The Sound Word

This video was forwarded to me by my good friend George Fennel. I just had to share it with you all. I can not express my thanks to all these people who are at the airpot to meet our returning troops. When I came back from Desert Storm in 1991, we had a reception, but it was on post, and was all family and friends. While that was certainly a welcomed sight, along with the free McDonalds McRib sandwiches, it was not the general public. This is certainly different. I think most soldiers will agree that they are not looking for the 'wow' of the public, or a welcome home as all sorts of hero. But what encourages a soldier the most is to know that the people back home, the general public, love and support them, and are glad that they are doing their job to protect America. You see a soldiers job is bigger than himself. The phrase that gets thrown around as a cliche is that when the soldier is in battle, that is not fighting for his mission, or for his country, or for any cause. What...

In a recent discussion with some other pastors, I was forwarded the following link: New Bethel Church: Open Carry Celebration. When this link was shared with several pastors, this was one response: I'm sure [I'm] one of many who doesn't get the point...or at least doesn't see its importance in having such a thing take even a moment of time away from teaching the Word. My response was as follows: Did you all read the article? VERY well written and said. If you notice the date it is a Saturday and is not even be a regular time of worship. The church announcment states: This event is not taking place on the Lord’s Day. This is not a Church worship service, where the focus is on Jesus and our responsibility to Him. Rather, this is merely a Church hosted event, similar to any other event that any other Church may do to celebrate their heritage. It would be our hope to see this event become a nationally celebrated, annual occurrence on the last weekend of June. They [the chur...

As we all know, last week our President made a speech in Cairo Egypt. In that speech he made several references to the Koran, confessed his Islamic heritage in public for the first time, and to begin the speech offered the following Islamic greeting, "As-Salaam Alaikum". In response to this, at a Republican fund raiser , actor Jon Voight (a conservative oasis in the moral desert of Hollywood, unfortunately perhapos best known by today's movie goers as the father of Angelina Jolie) called Barack Hussein Obama a 'false prophet' of sorts. I'm in agreement. The true meaning of "As-Salaam Alaikum" is not a mere "Hi," "Hello," or "How are you" as we are accustomed to using today in America. It has a much deeper meaning than just a standard greeting. In actuality, there are three meanings for this greeting: As-Salaam, as we know, is one of the names of Allah. Thus, when one says "As-Salaam Alaikum" he is actually as...

Without going into what could be embarrassing detail, my eldest son Wyatt had a tough experience yesterday. It involved a bit of public humiliation, but in the end became a lesson for both he and I, and a bonding moment that neither one of us will soon forget. I was touched at Wyatt's trouble, and it immediately took me back to the days when I was 13. It is a tough age. Any parent who has taken their children into young adulthood and past the early teens knows exactly what I am talking about. You see, Wyatt just turned 13. At 13, you are not a 'boy' any more, and you are not an 'adult'. I made Wyatt a promise that at 13, I would do my best to make sure that I no longer referred to him as a boy, but instead a young man. In part because at this age it is earned. But also because it is a psychological encouragement to be reminded that you are growing up, and that teenagers are expected to reach higher in themselves and strive for that adulthood that they still can'...

We have probably all heard this phrase used before. In a movie or TV show, some macho guy is at the end of his rope. There is little or no hope left. He can see that the odds are stacked against him, and it is certain that his doom is imminent. He looks around at his side kick (if all have not already abandoned him or been laid to waste themselves…) and says, "I'm ready to meet my maker…" or words to that liking. He then utters his last words by gritting his teeth and spitting through them almost under his breath just loud enough that all the remaining survivors of the apocalypse he has found himself in can hear, "but if I'm gonna die now, I'm going to take as many of them with me as possible!" In theaters or even in the quiet of our home, these scenes make men stand and offer a robust rebel yell. We cheer for these men as we now have cemented them in our minds as Metal of Honor winners in the making. We know they are going to die, they know they are goi...

Ephesians 5:15-16 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. I spent Monday through Thursday last week at our annual Calvary Chapel Sr. Pastor’s Conference. It was wonderful. The best one I have attended yet. But because it was so wonderful it seemed like we (individuals and the conference in general) were under attack at all times. In the end, the Spirit Ruled, and the enemy sent packing. What a blessed time it was. At any rate, you always leave these conferences with lots on your mind. You are refreshed and renewed and anxious to get back into the Word and take the energy and enthusiasm you have taken in and pass that on to your flock, or in this case your readers. I made a list of things that stood out to me at the conference in practical applications for me as a pastor. I’ll share some of them with you over the next couple of days, and save others for timely insertions in sermons or later devotionals. The fi...