Posts by Todd Clippard (Page 6)
The Bible, the Christian, and Illegal Immigrants
Illegal immigration in America is perhaps the greatest hot-button topic of the present day. The subject dominates the television news channels and editorial pages. People from different cultural and religious backgrounds all have strong opinions on the matter. Very few (I only know a handful) have a shrug of the shoulders or “live and let live” attitude about it. Perhaps the greatest problem is the lack of meaningful dialogue in the present discussion. Many of us would like to have…
Where Do Our Souls Go at Death?
Any venture into or examination of the unknown generates a great deal of interest. During my fifteen years as Respondent for the Question and Answers page for House to House Heart to Heart and seven as host of a live Bible Questions and Answers television show, no subject has incited greater interest and response than our title question. While it is nigh unto impossible to address every single issue or passage, I think there is a clear case to be…
What is a budget?
A budget is a GOAL. It sets forth a program of work for the church and informs the local body of all the works of the congregation and the great task of laboring for the Lord. A budget is a PLAN. It is a blueprint to reveal to the congregation exactly what the church is doing and reveals the balance or lack thereof in the direction of the local body. A budget is a MAP. If provides direction for the…
I Am Resolved
One of the things each new year brings to mind is our personal deficiencies, both real and perceived. We find ourselves making New Year’s resolutions in an attempt to correct things in our lives we find discouraging or distasteful. Some resolve to lose weight, others resolve to spend more time with family, kick their tobacco habit, exercise more, read more, or any number of other things we think would improve our lives or health. When kept, these resolutions have the…
Something Jesus Never Heard
When faithful Christians discuss the Bible with their loved ones, friends, co-workers, etc, they are often faced with the following response, “Well, that’s just your opinion.” In the entire record of Jesus’ ministry, we never see that response given to our Lord. Even when dealing with the devil, the devil never offered that lame excuse at Jesus’ feet. Consider also how the latter part of Jesus’ ministry was marked by controversy. That is, there seemed to be a continuous barrage…
Let Brotherly Love Continue
Last Lord’s Day was yet another banner day for the Burleson church family. We had a wonderful fellowship and gift exchange following the evening service. It is a great blessing to be part of a congregation that loves to spend time together in and out of the assembly! As you can see on the previous page, there are more opportunities coming! Today we will have an extended morning worship service similar to that we had last year. Primarily, we will…
The Need for Religious Authority
It was an organizational meeting for youth league baseball. Everyone referred to the effort as “Little League.” As the meeting progressed, several dads were proposing their own ideas as to how the league should be organized and the rules of play. After a lengthy discussion, one sage father said, ‘Fellas, you can do whatever you want, but if you don’t go by the handbook, you can’t call it Little League baseball.’ As I recollect from my hearing of this account,…
Will There be Degrees of Reward and Punishment?: Part 1
Before we address the question directly, some preliminary observations would be helpful. The Bible is very clear in affirming that God is a being of absolute goodness. The Psalmist declared: “Good and upright is Jehovah?” (Psalm 25:8; cf. Psalm 100:5). Whatever God does, therefore, is good—whether or not man can understand it (Isa. 55:8-9). God is also just. Justice is one of the elements that lies at the very foundation of his sovereign rule (Psa. 89:14). The Judge of the…
It’s a Great Time to Be at Burleson!
The Burleson church family has been extremely blessed in the last handful of years! We have witnessed several people obeying the gospel (I’m looking at you Dennis, Samantha, Jimmy and Carolyn!), we have been blessed with the addition of several young families (the Hunts are only half young!), the birth of children (and more coming!), and grandparents diligently bringing their grandchildren. We’ve been blessed with faithful brethren placing membership, looking for a sound church wherein they can serve the Lord.…
The Value of Knowledge
Speaking of the political opposition in 1964, Ronald Reagan, (who would later become Governor of California and eventually the 40th President of the United States), said, “The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn’t so.”(1) Reagan was likely paraphrasing 19th-century American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw, who said, “It ain’t ignorance causes so much trouble; it’s folks knowing so much that ain’t so.”(2) And so it is with so…