Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

Do we have any golfers here this morning? Let me know if you’ve heard of this rule. In professional golf, if a golfer unintentionally touches the ball with the putter and the ball moves even the tiniest bit, the golfer is required to take a one stroke penalty, which can make a huge difference, like a field goal at the end of a football game, or in basketball, a three-pointer at the buzzer that wins the game. So taking even a one stroke penalty can lose a tournament in golf. Professional Golfer Ray…continue reading →

So it’s been about three weeks since Christmas! All the presents have been unwrapped, and some of the toys that children got just a few weeks ago have already been broken, or lost, or put on a shelf rarely to be played with again. I hope that’s not a sore subject for any of you. Maybe you’ve already started thinking about your Christmas list for next year. Maybe there’s already something that you’ve got your eye on, something you just now realized that you’ve needed all your life, and once you get it,…continue reading →

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen? Have you ever seen anything and thought, “I can’t believe my eyes! I can’t believe what I’m seeing!” I’m not talking about something you were incredulous about. Certainly we’ve all been offended by things we’ve seen in the news in the past year, or even the past week. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about seeing something that you thought was impossible, like something insanely weird. Have you ever had that kind of experience? And, when you think back on it, could you believe your…continue reading →

So lately, and especially this last week, I’ve been a bit grumpy. And when I get this way, I tend to take it out on others, which makes me even more grumpy that I am the way I am, and then I start complaining to myself about myself that I complain about anything and everything. Do you ever do that? Be honest in the chat. We’re all human, having the same struggles. What’s the last thing you remember complaining about? Maybe you complained this week that your family members haven’t been doing their…continue reading →

I read a story about a man named Bryan Anderson who saw an old lady stranded on the side of the road. He was dirty and dressed shabby after a long day of work, but he saw that she needed help, so he stopped to help. At first, the woman was apprehensive about him because of his rough appearance. He looked so dirty and poor, and she was afraid he wasn’t safe. Seeing she was frightened, he tried to calm her, saying, “Don‘t worry. My name is Bryan Anderson, and I just want…continue reading →

Do you have any memories of opening presents as a child? One year for Christmas, when I was, I think, 9 or 10 years old, I vividly recall that I received a remote control race car, a box of magic tricks, a slicky, and a package of socks. Now, I think I asked Santa for the remote control race car and the box of magic tricks, and everyone loves a slinky, so that was okay too, but I wondered, “where did the socks come from? Why am I getting socks?” But then I…continue reading →

So, tell me, did you grow up in church, or did you start attending much later in life? I read a story about a teenage boy who grew up in church, and that’s a great thing! I encourage you to raise your kids in church! One study shows that the more a person is in church as a child and teenager, the more likely they will be a healthy Christian as they move out on their own and become independent adults. One hour a week is better than none. Two hours a week…continue reading →

I’m recording my sermon today from Raelynn’s hospital room. On Tuesday, we suspected that she may have gotten an infection at her spine surgery incision. So she’s been in the hospital since Wednesday getting checked out. Being in the hospital right now, I thought it would be appropriate to begin with a joke about doctors. A doctor says to his patient, “I have bad news and very bad news.” The patient says, “Oh no, what's the bad news?” The doctor says, “Based on your condition and the rate of your decline, you have…continue reading →

My kids and I enjoy reading together several times per week. Before reading a couple chapters of the Bible, we’ll also read a chapter from whatever other book we’re reading at the time. This week, we finished reading two books together. We finished the book of Deuteronomy, and we finished the seventh book in the book series, “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” I’d like to read a portion of this book to you now. On pages 21 and 22, it says: Of all the ridiculous expressions people use - and people use a…continue reading →

Henry Ward Beecher was a popular preacher in the 19th century. Crowds of people loved to hear him because of his sharp wit and emphasis on the love of God. One day, Henry Beecher wasn’t able to make one of his preaching engagements, so a visiting minister agreed to fill in for him. A large audience had already gathered to hear Henry Beecher’s sermon, so when the substitute preacher stepped into the pulpit, several disappointed listeners began to move toward the exits. That's when the visiting minister stood and said loudly, "All who…continue reading →