Serious About Scripture

Mentoring and motivating Christ’s people to live his words

What a Person With Intellectual Disabilities Needs Above All

Over sixteen years ago, I was in our unfinished basement, painting the concrete floor. The door at the top of the steps opened, and my wife came down the stairs with a look that said, “Our lives are going to be different now.” The diagnosis was in. Our baby girl had a genetic disorder (Williams Syndrome) in which chromosome seven lacks over twenty genes that would normally be there. The result? Intellectual, physical, and learning disabilities. (The term “disability” captures…

What About the Relatives?

For many of us, the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year season is a time not only to think about Jesus’ incarnation but also to enjoy our relatives and friends. Perhaps we see them only at this time of the year. Some time ago I wrote this short article to guide us about speaking the gospel to those relatives we love. Take a few moments to ponder these ideas: Can you find Jimmy in this photo? Some of you may see Tommy and Billy,…

What It Means To Love Christ

Do you love Christ? Let’s start to answer that question by asking another: Is love something you feel, or something you do? Love is undoubtedly seen in action, even when feelings are fugitive. We all believe we should obey the Lord even if our heart is not necessarily warm toward him. Surely we are living in love when we rule against our negative emotions in order to obey. A missionary says he loves Christ as he goes to serve others,…

My First Unmistakable Answer to Prayer

My first clear and dramatic answer to prayer came in the early years of my ministry life. I was a college student at Ouachita Baptist University, attempting to pastor my first church in Washington, Arkansas, the historic Civil War capital of Arkansas. There were four hundred people in this town which is now a beautiful State park. Shortly after I began pastoring I read a small book in my dorm room called The Power of Positive Praying by John Bisagno,…