shorthand for unknown territory. But the famous explorer Sir John Franklin refused to be intimidated by the unknown. Franklin was a devoted Christian, a man of faith and prayer. His ability to suffer hardships with patience, courage and joy is well documented. Legend has it that Franklin took a copy of one of the "Here be dragons" maps, crossed out the ominous warning, and wrote, "Here be God!" He was determined to trust the Lord and continue to explore God's creation. He... August 30, 2026

This Mother’s Day, Give Your Mother Some Grace

Growing up, my mother was the primary disciplinarian in our family. My dad was gracious and merciful, while my mother was more concerned with truth and justice. My mom believed Proverbs 22:15 was to be taken literally: “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod...
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To Whom Much Influence Is Given, Much Influence Is Required

Kudos to Riley Gaines, the University of Kentucky swimmer who has taken a strong stance to protect the integrity of women’s sports.  Riley publicly opposed the idea of men participating in women’s swim competitions after the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championship, when she tied for fifth with a male swimmer...
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When Is Enough, Enough

I have been a big fan of Lamar Jackson since 2015 when I first watched him play football as a freshman at the University of Louisville. He was the most exciting college football player I have ever seen, and he remains a remarkable athlete.  After Jackson was drafted into the...
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A Prayer for Our City

Bob Russell’s “Prayer for Our City” was recorded on April 12, 2023, the morning after a gunman opened fire inside the Old National Bank building in downtown Louisville, killing five people and wounding many others, including a police officer, before being shot and killed by police.  A Prayer for Our...
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Prayer for Louisville

Following yesterday’s horrific mass shooting in Louisville, PURE Radio requested I record a prayer for our city.  They may have been hoping for a short, 30-second prayer to fit their radio format, but what emerged was a much lengthier, heartfelt plea for God’s mercy and comfort.  You may listen to...
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