Rev. Richard Smith Proverbs 27:23-27 – Ode To A Farmer Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered …
Rev. Richard Smith Ephesians 4:26 – Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. I don’t need to tell you that there’s a lot of anger erupting today across religious, political, and social venues. Anger seems to be …
Rev. Richard Smith Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven… We have on our refrigerator a magnet which reads, I’m Not Old; I’m Just Chronologically Challenged. I’m not sure when or where we got this…maybe one of our children, Leanne or Clay, gave it to us.What …
Rev. Richard Smith I don’t know how aware you are about the challenges facing contemporary religious institutions and groups, but there is some disconcerting information. USA Today on September 22 had a piece titled, “Why Are Millions Leaving Organized Religion”? It shared these stark insights:**Within 10 years, the number of people in the U.S. who …
Rev. Richard Smith James 1:2 “Blessed is the person who remains steadfast under trial…” One of the Bible’s most inviting insights is the call to persevere amidst life’s trials and challenges. The majority of characters profiled in Holy Scripture had experiences which called for emotional and spiritual resilience; spiritual and emotional perseverance. Unquestionably, you and …
Rev. Richard Smith Psalm 145:3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised… Some of you have heard me tell the story of an experience I had while pastoring in Shreveport, Louisiana. Pat and I were at Broadmoor UMC where I was the Associate Pastor. A young mother came to me and shared …
Rev. Richard Smith Ephesians 4:5-6 (Words of The Apostle Paul)Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. None of us would question that we live in a greatly divided world. On every front – social, …
Rev. Richard Smith Without question, one can say that there is good religion and there is bad religion; there is healthy religion and there is unhealthy religion. While the determination of what is or is not good religion is subjective, I think there are certain pivot points which help us discern when religion (whatever …