By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Unless you are familiar with this particular location, you see a picture of parts of my family last fall as we walk toward that little church building.  It might or might not be for a worship service of some kind, or we may simply be heading in for one of those tours of which I’m very fond.

But if you’ve guessed anything similar, you’ve guessed wrong.  Although the building looks like a church, is shaped like a church, and even has the word “Abbey” in its name, the only obvious worship taking place inside its walls is that of man and his desire to quench the cravings of hunger.  This is a restaurant.

The tiny town of Townsend, Tennessee, boasts this quaint establishment which becomes quite popular around lunch time.  The larger portion of the building actually includes an unused stage and several empty wooden church pews.  But it isn’t used as a church.

For the majority of us who attend services inside a church building, we may arrive at our chosen place of worship, walk across a parking lot, and enter a building where we assume we will have our hunger and thirst quenched.  And if the church, its leaders, and its pastor are doing their job, the Lord can and will use them to take care of those needs for us each, albeit in the spiritual sense.

Now, a sit down potluck meal at church provides some wonderful times of fellowship, but the belief in and worship of the Living Water and the Bread of Life will take care of everything you need.  Whether the building looks like a church on the outside or not, it’s the inside that makes the difference.  “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  

We knew that this was a restaurant before we arrived, and we received just exactly what we expected — food for our bodies.  On your ventures to your chosen place of Biblical worship in the coming week, be challenged not so much by the church building itself, but by the lasting difference that can be made inside.  You see, it’s inside that counts.  When Jesus comes to abide with me, he does so inside my heart, not sitting outside on my shoulder.

Come inside.  Attend expectantly.  Have your needs met.  Bow before the One Who is worthy of our worship, and dine.  The meal is fine!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

We spent part of our most recent weekend attending the funeral service of a long-time friend and former coworker.  I wasn’t officiating this one, so I was amongst the others on the church pews as I listened to scriptures, funny stories, and reminders of God’s goodness and grace.  Funerals are tough things to experience, but they give us a specific time to remember.

No doubt, every one of us knows someone or has a family member who is experiencing that terrible thing known as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.  One interesting thing I’ve noticed about most of those dear folks is that they often don’t realize they have a memory problem.  In other words, they don’t remember that they don’t remember.

As I write these words, it has been twenty-five years to the day since my father-in-law suddenly passed away from massive heart attack.  We remember him and his love for his Lord and his family.

This time of year is when numerous young people are graduating from various schools and institutions.  Their parents, especially, look back and remember how very quickly their young folks have grown up!

This particular neon sign you see here was part of a museum display I visited in Grand Rapids, Michigan last fall.  There were various different kinds of materials used in different means and modes of art, each with a challenge to “Remember Me.”

As Christians world-wide participate in what we may call communion, the Lord’s Supper, or a similar name for the same worship experience, we are called upon to remember all that the Lord has done for us.  We are asked to “Do this in remembrance of me.”  I can’t help but think that Jesus Himself looks down at this world gone nuts, wipes the tears of disappointment from His own eyes, and asks, “Do you even remember Me?”

My prayer for each of us in the week ahead is that we take the time – make the time – to remember the love, mercy, and grace of our forgiving Lord and Savior.  Count your many blessings.  Remember!  And, be thankful.

Just a thought.

While we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us. The use of the term love from Romans 5:8 is the Greek word agape, which is only used when describing the selfless, unconditional and sacrificial love of God. This perfectly describes Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection from the dead so that each of us may have the forgiveness of our own sin.

Easter is not just a day of reflection of the resurrection of Jesus, but also a celebration of our freedom from sin. Because of the unconditional love of Jesus, He bore the punishment of sin so that we may live in eternity with Him.

Hallelujah for He is risen!

By Ryan Kelly –

The celebration of Good Friday goes far beyond the lead up to Easter. Rather, it is one of the most important days to each of us as Christians because it is the day where Jesus bore the sin of each of us on the cross.

Imagine having been beaten nearly to death with a cat of nine tail whip, then being nailed to a giant strip of wood at the entrance to Jerusalem along with two other hardened criminals for everyone to mock as they came and went out of the city. That’s bad enough. But Jesus was not you or me; he was literally God who came to earth in the form of a man to live with us and teach us. But ultimately, he came to give his life for ours.

On that cross, he substituted himself for us before the Father, to the point where the Father had to turn his back on the Son because at that moment he bore our sin. To go further, he experienced hell in our place.

I think it’s entirely reasonable to ask why we call this day good because of the torture and death that it represents. But it is good, because Jesus bore this death so that we won’t. With Him, our sin is forgiven and we are washed white. On this day, Jesus paid it all, and all to him we owe.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Lots to do this week.  Work to get done.  Places to go.  People to see.  Meetings to attend.  Lessons to teach.  Repairs to make.  Studying to attempt.  Projects to leave unfinished yet again.  And our list goes on and on, doesn’t it?

Sometimes we can feel absolutely overwhelmed at the thought of it all.  We won’t even make a list of all that needs to be done, because seeing it written down in black and white is too much.  Too many things to do, and I can only mark them off one by one.  It never ends.

We are all given the same amount of time in our day.  We have twenty-four hours to use as time permits.  Either we make the most of those hours, or we waste them.  And most days – most weeks – we simply do the very same things we did last week.  We are busy, but are we productive?  You know, the very definition of the word “insanity,” is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.  If I never try anything new, I will never know what I’ve missed.

Take a look at this skillet meal.  No, it isn’t turnips.  It isn’t rutabagas.  And, no, it isn’t even potatoes.  I ran across something new and thought I’d try it.  These are radishes, fried with bacon until tender, topped with parsley and a little salt.  And they were delicious.

Most folks would have never tried such a thing.  They either don’t like radishes at all, or the sound of frying one doesn’t appeal to them in the least.  Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

As you face another daunting week of endless scheduled activities, most of which we could control or trim down if only we tried, how about introducing something new into the list?  You might not fry a pan full of radishes.  But, for some folks, simply scaling back your too-busy self-imposed schedule would be something new.  Try loving on a neighbor whom you’ve seen as unlovable.  Attend a Bible study class you’ve been shying away from.  Call an old friend you’ve not seen in quite a while, and catch up on life’s adventures.  Read a chapter or two from the Old Testament.

The Lord’s grace is new, fresh every morning.  If He thinks the newness of the day is that important, then perhaps we should attempt a new grace-filled adventure in our week ahead.  He would love to see us experience a newness of life.  When life throws you radishes, fry them!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

If your grandparents were anything like mine, then you will understand when I say that some of my fondest memories of my grandparents revolve around food.  My mother’s mother, in particular, was a wonderful cook.  We have very few of her actual recipes, though, because she cooked with a little of this and a little of that.  She mixed by the feel of the ingredients, measuring with her eyes.  She cooked by the smell and the look of the product.  I finally, after about twenty-five years of trial and error, figured out how to make her biscuits and cornbread, two things that I remember with great fondness.

I asked the butcher at my local grocery store to order some ‘cracklins’ for me.  He was kind enough to start stocking them, and, as often as possible, I now make cracklin bread like what you see here.  That’s one of the last things I remember asking my grandmother to make for me.  Hot out of the oven, heavily buttered.  My mouth waters just thinking about it.

The smells and tastes that come from a loving kitchen environment bring back delicious memories for me.  The foods we continue to make help to keep those long-ago family connections alive.

This past Sunday, part of our church worship service was the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, or communion.  The simple little crackers and grape juice that we use to represent Christ’s body, broken for us, and His blood, given for us, are meant to be taken, as He said to His disciples, “In Remembrance Of Me.”

As we eat and drink those simple elements, we are to be reminded of the greatest love of all, the unmatched sacrifice that Jesus Himself made on our behalf.  And participation in this worshipful act should take us back to that moment when we first realized His great love for us.

As Easter fast approaches, there will be many treats to be eaten along the way.  Most will have no significance whatsoever.  But as you taste the Word this week, as you mix it over in your study and your thoughts, as you smell the aroma of God’s goodness, and as you savor His grace and mercy, may you be ever reminded of the joy of His presence.  Your cup runneth over.  He’s preparing a place for you at His table.  Ah, it just makes my mouth water thinking about it!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I’ve recently mentioned our travels around portions of the beautiful state of Oklahoma.  Any time we travel, we try to make a point of doing something, seeing something, or perhaps eating something that we’ve not experienced before.  Well, this particular part of our adventure was not at all planned, but it definitely provided us an experience we had never witnessed.

The winds were particularly powerful.  More than one kind soul, while asking us about our travels through their area, warned us to be wary of the fierce winds and the strong possibility of prairie fires.  We already knew the power of the wind, as I had struggled to hold the car in the road at times because of it.  But neither of us had any idea what a prairie fire looked like, that is, until we were stopped by one.

We had ventured several miles out of town for some tourist-type stops, acknowledging the smoke and flames we actually did see quite a ways off of the highway.  But some time later, as we attempted to reverse that same route, we were stopped on the highway along with several other vehicles.  We watched the billowing smoke and the flames of the fires scooting through the dry prairie grasses.  We had first assumed traffic was only being cautious because of the thickness of the smoke.  But, then, we witnessed those flames jumping the highway to the prairie on the opposite side.

It became obvious to us then that this was not some simple little fire we had seen before, but something major with which those folks were unfortunately very familiar.  Using GPS, which was sometimes helpful, we turned around and eventually found another route that took us about an hour out of the way.  We never got back to where we started, but instead were forced into new territory, more beautiful scenery, and another quaint town where we decided to stay for a couple of days, experiencing more fine food and a great church worship service.

Life’s uncertainties come at us quite often.  Maybe we think we’re prepared for the smoke and fire, when indeed the flames and winds are something we’ve never experienced.  Have you ever thought that perhaps those seemingly disturbing and hindering moments are actually merely opportunities to see and witness more goodness of God elsewhere?

As you sit and, yes, complain about, the things that disrupt your week ahead, stop to remember that just perhaps God is creating a different route for your travels – one that will take you to other great places, help you experience other great things, and maybe bring you to a place of worship where you’ve never been before.  Prairie fires are something we hope we never see again, but grateful we are for the experience.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

As my wife and I explored the quaint town of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, our first adventure in the downtown area was into a store that bore our last name.  “Campbell’s Antiques,” the sign read.  So, of course, we marched right in, and hopefully you can tell from my photo what we saw there.

That tiny little shop was packed absolutely full with all kinds of treasures.  From wall to wall, from floor to ceiling, literally everywhere we looked was something else upon which to set our eye’s gaze.  The proprietor, an older lady, enjoyed chatting with us and the other folks crowded into her place of business.  I’m not sure we learned very much, but we most definitely saw a lot, and we even brought a couple of those treasures back home with us.  There is a lot of truth in the old phrase, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

The art of exploring is one which I enjoy very much.  For a few days, we roamed around Oklahoma prairies, walked through beautiful little towns, and were amazed at God’s handiwork as He painted glorious pictures across the sky.  No trash there.  All treasure indeed.

Part of the excitement of exploration is that you never know what you will find.  We walked through that little shop and a few others, at each place intrigued at the enormous selection of various things gathered from times past.  As we drive mile after mile, we were constantly commenting on the animals, land, and other scenery that lined our way.

As I sit down with the Lord’s Word in my hands, I pray that I handle it as delicately and yet as firmly as I held onto the steering wheel of the car as we drove through unknown territory, faced with prairie fires and seventy-five mile-per-hour wind gusts.  I pray I peruse the Scriptures as intently as I scanned each and every crowded little shelf in those stores.  I pray I’m even more gloriously amazed by the Bible as I have been by the things that flew past our view along the way.

In our travels through the week ahead, may each of us stand amazed in His presence, ever thankful for the beauty of it all, His loving arm of protection through it all, and His willingness to be our all in all.  What a treasure He is!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

“Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play.”  Recently, my wife and I have experienced all of these.  Reservations in the vast Oklahoma prairies provided glorious opportunities for us to get up very close and personal with each of these creatures, as evidenced by the buffalo you see here.

Massively huge are these animals. Posted signage warned us over and over that the animals could “be dangerous,” so we were cautious. But even these buffalo seemed so slow, easy going, and majestic that one would need to remind himself to be wary.

Buffalo have roamed these lands long before we came through. Now, through preservation efforts, great herds are protected and can roam to their heart’s content. We must respect them to remain safe.

The world is full of many things that can attack, take us down, or otherwise make life unbearable for us. We must respect the dangers, posted or not, and leave those dangers alone.

Seen from a distance these buffalo are beautiful to behold. Up close, they could be deadly.  Sin treats us the same way.  As Mother might say, “Look but don’t touch.”  

Respect the dangers roaming around you in the week ahead. Keep your distance. Then, come out the other end amazed at the power of it all in the safety of your Savior’s watch.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

If you had to choose between those mountain top experiences in life and the valley times, which would you say is best?

I took this photo as we traveled up the side of one of those Great Smoky Mountains a few years ago.  It is a nice picture, but you don’t see the rest of the story.  As I held onto my camera, making sure the strap was securely wrapped around my wrist, my other hand had a death grip on the seat beside me.  There were no safety bars in front of us to keep us on that little yellow bench.  There were no seat belts fastened around our waists.  There was nothing.  Just us and fear — or trust.

My wife and kids had to do some strong persuading in order to get me on one of those things and ride up the mountain side.  We stood in our places, waited for the swinging seat to catch us from the rear, scoop us up, and swing us higher and higher until we finally reached the top, where it was up to us to quickly jump out of the seat and to a safe spot on flat ground.

Down below us, as we crept up the mountain, we could see the many shoes, jackets, and other items that had been forever lost by previous travelers.  But once we were at the top, we were treated to some beautiful views.  We were able to purchase some of those delectable deep fried peanuts, and just wander around enjoying ourselves for a while.

Of course everything that goes up must come down.  In the same manner, we eventually hopped on another seat and made our way down to town.  For me, it was the nerve-wracking moments of the ride itself that were the worst.  I don’t mind being on top of a house, but I do not at all like the climb up or down the ladder.  I think it’s the journey that scares me the most.

Well, we begin the journey of a new day, new week, etc.  Do we do it with the same fear, or is there a trust to the journey?  Do we trust our Lord enough to get us through whatever we face in the week ahead?  Or are we cringing, worrying, and holding on with a death grip to whatever we can reach?  

Had I relaxed a little, I could have enjoyed that skylift ride.  My goal this week is to trust the Lord to take me where He wills, knowing wherever that is, and no matter the remains of previous disasters that I may see below, I will be alright, because I have trusted in Him.

Just a thought.