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What happens when a disaster affects our own community? Recent news has been filled with about every type of disaster that can be imagined short of a locust plague. In these times, our churches are challenged to minister in multiple ways.

Herod Agrippa II, son of Agrippa I, ruled Galilee for 42 years, while Judea, in the south, continued to be administered by a string of Roman governors in order to maintain tight control of Jerusalem. Luke describes this king's devotion; he “understood well all the Jewish customs and controversies” (v. 3). Agrippa II was loyal to Rome, which explains his long rule, and – unlike his predecessors – avoided violence as a pattern for control. He is the sole reasonable Herod.

Is there no end to the Herods? Here we are studying the third ruler in the Herodian dynasty. Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great and nephew of Herod Antipas, appears only in Acts 12 in the Bible. But this Herod is different from his royal relatives in that he is the religious king.

In the plainspoken New Testament letter called “James,” the writer contrasts two opposing ways to live (James 3:13-18). The first way is marked by “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart,” warning “do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth” (v. 14 NASV).

The maddest I ever saw my childhood pastor during a sermon was when he commented on the clothes that had been donated to our church’s clothes closet – only after all the buttons had been cut off.

Numerous research studies have found that a person’s attitude about aging greatly influences how he or she ages. Those with a negative attitude about growing old tend to have a poor old age experience.

My wife and I attended worship with family members in a large Baptist church in Ft. Worth, Texas. It was Father’s Day and the sermon was based on the story of Sampson. On the long drive home to Missouri we discussed why the preacher used the tragic story of a man who lived selfishly and immorally as an example for fatherhood.

Freedom is an intoxicating idea. When we are growing up we long for the day when we can make our own choices and not be under parental control. When we become adults we discover that the freedom we so longed for has repercussions as we experience social pressures and the consequences of our choices. Then we begin to long for those golden retirement years when no one will tell us what to do, and then we revisit the burdens of the past and wish we could redo life! Isn't freedom great!?

When I made my confession of faith in Christ, my circle of high school friends came from many different churches and they were all recruiting me. They all had suggestions about what I should do if I really wanted to serve God.

How do you keep your digital information safe? My advice has always been to install updates, use antivirus software and backup your data. Those who don’t, risk attracting malware that can corrupt files, access your personal information or use your computer to send out spam and more malware.