Praying Large Abraham was standing on a hill nearby in a serious conversation with the Lord. Judgment was coming to Sodom; and an old man was pleading for others. After all, he had family in that city. That man of God had reached up a hand in prayer and took hold of the thunderbolt of judgment that was flying toward that city, and held it through the day while he…Keep Reading

The Book That Takes Me Places One of the early books that I remember was titled, “If I Were Going.” Each chapter took you on a trip to another country. My teacher at Pearisburg Elementary School read a chapter a day, and I loved it. I never forgot that book that had a blue cover with a lad in a sailor suit. Several years back I was visiting a very…Keep Reading

“I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” Revelation 21:1 The one who wrote those words had a true vision of a better day that will come. That vision is what keeps us going when the temptation is to give up. The hymn needs to become our prayer, “Open my eyes that I might see visions of truth Thou hast for me.” A church was located in a part…Keep Reading

THOUGHT FOR TODAY, JUNE 10, 2018: TRUSTING GOD IN THE LITTLE THINGS OF LIFE “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov 3:5-6, ESV). Sometimes we don’t ask for God’s guidance because we are confident in our own understanding. Solomon did not say, “Trust God in the big…Keep Reading

Let’s help others understand that which is really important in the end. Today I offered a graveside prayer of committal for a friend. He had stopped by Shades two weeks ago today to enjoy a banana split. We talked an hour or more about life and what really matters in the end. Tomorrow I will speak at the service for another child of God. He had called early one morning…Keep Reading

“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,” John 10:14 I was attending a high school football game when a man came up to me, shook my hand like we were lifelong friends, and told me that he wanted to introduce me to someone. We went to the bleachers (that were crowded) and stepped over people as we made our way to whoever…Keep Reading

THOUGHT FOR TODAY, JUNE 9, 2018: WISDOM CRYING IN THE STREETS “Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate: “How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? Come and listen to…Keep Reading

Every good gift is from our unchanging God. God cannot give a bad gift. Our life is a gift from God; what we do with it is our gift to God. There are many things that seek to cheapen and even destroy the gift of life. It is time to reclaim and appreciate the beauty of what He has given us. There is a house that Pat and I think…Keep Reading

THOUGHT FOR TODAY, I OWED A DEBT I COULD NOT PAY We were all morally and spiritually bankrupt when God sent his son: He paid a debt He did not owe I owed a debt I could not pay I needed someone to wash my sins away And now I sing a brand new song Amazing Grace Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay God’s grace is…Keep Reading

“… you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:20 – “As the sugar hides in tea – Hide Thou Lord in me.” We bowed our heads at the table. I was in the home of one that I considered being a giant in Methodism. He was an Englishman with a simple and profound faith in God; just…Keep Reading

What a day at Shades of Grace! Ministering to the least, last, lost, lonely and the forgotten! Yet, in midst of all the dysfunction and perceived chaos, many accomplishments are to be celebrated this day. Thanks to our partners in ministry, four more persons will be off the streets and in permanent housing. We deal with much sadness of heart and dismay of the soul daily. We intercede today for…Keep Reading

THOUGHT FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2018: MEASURING MATURITY IN DISCIPLES Yesterday, we examine some standards for measuring evangelistic success or the birth of disciples. Today we look at some standards for measuring maturity. First, the Word: Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but…Keep Reading