By Brad Campbell –

Happy New Year!  The year 2018 has arrived full force.  Temperatures at my house this morning hovered around 19 degrees with a wind chill of 3.  I’m not a fan of cold weather.  Sixty degrees is too cool, as far as I’m concerned.  However, it is January.  It is wintertime, after all.

My picture here shows a bright and sunny day on the Alabama Gulf Coast.  No, I’m not there, but I look forward already to warmer days with the sun shining.

I wonder.  As we begin yet another year by the grace of God, do we long for the Son as much as we are longing for the warm sun today?  Are we excited, knowing that the Savior who came that long Christmas ago as a baby laid in a manger will one day be coming back again?  Do we long for the warmth of His embrace?  Are we ready for the dark cold days of this world to be a thing of the past?

Until that great day arrives, we must persevere through the cold dark world, being the representatives of His great light and love to those who so desperately need to feel the warmth.  This week, share the warmth.  Enjoy your time in the Son, and share Him wherever you go.  For whatever His reasoning may be, He has let us see the dawn of a new year.  We have a new chance.  We can make a change, and we must make a change, not only in our own lives, but in the world around us.

Stay warm!  — Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

There is one thing that I urge all brothers and sisters to do as God blesses us with a new year in 2018. This one thing is the very fabric of our faith, as it is the gift that has been given to us.

This gift is love.

God so loved us that He paved a way to rid us of our sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Through Him we gain new life and are made perfect in the eyes of God.

This great love should flow overwhelmingly from Christians as we follow His example.

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other…This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters…Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John‬ ‭3:14-18‬

We should love not only those that love us, but also those that hurt us. God tells us to love our enemies, and this is because it follows the example of Jesus as He loved those that persecuted Him.

We should love with action, meaning that we should speak, listen, pray and give with and to those with need.

We should love all, not just those that look like us or live near us.

Let’s make it a goal for each of us in 2018 to love more deeply. Share the gospel, share your resources, and invest in the lives of others. Show the love of Jesus and let His light shine from within you!

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I met this fellow (or lady, as the case may be) earlier this month as it was perched alongside a sandy beach of Alabama’s eastern-most gulf coast. The bird was very large, and I could see it quite a ways back as I walked toward the sand. It was aware of my presence, too, stopping momentarily two or three times to glance in my direction. The closer I got, the slower I walked. First of all, I wanted to get close enough to catch some good pictures, one of which you see here. And secondly, I did not want any bird with a long very sharp beak getting mad at me. Besides, this bird was at least two feet tall, and it was sitting atop a fence railing that made it taller than I am. I would have had to pass within inches of that sharp beak in order to step onto the beach.

Here I was – a grown man – and yet I didn’t wish to be attacked by a bird, of all things. An older couple strolled up behind me not very long after I stopped to snap some pictures, and it was as far as they dared go as well. So we stood and talked about the bird. We talked about the beauty of the ocean and the dancing dolphins our for their morning feeding, about the surrounding areas and the little towns nearby, and about our respective churches. We talked about our worship styles and the sizes of our congregations. We talked about the beauty and the goodness of God. All of this with complete strangers. But we had the same focus that morning – a very large intimidating bird.

If God’s people could only focus on the same things – the goodness and grace of God in this world, then how much better off we would all be. I can’t say how the rest of the day went for that older couple, but I left that spot that morning knowing I had been in the presence of God, and I had a beautiful day. Had I not stopped, partly in awe, partly in fear, partly in amazement, to watch that very large bird, I would have missed my encounter with those lovely people and quite possibly with the One Who designed that all of our paths should cross that day.

The very large bird had a beak with a very sharp point. And God certainly has a point to all that He does and to every path on which he places us each day. May He show you the point this week as you continue to prepare for Christmas day. May your path be crossed by some beautiful creatures and some lovely people, and may you realize just how much you have in common in God’s plan.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

The events of the past few days have brought upon our area of west-central Alabama some of the deepest and prettiest snows we have seen in several years, with as much as 8 inches of the stuff in places and hundreds of folks without electricity for over 48 hours with temps in the twenties.

My brother-in-law and I had to make a trip to Birmingham in it.  Suffice it to say we do not recommend doing that – ever.  You can see an example of just one of our county roads in my picture.  Trees were bowing to meet each other in the middle of the road.

One of the neatest things about snow is that it blankets everything dirty and makes it look new, bright, and beautiful.  But one difficult thing about the snow is that it can become very heavy, causing things to bow and break, and bringing on new burdens of uncomfortable and perhaps dangerous situations.

We are now just two weeks from Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the One Who came to wash us white as snow and cover a multitude of dirty things in our lives with His forgiveness, grace, and mercy.  He also comes to ease those heavy burdens, even the burdens of those who have already been washed white as snow, but who some days feel bowed over beneath the weight of the world’s responsibilities on their shoulders.

When the sun shines, the snow melts.  When the Son shines in your life, those burdens melt away.  As you enjoy your Christmas season, thank God for the beautiful snow, but also for the fact that the Son will shine again!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Thanksgiving week gave most of us plenty of time to reflect on the people, places, and experiences for which we are most thankful.  Perhaps your house or the one in which you gathered was bustling with noise and activity.

The little house you see here was built by my youngest when she was 7, and it withstood all the holiday excitement and celebrations.  But sooner or later, that cookie house crumbled, and all of its parts, as cute as they had been, were tossed into the trash.

I pray that as you enter this year’s holiday season, especially Christmas, you will take time to examine you own house.  That could include your physical house, as you check for safety concerns while hooking up rows and rows of lights.  It could include your family, as you check in with everyone, perhaps calling or writing those you won’t get to see in person this year.  But it could also include your own spiritual house — your heart.

As you prepare for Christmas, are you really preparing?  Is your heart focused on the true reason for the season?  Do you really have the peace that passes all understanding?  If not, then what better time to focus on the love of Jesus Christ than by focusing on the celebration of His birth.

May your CHRISTmas season and your house be as full of joy as is your heart.

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

Not only does the Bible clearly tell us that Satan and his demons are all around us, but most of us have experienced this reality first-hand.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”. 1 Peter 5:8

But, even though there is evil all around us, if you put your faith in Jesus and draw close to Him, this evil cannot possess or compel you to do anything. Rather, it has no choice but to leave when exposed to the light of Jesus.

“And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.” Luke 4:41

It is paramount that we stay close to Jesus and allow Him to protect us from all evil. His blood saved our soul from death, and His light will prevent the evil in the world from harming you. Use the Armor of God as your defense, and the Bible as your one source of offense. With this, no evil can ever stand against you.

By Brad Campbell –

Sit in the upper deck of the stadium for your favorite game, and wow, what a view!  Take an airplane ride across the country, and wow, what a view!  Venture up the mountainside roads in many of our national and state parks, and wow, what a view!  Or, just ride the oval-shaped elevator cars to the top of the Arch in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, and wow, what a view you see here in my picture.

I would like to remind us each this week that the “view” from the Christian life is spectacular.  When we have a problem, we look to God, and wow, what a view!  When we struggle with daily schedules and responsibilities, we look for help from above, and wow, what a view!  When we look heavenward and cry out for help and healing for someone who is desperately ill and hurting, wow, what a view we have!

You see, we Christians have a view that the rest of the world has not yet experienced.  And wow, is it spectacular!  But the greatest part is this — We haven’t even seen the greatest view yet!  Just wait until we take our own trip heavenward.  I look forward to that view.

We need to share the view with our world this week!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

In this picture, you see the sign above the door of the Thai Embassy, located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.  The country of Thailand, along with so many other countries, own and operate embassies inside the United States.  An embassy gives a “safe-place” or neutral location for residents of that particular country to go for help in many areas if necessary.  Of course, the United States houses many such places in other foreign countries around the world as well.

Here we are in this world as foreigners, merely travelers passing through.  The world is full of terrible sin, unsafe, and difficult at best.  Yet, here we are.  Not even our churches are a safe place for worshipers to gather any more.  Nothing is sacred.  Sin is rampant.

Yet, for the Christian, there is a safe place in the arms of Jesus if only we will allow Him to lead according to His will, to place us in the parts of our towns, neighborhoods, and even our churches where we will be the light in such a dark place.

Regardless of how dim it may look today, there is a much brighter day coming for the child of God!  When?  Only God knows.  Why the difficulties until then?  Sin.  Period.  May God continue to guide, guard, and protect as we go about His work from day to day, understanding that any day may very well be our last chance to make a difference.  Don’t miss your chance!

Just a thought —  (and prayers for Southerland, Texas, and so many other hurting areas.)

By Ryan Kelly –

If you’re like me, you used to write-off Halloween as a day of evil that Christians should have nothing to do with.  And, I did this for a number of years.  But I heard a very wise man say a while back that God did not create 364 days each year, but 365.  Every day was created with the purpose of glorifying God, and no Christian should “write off” a day just because some people declare it for evil.  This changed my outlook not only on Halloween, but on every day and every moment.

As Christians, we should declare Halloween a holy day for God.  We should not participate in the evil things of Halloween, even if it is meant for fun.  But rather, it should be an opportunity to bring glory to God and outreach to our neighbors and friends.

For example, we should not have skulls, tombstones, witches, or ghosts hanging around of front porches.  We should not try to scare people or be ‘spooky.’  But, we can pass out candy with Bible verses on them.  We can trick or treat in fun costumes like superheros or princesses and visit with friends as we are out, saying positive and encouraging things in the name of Jesus.  We can carve a pumpkin with a cross in it, or post a Bible verse reference on the door.  These things allow us to have fun, but do so in a righteous way.

Do you have something planned that you are unsure if it is Christ-honoring?  Just pray about it, and allow God to influence your heart as to whether something is holy or unholy.  Then, it is up to you to decide whether to follow.

So have fun today, but do so in a way that brings glory to God in every moment.