THE ELEVENTH DAY OF MAY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. YEARS OF STUDY EVIDENT IN J. JONES' ALL-ENCOMPASSING NEW BOOK ON MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, REMARRIAGE -- BUT ITS WISDOM AND 'HEART' POINT TO HIGHER SOURCE BOOK NOTICE: Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage Seen Through the Character of God and the Mind of Jesus. Jerry Jones. College Press, 270 pages, 2016. Dr. Jerry Jones had served God as an evangelist, local pastor, church-planter, and chairman of the Bible department in a Christian university, but no matter which hat he wore, he was called on to teach and to counsel … [Read more...]

THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF APRIL IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. C. S. LEWIS' TOP TEN TIPS FOR WRITERS C. S. Lewis was first known as a university professor of English literature and literary criticism. Over the years, he offered some useful tips for Christians who wished to become skilled writers. Here, then, in reverse order, are what I consider the top ten tips for writers from C. S. Lewis. My summary is inserted at the beginning of each suggestion in bold face type. Lewis' tip, or rule, or suggestion is indented, in quotes, and/or in italics. My comments follow at the … [Read more...]

THE SIXTH DAY OF APRIL IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. Scott and Lisa Harris and their daughter Mariah, missioners in Mozambique serving with African Outreach Ministries (AOM), urgently request your prayers for healing of physical and emotional injuries they recently sustained. They were overpowered, tied up, and assaulted by three masked men who broke into their home about 8 p.m. on March 17, 2016. The thieves escaped with approximately $10,000 worth of personal property, including cash, jewelry, and electronic gear. The incident spurred Scott to take precautionary … [Read more...]

THE FOURTH DAY OF APRIL IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. ’OUR ONENESS WITH THEM Drawing from John 17 and filled with the Spirit of God, Joe Curtis spoke on this theme recently to the Seven Mile Post Road Church in Athens, Alabama. His sermon was beautiful and biblical, Christ-centered and with conviction, passionate and powerful. When you have 25 minutes to use to bless yourself, you might want to listen to this. Just go to: www.7mpr.org/sermons-2/ and scroll down to “Joe Curtis” and the title “Our oneness with them.” LET'S JUST FACE IT Charles Prince is a … [Read more...]

THE THIRTIETH DAY OF MARCH IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. PAUL AND MELONIE FUDGE IN ZIMBABWE My youngest brother Paul Fudge and wife Melonie have arrived safely in Harare, Zimbabwe. There they expect to remain busy until the date in June arrives for them to return home, God willing, Paul is scheduled to teach a course at Zimbabwe Christian College (ZCC), and Melonie will be doing informal personal discipling, biblical counseling and encouragement, particularly with wives of ministerial students. On weekends they will visit and teach by invitation in surrounding … [Read more...]

THE TWENTY-THIRD DAY OF MARCH IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. THIS SERMON NEEDED HER VOICE The sermon Sunday before last at Bering Drive Church of Christ in Houston, Texas, included the story of Lazarus' sister Mary, who anointed Jesus' feet with her expensive perfume and dried them with her hair. I had not realized before how much this passage needed a woman's eye and ear and mouth. We had a guest preacher that day, Chelsie Sargent, a member of the Southwest Central congregation in our city, and the feminine advantage was clear almost from the moment she began to … [Read more...]

THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF MARCH IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. THIRST-QUENCHING CONVERSATION Ralph Watson The human mind craves conversation. The verbal dimension, the realm of the Word, is unique to our human consciousness. Dialogue bonds speaker and hearer in the moment forever, like a bookmark in time. In room 304 at LakeRidge Senior Center, living water flows, and people are coming from all around and half a world away to partake of it, in the form of conversation with Harry Robert Fox. Harry Fox has been true to his original self and open to the Word in ways that … [Read more...]

THE NINTH DAY OF MARCH IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. HEBREWS TREASURY It might come as a surprise to many Christians today, but there is no book of the Bible more full of Jesus, more attuned to daily life in the 21st century, and more relevant as a word of encouragement than the book of Hebrews. For the next few weeks, our gracEmail family notes will include two items related to Hebrews. First, a piece of a conversation with me about the book itself (see "A Bridge Commentary" below). Second, excerpts from a review of Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today, … [Read more...]

THE SECOND DAY OF MARCH IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. My Assignment . . . It was nearly nine years ago, but in my mind it seems but yesterday. Illumined by the first rays of morning, three volcanic mountains gradually appear and encircle us in the distance. As the sun rises over Guatemala, the cobblestones of Antigua glow beneath my feet. It is August 2007. I am here on a professional retreat with my employer, the Lanier Law Firm of Houston, Texas ( http://www.lanierlawfirm.com ) A request and an answer This early morning walk starts my day with prayer. After a … [Read more...]

THE TWENTY-SIXTH DAY OF FEBRUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. GRACEMAIL SUBSCRIBER HONORED AS CO- FOUNDER OF JAPANESE UNIVERSITY Harry Robert Fox, 94, is an enthusiastic gracEmail subscriber. But far more than that, he is a true Jesus man who, even on hospice care, seems not to think of his own interests as he seeks to tell everyone he encounters about the Savior. Fox was born in 1921 in Tokyo to parents who were gospel missioners supported by Churches of Christ. Their diligent and patient labors produced very little visible fruit. Their efforts were resisted and … [Read more...]