Here’s my Christmas blog post from last year. We just watched this movie last night, and it reminded me why I love it so much. Merry Christmas! —————————————————— Name your favorite Christmas movie! Go! Mine: The Nativity Story. Why? Simple. The three wise men. In this Biblically-accurate retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus' birth,…
Busy, Busy, Busy
What is the most difficult of God's commandments to keep in the 21st Century? No, I'm not talking about the Ten that God handed down on Mt. Zion. They're all plenty hard to keep, some harder than others, but they're not what I'm thinking of here. This is one of the most basic one of…
Thinking About Thinking: Why Take Your Thoughts Captive?
So you've heard the Apostle Paul's admonition to take your thoughts captive. And you've also heard the world's siren call to let your thoughts run free, and do whatever you want. So why should you choose to bring your thought life in line with God’s Word? It’s simply this: Because God’s Son came to Earth…
Thinking About Thinking
What do you think about? When you're alone, no TV, no work, no friends, no Internet, what occupies your mind? The Apostle Paul had a lot to say about thinking. And perhaps one reason that Paul's "thoughts on thoughts" speak so loudly to today's Christian is that he so well anticipated the issues of our…
Resurrection Sunday +1: When Things Got Real
It's the most important question you'll ever ask yourself. Who is Jesus of Nazareth? It's a two-thousand-year-old question, and it started with the people of Israel when Jesus lived here on earth. In those brief three years of Jesus' public ministry, God led many to quickly recognize Jesus' true identity. When Jesus came to the…
No. 8 – Walking on a Sunday Afternoon (Luke 24:18-35), Part 2
Epiphany. That's a big word. How about "an a-ha moment?" Whatever you call it, that's what I experienced the day it dawned on me that the Old Testament was all about Jesus. All of the old stories were no longer just allegorical tales about good people. Those stories became signposts, markers that point to Jerusalem,…
Resurrection Week: On a Cross Beside Jesus (Luke 24:32-43)
I'm thankful every minute of my life that Jesus died for me on that cross. I know that if God had chosen, he could have punished me for my sins instead of punishing Jesus. But Christ's atoning death satisfied my sin debt, and the debt of everyone else in the world who believes in Him. Because…
Resurrection Week: The Water, The Bowl, and the Teachable Moment
Jesus had a lot of opportunities to teach his disciples while on Earth. Object lessons, lessons that couldn't be learned in any way other than being in his presence. Like Peter walking on the water, but then sinking when he took his eyes off Jesus. There were miraculous creations of wine and food, healings, and…
Resurrection Week 2021
One of my favorite topics over the years has been Easter week and Jesus Christ's resurrection. So during the next few days, I'll repost a few of my favorite Resurrection Week posts from the recent past, looking into what Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and appearance to his disciples means to believers, and to those who…
Sunday Perspectives: Compact Creativity
Here’s to the makers of American decorative signs, who express complete thoughts of wit, humor, and inspiration in the smallest possible spaces. Finally, someone really gets me. Don’t ask me how few. Here, have some more potato salad... ‘Nuff said there. Just ask my 14-week old puppy! And speaking of the pup, here she is!…
Mike G. Smith 