Blog (Page 15)
Prevailing in an Unwinnable War
A couple of days ago a thought rooted in my brain: “We are in an unwinnable war.” That morning I read in Deuteronomy: “When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an enemy larger than yours, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you of the land of Egypt, is with you.” — Deuteronomy 20:1 Israel won many unwinnable wars. God planned it that way. Pinned between the…
Seeds of Hope
When my kids draw me a picture, I know which one of them drew it. They don’t need to write their names on it. Their personalities come through in their drawings. We can say something similar about God. The Creator is reflected in creation. Psalm 19:1 says, “The Heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands.” The invisible, mysterious, glorious God can be glimpsed in nature. We can’t know everything about him, but as…
The Kingdom of God is Like…
Beginning this Sunday morning, July 5, at our 10 a.m. streaming service, I have the privilege of opening up a new series of teachings from the parables of Jesus in the gospels. The first parable that I will open is found in Luke 5:33-39, and it is famously called the parable of the wineskins. To prepare your hearts for Sunday morning, I am asking you to read Luke 4 and 5, and get a handle on what was going on…
Faith and Suffering
It takes faith to thank God in our sufferings. Did you catch what I just said? It is no problem for us to find God in our blessings, and to thank him for them. But it is not natural for us to thank God in our sufferings. Why are we quick to recognize that God is in the good things that happen to us, but not so much when bad things happen to us? It is easy for me to…
Read the Book of Joel!
Last week I simply said to take a few days and read the short, but very pointed, Old Testament book of Habakkuk. It reads like a headline out of today’s news. This week I would encourage you to read another Old Testament book that also reads as breaking news in our times. Joel 1:2 says simply, “Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers???” Let the book of Joel be a special…
Becoming a Bridge Builder
Billy’s sermons these past couple of weeks have helped me to consider my role in the issues being highlighted right now, specifically the racial injustice that has once again been thrust out of the shadows into public light across the nation. It is true that real and eternal reconciliation is only possible through trusting in Jesus and his death on the cross and resurrection. As Billy has preached, meeting at the foot of the cross with all our brothers and…
Forgiveness vs. Reconciliation
If I asked you what is the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, what would you say? The Bible says we are to forgive one another. As a matter of fact, Christ said we are to forgive one another not seven times, but seventy times seven. On the other hand, the Apostle Paul said that God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. So, is forgiving one another the same as reconciling to one another?…
An Assignment
This week the only thing I ask you to read is not my words, but God’s word. I preached out of this Old Testament minor prophet book about two months ago, when the pandemic first broke out. This word from the Lord is even more relevant right now. Read it several times and take notes. Read the 3 chapters of the book of Habakkuk. Let God speak to you. Billy Arnold
Bringing Justice, Reconciliation and Grace to a World in Chaos
As you wrestle with your own responses to the news of the day and the many messages out there, please remember that when we have found Jesus ourselves, we are appointed by God to be messengers of justice, reconciliation, and grace.
Loneliness
Former surgeon general Vivek Murthy is so concerned about the physical and psychological effects of loneliness that he has written a book to counter the effects in society. According to his research and personal experience, loneliness can increase instances of heart disease, depression, dementia, anxiety, and a host of other conditions (not that we need anything else to worry about!?). Apparently, loneliness is a global issue, causing the United Kingdom to even appoint a loneliness minister. Tracey Crouch, the first to…
What to Say to a World in Chaos
Honestly, my head is spinning right now. Our lives get completely tossed upside-down during the total shock of the coronavirus lockdown, and then in a split second we are in chaos as a society. What am I supposed to say? Do I, as a pastor in a church family, say anything? Can I really add anything of value to the thousands of church and civic leaders who are speaking out? Can I add anything of value to the millions of…
Lamp to Our Feet
I was talking with one of the students recently and asked him how he was processing the current events. His response was, “World’s crazy.” The world is crazy at times. The world, marred by sin, is extremely broken and hurtful. So often, life is crazy. It has been discouraging at times. These past few days, weeks, and months have been so difficult in so many ways. It is hard to hold on to hope when all seems hopeless. It is…
Multiply! Buliisa Starting Up Again!
After nearly three months of COVID-19 interruptions, we are re-engaging with our plans for Multiply! Buliisa! Just in case you’ve forgotten, let me remind you what Multiply! is all about: Multiply! is a chance for us to consider how God views our resources, to be encouraged by the ways that God has multiplied resources for his glory in the past, and to commit to using our resources for the good of those in need. Specifically, we are focusing our efforts…
An Unexpected Gift
Come back with me to the first of January. Do you remember what life was like? Remember we had to sit in heavy traffic to get to work? We had to jump from meetings to more meetings. We had to take our children to their soccer games. We had to take them to ballet lessons. We had to rush through meals. We had to pick up dry cleaning. If we are honest, we knew our busy lives were on autopilot,…
Learning to Pray in Circles
This Sunday I will finish our series of messages based out of John 17, concentrating on the final verses, 17:20-26. Read this a few times before we study. Read it carefully and slowly, and let it sink in what Jesus is praying about, and who he is praying for. He is praying for you! Almost 2000 years ago, the night that Jesus was arrested, he turned his attention in prayer to the heavenly Father in a final address. He prayed…
Know Which is Which
The secret is out. Americans love to take control. No, we have a deep, deep need for control, don’t we? We need to control this, control that. We need to control our schedule. We need to control how the app icons line up on our phone screens. And if we are honest, we need to control what others think of us. We need to take control over everything and anything that happens in our lives. We stress when we don’t.…
Adapting to the Environment
If you are like me, part of your day in lockdown is spent aimlessly browsing through thumbnail images of movies and TV series on streaming services looking for something decent to watch. On occasion, a nature show will catch my fancy and compel me to click. My memory of watching nature shows stretches quite far back to early childhood. One vivid memory I have as a five or six year old is of watching a nature film in a crowded…
Where is Jesus in the Pandemic?
You guys, I had the worst dream—the whole world was consumed with a viral pandemic. Oh wait, that was not a dream. It’s really happening. When everything started to shut down and the numbers started to climb, my fear began to grow. I wondered, “Who of my friends or family will suffer?” The fear that I could be infected and not even know it was unbearable. Could I have given it to that nice old man in the grocery store,…
Developing your Own Prayer Life
Prayer truly is the privilege of entering into a conversation with the Creator God, our Almighty Father. This is the Holy of Holies that we can now access because of what Christ has done.
An Invitation to the Holy of Holies
What is duty of care? Those in my life that I am responsible for. What is prayer? An invitation into the special place where I communicate with Almighty God regarding those in my life that I am responsible for. Have you ever had an invitation to attend an exclusive grand event? An invitation to the Governor’s mansion? The White House? The home of a powerful person? If I ever received an invitation like this, I would frame it and hang…
Contentment in Crisis
Last Friday morning’s headlines said it all. A stunning 20.5 million jobs lost in April, the worst month since the government began tracking the data in 1939. The unemployment rate stands at 14.7%, the highest on record since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began its monthly series, and climbing. An unimaginably high number of Americans have lost jobs. More stand to lose jobs. Maybe you are someone, or you know someone, who has lost a job or is about to…
What Just Happened?
I find myself asking that question a lot these days. Do you? Do you ever think, “What in the world is going on?” I find today’s environment quite surreal. In many ways, it’s quite a pleasure having some real down time—time with my family, time in the Word, actually even a bit of time to work out now and then! But it can also be a bit scary—especially as we start to think about what the future looks like. A couple of Sundays ago, Billy…
Billy’s Update — May 7, 2020
Welcome to May and Mother’s Day weekend! At LifeWay Church this coming Mother’s Day Sunday, our service will feature some ways for us to recognize this wonderful day, and to enjoy the blooming of spring as well. The flowers are definitely coming out; the weather is certainly cooperating. The only drawback is the “social distancing” that we are still having to live under. So we are online again. On Sunday, I am beginning a short series of sermons out of…
More Than Just Mom
Celebrating titles that God gave to all women This Sunday is a wonderful day to celebrate all the women in our lives who have raised us, loved us, challenged us, and given so much for us. As a daughter and a mother, I can truly say that “mom” is a great title to have! I have been thinking a lot about some other titles that God has given women—titles that are rich and powerful and full of meaning (much like…
I’ve Known Her My Whole Life
Happy Mother’s Day! It feels like I’ve known my mom for practically my whole life. And I’m still not tired of her! She is both the most loving and toughest woman I know and has taught me so much, my whole life. She has been the biggest encouragement in my life, from the first time I walked to riding a bike, swim meets and baseball games, rugby matches and school dances, and the list goes on and on. But out…