toddcast

Don't you just love this season?   I'm not talking about fall; I'm talking about election season.   Polls, debates, policies - they all just add up for a fascinating combination of mudslinging, political mumbo-jumbo, and image control.   I wouldn’t call myself a real political person, but I must admit there is something about this cycle we go through every four years that intrigues me.    It's also interesting to observe how Christians perceive this process in differing and even opposing ways. Some Christians stay completely out of it.   The kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world are two separate entities.   Neither Paul nor Jesus ever encouraged political action, accept to submit to the authorities, so why should we be the least bit concerned about laws and offices.   Let the people of the world take care of those insignificant details while I dedicate my full attention and allegiance to the eternal kingdom.   Real change a...

This week is a special week for Sherman and Denison high school football fans.   It's the annual Battle of the Axe.   (If you're not from Denison then just think of your high school's biggest rivalry and you have an idea of what I'm talking about.)   I'm not sure of the origins of the rivalry and why an axe is emblematic of that rivalry, but the occasion prompted me to do a little search through the Bible for any references to axes. (I'm a preacher, that's how my mind works!)   I thought there were and lo and behold I discovered   "Ax" is found 8 times in the New International Version while "Axe" is found 11 times.   I have no clue why there are two spellings of this word, but that is for another time and place.   Anyway, my search revealed no mention of Bearcats and Yellowjackets, but one reference especially seemed relevant to Christians like you and me. Solomon, or whoever wrote Ecclesiastes, makes several observations a...

A couple of weekends ago my wife and I decided to put some things out in the front yard and have a yard sale.   You learn a lot from having a yard sale. Lesson #1:   I have neighbors!   I already knew this of course.   I see people, the same people, driving up and down my street and walking into houses near me, but I sadly confess I have not been the neighbor I should be.   It seems we've become pretty adept at holing ourselves up in our air-conditioned and entertainment equipped homes that we can easily forget there are real people living all around us.   As we sat outside in our front yard people from up and down the street came by and said hello.   We may not have sold a lot, but we did get to know some new people.   I learned it's hard to love your neighbor when you stay safe and protected surrounded by your walls.   I might need to let some walls down and step outside a little more. Lesson #2:   Kids are the best shopper...

I have a couple of thoughts: Thought number one!   What am I doing to strengthen myself spiritually?   If you're reading this you probably go to church on Sundays, and that's good.   It’s real good and I strongly encourage it.   Sunday worship is like getting a spiritual infusion that seems to give you that boost that you need to face another week. You're wise to go to church because you recognize that living spiritually isn’t the easiest thing to do.   So kudos to you.   But, let's face it -- if you really want to be a spiritual stud you're going to need more than an hour or two. So, what else are you doing to get spiritually stronger?   What daily disciplines do you have in place to supplement what we're doing on Sunday morning?   I could tell you what to do, but really you need to decide because only you know and only you choose what you are going to do!   Doing almost always is preceded by a question, so ask yourself the questi...

One of my favorite Old Testament stories is about a prophet of God named Elijah.   He was often harassed by the wicked king of Israel, Ahab, and his even more wicked wife, Jezebel.   In spite of this formidable opposition, Elijah experienced more than a few victories for the Lord.   One of those included an impressive victory over the prophets of a pagan god Baal on Mount Carmel.   He challenged the false prophets to a divine duel and the Lord showed up   big-time displaying his power by sending fire from heaven.   It was certainly a highlight of Elijah's ministry, but his celebration was short-lived as Ahab and Jezebel ramped up their efforts to silence this prophet of God.   Elijah, running for his life, found himself alone and depressed in a cave in the wilderness.   God, who had seemed so present on Mount Carmel, seemed all too silent as Elijah moped in the cave. He needed a fresh revelation of God and God gave it to him - but n...