(Sept. 2007) It began with the humbling announcement to these two Houstonians that Ontario Province alone is more than half again larger than all of Texas. Even bigger, however, were the hearts of believers at Stoney Creek Church of Christ in Hamilton, Ontario who hosted this past weekend of ministry, surrounded by two days of sightseeing in their magnificent land of lakes and vineyards, farmlands and cities. Sara Faye and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting many gracEmail readers from Stoney Creek, area Churches of Christ and several other Christian fellowships. One devoted brother reminded me to be … [Read more...]

August 2007 -- It is 5:00 a.m. in Antigua, Guatemala and the town has not yet woken. The security watchman at my hotel lifts two boards that he had wedged earlier against the courtyard doors to prevent night-time entry from the street. "Gracias," I say, as he opens the heavy wooden doors for me, and step through the opening to the narrow sidewalk outside. I look in all directions down empty cobblestone streets. They constitute a grid throughout the town, an anachronistically modern feature created by the founders more than 450 years ago. Stone walls border the streets on both sides, now richly … [Read more...]

October 2006 -- Sara Faye and I returned safely on Monday evening from a whirlwind driving trip of about 1,350 miles through parts of Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Along the way we visited a favorite uncle, aunt and cousin of Sara Faye's in Memphis, checked on Sara Faye's old home-place in Franklin, Tenn. and visited my mother in Tupelo, Miss., where we also saw my aunt Beth Ewing and my cousin Dr. Pat Ewing and his family. The whole trip was lovely, we enjoyed the opportunity to just be together, and the colorful Autumn leaves in Middle Tennessee made us … [Read more...]

Nov. 2004 -- Pleasant Street Church of Christ was the venue and the weekend just ended matched well the name. It was pleasant for the natural surroundings in Springdale, Arkansas, a family-oriented city of 58,000 adjacent to Fayetteville (home of University of Arkansas) near both Oklahoma and Missouri. It was especially pleasant for the loving church family hosting the Saturday seminar on "Surprises from a Study of Hell" and for the hospitality of minister Larry Branum and his wife Reba. The giant yellow oak in front of the church building and the 50-foot tall pecan tree in the parsonage … [Read more...]

August 2003 -- I write this in the Birmingham airport, waiting several hours for a plane stalled in the Northeast by inclement weather. Outside, the North Alabama skies also are dark and stormy, lightning flashing, peals of thunder reverberating across the heavens. But no thunderstorm can dampen the joy I feel following a full weekend with Disciples Fellowship in this city of rolling hills, luxuriant foliage and stately tree-lined streets. Like Barnabas at ancient Antioch, I have witnessed the grace of God and I am glad (Acts 11:23). This new community of believers began only months ago as … [Read more...]

September 2002 -- It doesn't rain often in Phoenix, Arizona, but the desert city received some downpours this past Saturday, as well as reminders in lightning and thunder of power greater than our own. The physical phenomena were fitting accompaniments to our seminar at Tatum Boulevard Church of Christ, in which we looked afresh at Scripture teaching concerning God's presence with us, his guidance for us and his voice to us today -- in Scripture and (always measured by Scripture) by his Spirit to our hearts. The Bible often uses the wind as a symbol of God's Spirit ("spirit" and "wind" are … [Read more...]

July 2001. Those who know first-hand the joy and assurance of salvation through trusting in Jesus Christ also experience the family love of fellow believers as spiritual brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. This weekend my own heart filled to overflowing with pleasure and with love as I worshiped, ate, visited and studied the Bible with "home folks" in both a physical and a spiritual sense. The occasion was a weekend of gospel ministry at Seven Mile Post Road Church in Athens (Limestone County), Ala., the town in which I grew up and the county of my ancestors since … [Read more...]

April 2001 -- Outdoors the sun reflects off snowbanks as the Canadian Spring temperature dances in the 40's (F). Inside the Regina Church of Christ building, however, hearts warmed by the gospel glow in God's presence, and sweet harmony of worship rises as a sacrifice before the throne of God in heaven. The Holy Spirit hovers over God's new creation in an atmosphere of manifest reverence and celebratory joy. Churches of Christ are rather scarce in Canada, and not large by U.S. standards. This annual Spring Renewal thus brings believers to Saskatchewan from Alberta and British Columbia on … [Read more...]

March 2001 -- For three days this week, I had the pleasure, along with my co-author Dr. Robert A. Peterson of Covenant Theological Seminary, of presenting the Bueerman-Champion Lectureship at Western Theological Seminary in Portland, Oregon on the theme "Two Views of Hell." Dr. Peterson argued that hell will involve unending conscious torment. I argued that hell will culminate in the everlasting extinction of the entire person, body and soul. We both appealed to the Scriptures as primary and final authority on the subject. The Western Seminary administration, faculty, staff and students … [Read more...]