THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF DECEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. WHAT WILL MATTER It is easy to find people willing to praise the old-fashioned virtues, more difficult to locate folks who demonstrate those virtues year after year by their lives. I know no one who does that more consistently, more humbly, and with more enthusiasm and good cheer than my dear friend, gracEmail subscriber Dwain Evans (dwainevans@att.net). Dwain recently forwarded a beautiful video that is sure to bless. Enjoy it at: player.vimeo.com/video/89476173 LITTLE PORTION BAKERY John Michael … [Read more...]
Family Notes 09/12/2015
THE NINTH DAY OF DECEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. USES PRAYER JESUS TAUGHT gracEmail subscriber Roger Harper, who happens to be a priest in the Church of England, proposes using as a conversion prayer the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, and he explains as follows: May I suggest an alternative prayer for beginning the Christian life? Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be . . . Jesus commanded us to pray using the Our Father . . .' words. He introduced it with an imperative. Jesus commanded us to teach disciples to obey all that He commanded. We … [Read more...]
Family Notes 03/12/2015
THE THIRD DAY OF DECEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. THANKS FOR THE THANKS! A few years ago, a surgeon who treated me asked if I minded if he prayed for me and that began a wonderful conversation that lasted until he discharged me. This week, I received an email thanks and update from the surgeon, to whom I now offer my thanks in return. Following is a portion of his email. "I have been enjoying your gracEmails for sometime since I saw you several years ago in my office. Your unbridled enthusiasm for God's Word and His wisdom continues to inspire and encourage me. … [Read more...]
Family Notes 04/11/2015
THE FOURTH DAY OF NOVEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. Extraordinary honor elicits special thanks God willing, in a small, private ceremony scheduled to occur later this month, the Foundation for Evangelical Dialogue, sponsor of the Rethinking Hell Project, will formally present to the world a new volume titled A Consuming Passion: Essays on Hell and Immortality in Honor of Edward Fudge (Pickwick Publications: Wipf and Stock, 2015, 430 pages). Technically referrred to as a Festschrift (German for "feast of knowledge"), such a book brings together a variety of … [Read more...]
Family Notes 23/09/2015
THE TWENTY-THIRD DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. CREATION UNDERRATED God is our beginning and end, [therefore] our journey will not be meaningless, for God surrounds and enfolds our time in his eternity . . . [O]ur creature-relationship to God defines our essence . . . Taking creation and the Creator seriously can transform the way you feel about the world around you and your own existence. And taking the faithfulness of the creator seriously by coming to embrace the doctrine of God's all-embracing providential care, can begin to liberate us from the … [Read more...]
Family Notes 16/09/2015
THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. WISDOM LITERATURE Ecclesiastes is one of the Old Testaments five wisdom books. It has been said that the Psalms teach us how to worship; Proverbs, how to behave; Job, how to suffer; Song of Solomon, how to love; and Ecclesiastes, how to live. How? With realism and reverence, with humility and restraint, coolly and contentedly, in wisdom and in joy. -- J. I. Packer, "How I Learned to Live Joyfully," See: Christianity Today for online edition THE 'CALLED OUT' It is often said that the English word … [Read more...]
Family Notes 09/09/2015
THE NINTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. WHISPERS FROM GOD In his latest book, The Key Place: An Ordinary Place to Meet an Extraordinary God (Leafwood. 208 pages, 2015), gracEmail subscriber Gene Shelburne shares memories of his special encounters with God in a special place known to very few. When he bought the tiny house his mother grew up in, Gene Shelburne says, he could not imagine how much the Lord would bless him as this isolated getaway became his perfect retreat from a hectic world. "During quiet days beside our creek," he writes, "I could … [Read more...]
Family Notes 02/09/2015
THE SECOND DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Dr. Ron Highfield, elder, preacher, author, professor of religion at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, one of today's more effective Christian apologists, longtime gracEmail subscriber, and (like myself), a native son of North Alabama, has announced the publication of his latest book on Christian Apologetics, titled: ChristianityIs It Really True? Responsible Faith In a Post-Christian Culture. Last year Ron blogged in answer to the question, "Is Christianity True? producing 48 … [Read more...]
Family Notes 12/08/2015
THE TWELFTH DAY OF AUGUST IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. A STORY OF CRIME, FORGIVENESS, AND REPENTANCE Misty Wallace was eighteen years old when Keith Blackburn, 18, shot her through the face. Miraculously, Misty survived and eventually she was able to forgive the man who shot her. Today, after serving ten years in prison for attempted murder, Keith holds a Master of Divinity degree and is a chaplain in the Indiana prison system. Misty is Indiana Regional Coordinator of Bridges To Life. Together, they share their overlapping stories on a daily basis at venues around the … [Read more...]
Family Notes 29/04/2015
THE TWENTY-NINTH DAY OF APRIL IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN REPORT FROM NEPAL The country of Nepal was struck this past Saturday, April 25 by a massive 7.8 earthquake, and significant aftershocks continue. The monster quake flattening homes, churches, businesses and other structures. CNN Cable News reported more than 4,600 people confirmed dead as of Tuesday, April 28, and the country's Prime Minister cautions that the death toll may reach 10,000. Fox Cable News adds that 1.4 million people in Nepal are now without water, food, or other basic necessities. GracEmail … [Read more...]