I’ve never farmed a day in my life. I have relatives who have worked a farm, but I’ve never been behind a plow. I do think I understand what a plow is for. You use a plow to break up the ground and prepare for a harvest. If the ground is not plowed, the seed will not get deep in the soil.

Two of the Old Testament prophets talked about the need for plowing. In Jeremiah 4:3 we read, “Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns.” In Hosea 10:12, God spoke through the prophet and said, “Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD until He comes to rain righteousness on you.” Anything God says once is important. Anything he says twice demands our full attention. Continue reading “Do You Need a Good Plowing” →

In the city of Edinburgh, Scotland stands the statue of a John Knox. Knox was the key leader of the Scottish Reformation and the founder of Presbyterianism in Scotland. At his graveside, Regent Morton said, “Here lies one who neither flattered nor feared any flesh.” From everything I can learn about Knox, he makes William Wallace look like Chicken Little. He was known as the “Thundering Scot.” Continue reading “The Man Who Feared No Man” →

The longer I live, the more I detest being labeled. I resent being labeled by the region of the country that I live in. Typically, those of us in the South have labels for Yankees (oops, there’s a label), and those in the North have a label for those below the Mason Dixon Line. The danger is that we tend to judge someone by a preconceived disposition that may have no basis in fact. Continue reading “The Problem With Labels” →

One of the first books I ever purchased as a new believer was Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Vance Havner was preaching in my home church, and he mentioned the impact that book had made on his life. That week, I rushed down to the local Christian bookstore in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and purchased a hardback copy. It is still in my library today. Continue reading “Marketing Martyrdom” →

In this economy, there is increased pressure on non-profit groups, charitable organizations, and churches to raise funds. Those born after 1946 are largely unchurched, and those who are in church do not give as their parents and grandparents did. The church is faced with a declining giving base as the older generation dies off. In addition, Boomers and Busters give a much smaller percentage of their income than their ancestors. Continue reading “Multi-Level Tithing” →