“Don’t be a follower” is good but incomplete advice. Normally this is said as a negative response to following an evil, corrupt, or bad example. Some people, friends, or relatives may not be good examples of how to live and of what to think.
I once knew a 21-year-old man who had a friend too. He had several friends. His group of friends said: “Let’s go get a drink and have a ‘good time.'” He drank his first alcohol that night. He became drunk and ended up in a bar fight. This man took the fight outside where (with his military training) he ended up killing the man. With one dead, the man’s life will never be the same. Prison. Criminal record. Guilt. All it took was one choice. One moment, following some bad advice from a “friend.” He willingly let someone lead him astray. You don’t want to follow this sad example.
Author Archives: Pastor Steve
No Tripping Allowed
Years ago, I was sailing a sail boat in Florida. The sun was shining and the wind blowing fast that day. With the waves spritzing water in our faces, my friend and I had our boat propelling through the water at nearly 30 mph. Moving that fast, the hulls of the catamaran boat were skipping on the water. The sail was full of wind and we were having a blast. While steering the boat’s rudder, we took a turn too sharply while traveling too fast, and the boat dipped up out of the water and landed with the 30-foot mast directly in the water, upside down. When the boat flipped, my friend and…
Train Like a Scribe
The word “treasure” is a term we are familiar with. “Treasure” (θησαυρός) is “Thesaurus” in our language. A Thesaurus is similar in some ways to a dictionary. A Thesaurus is a collection of words that are organized in a systematic way to identify synonyms and antonyms to learn language and concepts. Words and concepts are treasures! Bible teaching is a treasure. Truth is a treasure.
How to Listen to Preaching
Billy Sunday was known for his dynamic, boisterous, loud, and sometimes rough preaching. He held the attention of his audience and was possibly “entertaining” to listen to and watch when he was preaching. Even if your pastor or guest preacher is not “entertaining” that’s OK. Entertainment is not the goal – knowing God is.
A Sharper Image
The books we read, the films we watch, the news we listen to, the church we attend, the work we do, the classes we take, and the friends we keep will greatly influence our potential to look more like the Lord.
Moral Awareness
Men are not objects to covet. Women are not objects to lust after. Men and women are to be viewed through the personal lens of being a brother or a sister. For those readers who are born-again Christians, we have brothers and sisters in the Spiritual Family of God. They are siblings along with us in God’s Church.
A Healthy Pace For a Busy School Year
Let’s talk about school. Some are starting school for the first time, others are anticipating a new year of discovery, and growth, and still others are saying, “One more year until I graduate!” It can be a very busy time. How can a student, parent, or family juggle all the new routines and responsibilities that come with the start of a new school year? Have a flexible plan. Having a flexible plan helps with the pace of life.
Handle With Care
Many people in the Adirondacks of New York, where we live, enjoy targeting, and hunting with firearms. I enjoy the sports of shooting and hunting too. When it comes to firearms, knowing what you are doing and knowing how to handle the firearm properly and safely is of utmost importance. The Bible is similar in that we must “Handle it with care!”
EDC Coping
Coping loss; How do we do it? How can we mourn the loss of a loved one to death and then continue living the life God has called us to live?
Every Day Humility
This devotional is about the subject of “humility” and in my estimation, this is the greatest devotional posted to date. Lol! Really, that was a joke. Sometimes when we are seeking humility, we can actually start to be proud of our humility. That cancels out the “humility” doesn’t it?
EDC Christian 