“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matthew 13:43 I was taken aback when I heard of the passing of Rev. Dr. Billy Graham. Dr. Graham was an icon on the American religious landscape, since his ministry started in 1947. He was arguably the most influential Christian inContinue reading “Reflections on Billy Graham”
Author Archives: davidmckinley
Reaching and Retaining the Next Generation
Experience can be a cruel teacher. It must be balanced with loving instruction. A young man decided to take private boxing lessons. He found a boxing coach at a nearby gym who agreed to give him twenty-six weekly sessions. As part of his instruction, the young man was required to spar with other aspiring boxersContinue reading “Reaching and Retaining the Next Generation”
A Common Element Among an Effective Church
Spring is coming, I’m convinced! And with it will be mild temperatures, green grass, beautiful flowers and the reminder that it is good to be alive. Growth will set in. The growth season in our area begins after the last frost, sometime usually after April 1 and ends at the last frost of the year,Continue reading “A Common Element Among an Effective Church”
One Church, One Family
Text: Romans 12:1-13 “An effective team is only as good as its members. No one holds the market on value. Sometimes we fail to see the value in each other. For instance, a sea captain and his chief engineer were arguing over who was most important to the ship. To prove their point to eachContinue reading “One Church, One Family”
The Greatest Gift of All
Christmas causes us to ask the question, “Who is this?” If you were to ask the people of Nazareth, they may say: “he was Mary and Joseph’s son, who grew up a carpenter.” Jesus was not warmly received by everyone. In Mark 6, He went to his hometown of Nazareth and was coldly received byContinue reading “The Greatest Gift of All”
A Tribute to Eric M. Landoll
On April 7, 2017, we lost a dear man and good friend, Eric Landoll. The day of his memorial service contained some irony. On the one hand, it is not common, and certainly not fun, to reflect on a life that ended too soon. 48 years old is young by most standards. I’m sure youContinue reading “A Tribute to Eric M. Landoll”
Why Go to Church?
This is a very good question, especially when more and more people are choosing not to attend church. The statistics regarding church attendance are unfortunate. According to a Gallup poll, 32% of Pennsylvanians attend church services weekly. 20% attend monthly. 47% seldom or never. Could it be that we are transitioning from a time whenContinue reading “Why Go to Church?”
How to Show Love on a Sunday Morning
“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart… .” (1 Peter 1:22 ESV) “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.” (1 Peter 2:1 ESV) “But you are a chosen race, a royalContinue reading “How to Show Love on a Sunday Morning”
Fear Not…
How we handle our fears is another matter. The Lord Jesus wants us to turn our anxious thoughts into prayers, asking God to be mighty in our lives and slay our fears through faith.
God’s Protection and Peace
Like many kids across America, my children started back to school today. They were a little anxious, as were their parents. Wanting to get this school year started in the right way is important to all of us. Will they do well? Will they make friends? Will they make good decisions? My situation is smallContinue reading “God’s Protection and Peace”
