Rodney McCann, a preacher friend of mine, recently contrasted the vulture with the hummingbird. “Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over our nation’s deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look...
Do You See America Through the Eyes of a Vulture or Hummingbird?
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Tiny Seeds Can Produce a Bountiful Harvest
Joe Rex Kearns died this past Thursday. Joe was 93 years old and quietly graduated into eternity while residing in Batavia, Ohio where he had preached for many years. The name Joe Rex Kearns probably doesn’t mean anything to most who will read this article, but he indirectly impacted thousands who never heard of him....
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Spiritual Lessons From a Dramatic Rescue
People all over the world were captivated by the plight of a dozen boys and their soccer coach who were trapped in a cave in Thailand for eighteen days. I’m a little claustrophobic, and frankly, that would petrify me. However, as I followed the news reports of their dramatic rescue the past couple of weeks,...
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ASK BOB: “How do I respond to a family member who is an alcoholic and refuses to repent?”
Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response. QUESTION Bob, My brother is an alcoholic, and he is dying. He has been to rehab twice and stayed 30 days each time. He has chosen to go right...
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ASK BOB: “What should I do about a preacher who is plagiarizing sermons?”
Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response. QUESTION Bob, I’ve struggled for about a year and a half with this question: at what point does a preacher’s use of other preachers’ sermons become plagiarism? A year...
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ASK BOB: “What does the Bible teach about divine election?”
Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response. QUESTION Hi Mr. Russell, I grew up sitting in church at Southeast Christian listening to you. Much of my Bible knowledge is based on what you taught me. I...
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These Pastors’ Stories Won’t Make The New York Times
It’s disheartening to read the recent accusations against Bill Hybels, founder, and pastor of the internationally acclaimed Willow Creek Church near Chicago. Hybels has been one of the most influential leaders in the Christian community for the past thirty years. The salacious details of his alleged moral failures have made headlines in prominent news outlets...
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Let’s Restore Civility
Last week’s blog about the current difficulties at Willow Creek Church in Chicago prompted many interesting responses. A couple suggested I had thrown Bill Hybels under the bus before the final verdict was in, which I really tried not to do. Others responded that I had given Bill Hybels too much credibility because he hadn’t...
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The Importance of Capable Church Elders
In 1966 Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky was without a preacher. The three-year-old congregation of 125 people was meeting in the basement of a house. But the elders knew their new congregation had outstanding potential. After searching unsuccessfully for an experienced, capable minister for a year, the elders decided the Lord was leading them...
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My Favorite John McCain Story
Arizona Senator John McCain died last week. The former Presidential candidate was 81 years old. McCain was a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who flew bombing missions from aircraft carriers during the Vietnam War. In 1967 he was shot down, seriously injured and captured by the North Vietnamese. John McCain was a prisoner of war for...
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His Character Has Been Tested and Judge Kavanaugh Will Do Just Fine
This past Friday Conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro tweeted, “It’s time to end Judicial Hearings. They’re a stupid waste of time.” That’s hyperbole of course, but if you’ve watched the Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh this past week, you have to admit the system doesn’t seem to be working very well. The...
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ASK BOB: “Should Christians Boycott Nike®?”
Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response. QUESTION Good Afternoon Mr. Russell, My question surrounds the current Nike® Ad Campaign. It is not so much about my feelings regarding Colin Kaepernick but around the bigger issue...
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Nine Principles of Biblical Justice That Congress Should Consider
This coming week the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to determine the future of Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. There has been heated disagreement about how to proceed with a last-minute accusation of abuse against him brought by a woman who knew him in High School thirty-six years ago. The resulting political circus has...
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An Overlooked Lesson from the Senate Judiciary Hearings
There were some important spiritual leadership lessons that should have been learned during last week’s Senate Judiciary hearings. Lessons about due process, proper respect for women, determining the validity of testimony, the importance of absolute truth, the ineptness of indecision and the gravity of just one vote were all on prominent display. However, there was...
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On These Truths I Will Stand
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther intended the list as points for debate, but his sharp criticism of the Roman church’s sale of indulgences and his contention that salvation was dependent on faith, not works, brought him into serious conflict...
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ASK BOB: “Should our church focus primarily on reaching the seeker?”
Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response. QUESTION Bob, Are you familiar with an article by Carey Nieuwhof, Why the Church Needs to Adapt to Reach Post-Christians ? Our church is currently searching for a...
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ASK BOB: “My friend’s son announced he is gay – should that impact our friendship?”
Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response. QUESTION Bob, My friend told me her middle-aged son has come out as gay and wanted me to be one of the first people she told. I have told...
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Seven Signs of Civility
Last week’s terrorizing bomb threats against leading Democrats elicited a new call for civility in our public discourse. That is so needed! Politics have become such a nasty business in recent years that representatives of both parties have resorted to ill-advised threats and childish name-calling. It’s not surprising that the unseemly rhetoric has now degenerated...
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Can Our Country Care for the Caravan?
My wife is writing a book about hospitality. I think she’s qualified. Over the past fifty years, Judy has entertained over 1000 preachers and missionaries. And, I have on several occasions, without advance warning, brought homeless and hurting people to our house and we’ve kept them in our home overnight. She wasn’t thrilled about that,...
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ASK BOB: Is worship becoming too casual?
Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response. QUESTION Bob, I’ve noticed lately at the church I attend that things are getting so lax. The dress is increasingly casual, eating breakfast biscuits and drinking coffee during worship,...
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