Consider the following concepts as Jesus communicates to his disciples (including us):“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11: 28-30).“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and m...  Read More

Want some good news for a change?  You can always find good news of good works in missions.  Take for example, the work of the Milk Project, part the on-going work of His Eyes, a SHCC sponsored mission. We just received our annual update by email giving us information on the two children we sponsor through this program. I cannot help but want to share what a blessing this sponsorship has been to u...  Read More

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.  My faith, my desire to follow and obey Christ is sincere.  Can you say that?  Is there evidence?  Many things might be listed as measures of our discipleship (Bible study, church attendance, service to others, etc.).  But let me offer two for your consideration.House QuotientI read about something unique called the “house quotient.”  The idea is that many church g...  Read More

The Pharisees wanted to test Jesus, to trip him up, so they sent one from their fraternity to ask this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  The intent was with evil motive:  to have Jesus either refuse to answer; or he’d pick a commandment and cause dissention.  As usual, they were not expecting him to take the challenge and turn it into a life message that would res...  Read More

Dear SHCKrista and I were elated to hear the news of your overwhelming support to welcome us into your church family. I am honored to serve you by stepping into the role of Teaching Pastor, and I look forward to getting to know you more intimately in the coming months.At present, Krista and I have sold our home in Illinois and are in the process of purchasing a home in Lebanon. If there aren’t any...  Read More

I can remember in 1993 listening on the radio to Billy Joel’s song River of Dreams as I went to eat lunch in a downtown café in Columbia, MO.  I thought the lyrics were intriguing.  You might want to get the song on YouTube and listen to it before reading on.  Here are a few of the words:In the middle of the night, I go walking in my sleep, from the mountains of faith, to the river so deep        ...  Read More

In the Bible, like all well written documents that tell a story, language techniques are used to communicate effectively.  Metaphors are used regularly, for example (a figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable).  “Put on the full armor of God” in Ephesians 6, speaking of how to guard our faith, is a metaphor.  Another language...  Read More

It’s been a while since my “Missions Walk,” articles about missions supported by Southern Heights.  However, mission work has continued and as in the case of “My Home,” to say it has intensified, is an understatement.  “My Home” is an orphan care program that partners with Master Provisions, a SHCC supported mission. In this article, I take all my information from a recent email update forwarded b...  Read More

While living in Moberly, MO for 20 years, a close friend was Richard Koffarnus, Professor of History and Theology at Central Christian College of the Bible.  He also taught their philosophy classes.  Mr. K (the students name for him) recently had an article in the Restoration Herold Magazine that I’ll try to glean from and summarize here.When we talk about Worldviews, it may seem a boring subject,...  Read More

In Part 1 we looked at how “the fear of the Lord” is a common reaction when people throughout history have encountered God’s messengers.  We cannot stand boldly before the Lord with face-to-face encounters, we cower in his presence, fall on our face, bow before him.  In the book Recovering Our Sanity by Michael Horton, he says “a sure disproof of someone reporting a vision of God or a message from...  Read More

There’s an old Jerry Seinfeld comedy routine that states the two biggest fears people face.  The number one fear, he says, is speaking in public, and the number two is fear is death.  “Does that sound right?” Seinfeld asks.  “That means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’d rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy!”  I can tell you about my early adult fear of speaking in publ...  Read More

You may remember the old hymn that goes: There is a new name written down in glory, and its mine, oh yes, it’s mine.  The white robed angels sing the story, ‘a sinner has come home’…   So, we might ask, what is this new name the song speaks about?If you are familiar with the Bible, you’ll know that on several occasions God changed a person’s name to show how he saw them in a new light, and hopeful...  Read More