In honor of the time when Christians honor the death and resurrection of Jesus from the dead, I’m posting an article that I hope will bless you and cause you to consider the great gift God gave us in His Son’s willingness to die on the cross for our sins. ** “But we preach Christ... Continue Reading →
Friendship to Go!
And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said to Peter, “So you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40) If there had been coffee shops during Jesus’ time, I’m convinced He would have taken one look at the sleepy faces of Peter, James, and John at... Continue Reading →
Does God Listen to Poor Kids?
If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 As a 10-year-old child, Joe thought life was one long struggle. For... Continue Reading →
Calvary Lutheran Church Helps Students Read
For the past year I’ve interviewed pastors of local churches as part of a new weekly column established by my local newspaper. This story was one of those columns. I particularly like the fact that members of the congregation have dedicated themselves to reading to children at a local school. What a vital part of... Continue Reading →
Children Experience Worship at Bethel Church
“Everything we do at this church is based on the word of God,” said Ron Garner, pastor of Bethel Church in Bluffton, Indiana. He replaces Pat Harris who pastored at the church for 26 years before retiring to the South. Garner is a native of North Carolina, but graduated from Bluffton High School in 1994... Continue Reading →
Six Tips for Writing Celebrity Profiles
Articles about celebrities are one of the easiest types of articles to sell. Editors know readers want to learn what makes well-known people tick. The good news is that you don’t have to be famous to interview celebrities. My name isn’t Barbara Walters, yet I’ve interviewed Bill and Gloria Gaither, Joe Bonsall of The Oak... Continue Reading →
Church profile: Abundant Life Christian Center
It has been a privilege to interview several dozen pastors from my county this past year to write a series of stories for the Bluffton News-Banner newspaper about their churches. This is one story that is unusual-- the pastor preaches in 2 churches in different places each Sunday a.m.! His wife is an evangelist also.... Continue Reading →
Liberty Center Baptist Church: From Surviving to Thriving
In a change from my regular format of posting a devo each Sunday I’m posting a story about a local church in my area that I wrote for the Bluffton News-Banner with permission of the editor. Each week for the past year I’ve been blessed to interview a different pastor in my county. The stories... Continue Reading →
Steven Curtis Chapman, Chris Tomlin, Twila Paris Share Views of Contemporary Christian Music
“Contemporary Christian music lacks depth. The words repeat too many times.” “I don’t like contemporary Christian music at all. It’s too fast and too loud.” “Contemporary Christian music is all I listen to and I listen to a lot of different artists.” ** If there is one subject the evangelistic Church... Continue Reading →
Small Churches Offer Opportunities to Love Jesus
Climbing big steps to enter a brick building through heavy wooden doors may not sound like something a five-year-old would enjoy, but I couldn’t wait to go inside! My Sunday school teacher, Miss Winnie, had big teeth, lots of white hair, and a funny voice that sounded like she spoke through a... Continue Reading →