We’ve all been the visitor before.  We’ve felt the awkwardness or even fear of walking into a new place for the first time.  We know the difference between a friendly church and those assemblies where we didn’t feel very welcome.

            The importance placed on the visitor is seen in many places we frequent.  They may have a Visitor Center or offer Visitor Parking.  Hospitals have Visiting Hours.  Shouldn’t the visitor be taken care of when they come to the house of the Lord?  

The world we live in has a great deal of influence on our lives. Some influence is good, but often times the influence we encounter is wicked. That is why we are challenged to not conform to this world (Rom. 12:1-2). We have been given examples throughout the Bible of those who were affected by both positive and negative influences. These examples we have been given are for our benefit. One individual we can learn from is Lot, Abraham’s nephew.

Lot was a righteous man (II Pet. 2:7-8). He also had the benefit of being able to grow and learn from…

As we start the beginning of a new year, we find many people who will make New Year’s Resolutions. Some will resolve to make better health decisions, better financial decisions, or to be a better person in general. Really, when we resolve to do something, we are basically saying we are going to change our habits. Therefore, I want to suggest six things that should be apart of our daily lives. If they are not, then we should resolve to make these things apart of our daily activity. Let us brake down the word “habits” and see what we should…

Read these three passages from the writings of Paul, and consider what they have in common.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:10).

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Colossians 1:21-22).

            My Dad was a great fellow.  He was rather introverted, even bordered on being timid.  But there was a kind of inner stability about him that made you know that his timidity was not a sign of anything–except the wisdom it takes to be quiet and listen.  He had a philosophical bent about him and when he did say something, you could usually put it in your pocket and use it later because it was something that made good sense.

            We moved to the Plains…

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