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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

Whatever Happened to Sin?

The Weekly Post Recently, I received an amazing photo of my newest great-grandchild, John Luke Russell. Our family gushed over it. We studied his facial features—his little nose and Cupid’s-bow mouth. What makes the photo all the more extraordinary is that John Luke has not yet been born. It was taken during our granddaughter-in-law’s ultrasound. The image is so spectacular you can’t help but marvel at the miracle of life. Just a few weeks later, the governor of Massachusetts signed a bill into law that makes it legal for a mother to abort a baby just like John Luke, right up to the day of delivery. A number of legislators who sponsored the bill stood behind her, smiling, clapping, and celebrating the right to kill a fully developed, totally innocent little child. How decadent can our society become before the wrath of God falls... August 23, 2026

Choose Life!

Recently I spoke at a fundraiser for the BesideU For Life Crisis Pregnancy Center in Louisville. Monica Henderson is the talented Director of BesideU for Life, and she estimates the center has saved 10,000 babies since its founding in 1988. It is a remarkably effective ministry that God has used...
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Elbows on the Table

This is a week of great rejoicing in our house! For the past five years, my wife Judy has been tediously writing a book about hospitality, and it was finally published this past week! Her book, titled Elbows on the Table, encourages Christians to open their homes to others and...
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Let Us Remember the Value of Work This Labor Day

In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law designating the first Monday of every September as “Labor Day.” It was intended to provide an additional break for hard-working men and women and to express appreciation for America’s laborers. Federal, state, and local governments were to close their offices, and other...
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Eager to Go to Heaven or Enslaved by the Fear of Death?

I visited with Bill McKinley just before he died. A winsome Christian, Bill served as Superintendent for the Christian Academy School System for fifteen years. In 1994, he moved from California to the Midwest to lead Christian Academy’s expanding ministry. He was passionate about Christian Education and determined to instruct...
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Ten Reasons Why Leading a Church Is Often More Complex Than Leading a Business

“It’s much more difficult to oversee a church than to run a business.” That statement was made by a business executive who had resigned from a large international corporation to accept a position as the administrator of a large church.  Others, including ministers and elders in small churches, have echoed...
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