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I’m never happy to hear of someone’s death. But sometimes, someone dies and we shake our head, thinking, “He should’ve known better.” A lot of us probably thought that way when we heard about the death of Jamie Coots, the snake handling preacher from Kentucky made famous on the Nat Geo TV show, Snake Salvation . There was no salvation this time. He got bit. He died. “Why do they do that?” a friend form church asked me this morning. I told him it was for the same reason that a

I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve had someone sitting in my office near tears saying something like, “I feel like I’m in the middle of it. I love them both and it kills me to see them fighting. I don’t know why they can’t just bury the hatchet and get along." Kids say that about parents. Women say it about sisters. Guys say it about friends. You probably have people in your life that have it in for each other and you care about both. Or maybe you are one of those who

Imagine losing everything.Maybe it’s a fire. Could be a tornado. For some it's a hurricane or a tsunami.I’m talking about a total loss, except for a very few things that you had stashed away for safekeeping before the disaster struck.What would you want those things to be?I ran across this picture today, taken last year after Hurricane Sandy. It struck me how this couple is grinning with delight in front of the total devastation of their home. They were delighted because the

I think the reason most people rarely, if ever, attend church is because too many churches are not worth attending. Church can be incredibly boring.I also believe that it’s a sin for church leaders to let things go that way. But sadly, too many do.We’ve never been accused of being boring at The Bridge. Actually, we work very hard at bringing music that reflects the excitement and depth of the Gospel. And I spend a lot of time preparing, not just so that I teach the text accur

I thought this title would get your attention. I’m kidding! Right about now, most of us are longing for spring. Heck, I’m just looking forward to a few days in a row above freezing. I haven’t been able to wash any of our vehicles in a month and they are coated with salt. The edges of our sidewalk are creeping in and our patio is shrinking (when will we ever need it again?). My back is hurting from all the shoveling…and I’m the one who blogged about the positive things you can

Have you ever flashed your headlights at an oncoming driver to let him know that he forgot to turn his lights on? What about as a warning of a road hazard ahead? But have you ever flashed your lights to warn oncoming traffic of a speed trap? Hmmm. Funny thing…I asked someone that question and he said, “I would never do that. I don’t think it’s ethical and possibly illegal.” I then asked, “Have you ever appreciated it when someone did it for you, and you avoided a ticket?” He

After Oscar-winning Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead this week from an apparent drug overdose, the revelation of teen idol Justin Bieber’s pot-filled private jet, Disney star Selena Gomez's recent rehab stint for drug use, and, of course, the almost daily antics of Miley Cyrus, we are once again reminded of Jesus’s warning. Gaining the whole world looks like fun, but it’s obviously not what it’s cracked up to be.If being a star is worthwhile, why escape into drugs? If ha

I was actually surprised that they were still married. How many stars of the 70s still are. But not for long. The Captain and Tennille musical duo and marriage partners are splitting. Their signature song and first smash hit, Love Will Keep Us Together , was one that almost everyone will recognize, even those of you who only know about the 70s from the TV show.  Evidently, while still married and singing together here and there, they haven’t really been together for quite som

When you read the title, you might automatically respond, “You don’t.” After all, we can't force our faith on others. You can't cram the gospel down people’s throats.I have learned, however, that those we think are not interested are often the most responsive to the Gospel, if approached correctly.Understand why many are not interested, or appear not to be.Some have been witnessed to before, by people they want nothing to do with or be like. So, just like a lot of us avoid co

Yesterday, I enjoyed watching a dad and his two boys building a sandcastle on the beach. Sorry, I know that’s not what you want to hear about after the two coldest days of the year. Linda has only about a month left with her job with United so we took advantage of her flight benefits one last time…on the coldest days of the year. Yes, we escaped to Florida for a couple of days. Please don’t hate me. The dad and boys came prepared and worked hard. They had shovels and pails an

The news that trickles out of North Korea just keeps getting worse. Kim Jong-un, the young dictator, has not only executed his uncle, but has also and is still in the process of killing every known blood relative of the man, including women and children. This…in the 21st century.  And there are those who say evil does not exist. Contrast that with the story of David and Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9. If you have been reading with the plan that I put out (it’s in booklet form ava

Does it seem like you are just going through the motions? You get up and go to work, rush to an activity of some sort, then go home, watch a little TV and go to bed. And you do that day after day. On weekends there are Saturday chores, activities and maybe church. Then Monday. Has life lost its luster? Is it feeling monotonous? Are you bored in the middle of everything going on? It happens to just about everyone. But there are some key ingredients that God wrote into the Law