Born to Die Dr. Matt Ayars The wise men gave Jesus the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Each of these three gifts corresponds to aspects of Jesus’s identity and redemptive mission in the world. The gold is symbolic of Jesus’s royalty. Jesus wasn’t the King of an earthly empire,…
The Innkeeper By Dr. Mike Murphy “I just do not have time for all this! With all the people pouring into this town, I have to make the most of each minute. I have to strike while the iron is hot. It would just not be good business to do…
No Retreat By Mason Beasler The most popular Christmas movie of my childhood was, without a doubt, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And not the 2000 version with Jim Carrey. I’m talking about the 1966 animated version, brought to us every year by the now fossilized VHS player. Interestingly enough,…
Around the Bend By Hannah Harrison “You never know what’s around the bend,” I heard my sister say as we took twists and turns throughout the glorious Smoky Mountains. On our most recent family vacation, each turn led us to behold new sights of the Lord’s handiwork. Some glances further…
Where is Your Hiding Place? By Bud Hancock Introduction I doubt there is a child in this country who has not played the fun game of ‘hide and seek’. I know my brothers, cousins, neighbor kids and I spent many hours playing that childhood game and making my mother glad…
The Most Troublesome Issue in America By David Lane We had hoped that the November 3rd elections would provide insight into what the Living God is saying to a nation anchorless and morally adrift. As of this writing, we are still waiting to see which candidate will be sworn in…
Christmas is Not about Toys, Tinsel, and Trees; Not Santa, Shopping, and Snowmen; but Salvation! By Don Boys Historian Will Durant declared, “The greatest question of our time is not communism versus individualism; not Europe versus America; not even the East versus West. It is whether men can live without…
How The Lord Used A Beagle To Save Christmas! By Dr. Mike Murphy “Time is running short Lord. I know you have a purpose and a plan for this church, but the wolves are at our door, Lord. If something does not happen fast, I do not see how this…
Belong (A Home For Christmas) By Dr. Mike Murphy “Where you are takes you one step closer to where you are suppose to be.” So many times growing up he had heard his grandfather speak those words. Words spoken so often, they were etched in his very thoughts. And in…
Even YouTube Recognizes the Destructive Power of Words By Dr. Michael Brown The announcement sounded promising: “YouTube to Remind Users Not to be a Jerk in the Comment Sections.” The reality is that this initiative doesn’t have a chance of succeeding. That’s because the internet has proven to be the…