Truth from Hardman Road

Three words, “God with Man”, describe God’s desired end game well; a Holy loving God living with His redeemed people.  If only given one word for God’s plan, it would be “Immanuel” meaning God with us.  Jesus, as we more commonly refer to Immanuel, was God’s Word (John 1:1) to us.  In His modeled, surrendered … Continue reading "God’s Plan, Jesus’s Contribution, and Our Place – Part 2 of 3: Christ’s Contribution"

When my daughter was in 1st grade, my son was still a year away from starting school. We lived in Southern Pine, NC which had a great quaint downtown shopping area and a regionally famous breakfast restaurant called ‘Mac’s Breakfast Anytime’.  My wife would drop my daughter off at school downtown and she and my … Continue reading "God’s Plan, Jesus’ Contribution, and Our Place Part 1 of 3: God’s Great Plan"

In Part 1, we determined that to be effective for God, love of God and others must be our first and primary focus as Christian men.  In Part 2, we stated that to be effective, we must believe.  If we don’t really believe Jesus is who he says He is, and we are who He … Continue reading "Effective effort from God’s Men in Today’ Post-Christian World Part 3 of 3: Do we obey?"

In Part 1, we determined that to be effective for God, love of God and others must be our first and primary focus as Christian men.  But beyond Love there is a need for Faith.  Apostle Peter, for instance, loved God but initially failed to act effectively.  Why?  Because his faith was still limiting and … Continue reading "Effective Effort from God’s Men in Today’ Post-Christian World Part 2 of 3: Do we really believe?"

Jesus’ and the Apostle Paul’s New Testament teaching on the priority and importance of love is crystal clear.  Because we know that Jesus spoke only what He heard God the Father speak (John 12:49), we know that His teaching on this priority comes directly from God the Father Himself.  Similarly with Paul, inspired by the … Continue reading "Effective Effort from God’s Men in Today’ Post-Christian World – Part 1 of 3: Do We Really Love?"

American history is full of legend­­ary men who built things.  Henry Ford built cars.  Cornelius Vanderbilt built railroads. Patton and Eisenhower built military ‘machines’.  Their efforts created physical and business and military entities that still have strong lasting impact today, 80 to 200 years later.  All of these men had vision and resolve and the … Continue reading "Builders"

At our church, we have a “boiler room team” – a group of people who take shifts praying for our service each Sunday (patterned after Charles Spurgeon’s church “heating plant”). Last Sunday was one of my shifts and I was in our House of Prayer alone. We are going through the book of Nehemiah, so … Continue reading "Come and See"

Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me”. – John 14:6     Which way do we go?  Or, where are we going?  This are typical, reoccurring, and important questions with different levels or scales.  Sometimes these questions are used fairly trivially, … Continue reading "Which Way?"

Jesus was a masterful communicator; the Master Teacher.  To say He spoke at another level would be an understatement.  But anything less would have been beneath His high purpose.  He came to earth to 1) reveal God and His grace to men, 2) be a sacrifice to cover men’s sins, 3) describe God and His … Continue reading "Lessons from a Master Communicator"

Just recently, in a small south TX town a deranged local towns-person entered a church during the 11 o’clock hour service and killed 27 people, walking pew to pew, gunning down innocent Texans, Christians, family members and friends.  The death of these brothers and sisters turned the spotlight on this little TX town, the people … Continue reading "Fear in the Church, or Beauty in the Ashes?"