True Heartbroken Soul-Searching Repentance

by Kevin Burton    From the tiny Old Testament book of Joel comes a big idea. It’s quite a good notion any time, perhaps more so on this New Year’s Eve.    If you’re doing some soul searching this time of year, you’re not alone.    Joel 2:13 is one of my memory verses. Alistair …

God Knew You Even Before Your Birthday

by Kevin Burton   My birthday is coming up soon, maybe yours is too. I have some worries just now and it’s not shaping up as the best birthday ever.    Maybe you are in the same straits. A message today then, for the both of us. The one sneaked up on me.    Recently …

Always Keep That Fire Of Prayer Burning

by Kevin Burton    From the book of Leviticus and the story of Old Testament sacrifices, comes a never-outdated concept of ongoing prayer to God.    This is in follow up to messages by Dane Massey the last two Sundays on Page 7 on the importance and difficulty of prayer. This week we hear from …

Are You Hungry For Spiritual Things?

by Kevin Burton    One of the top motivational tools of weight loss is the before and after picture. You’ve seen plenty of those I’m sure.    Those pictures, which are worth a thousand words, say, “You can do it!”     Now this is ridiculous, but what if we could show a picture of your …

Just Say “No” To The Fourth Crockpot

by Kevin Burton    You’ve been there I’m sure, where I was Sunday.    I called it “crawl out of it” day. Perhaps you can think of a better term. The idea is part  getting back into a normal routine and part creating a better routine.    I felt as if I hadn’t quite recovered …

Patiently, Steadily, Gleaning From God’s Word

by Kevin Burton    Today we present what for me is a new thought concerning the Old Testament book of Ruth.   This comes from Alistair Begg, speaker on the national Truth For Life radio ministry and deals with patience and consistency in learning God’s ways from God’s word.     Ruth is a Moabite woman …

A Difference Between Grumbling, Complaining

by Kevin Burton    There is a right way and a wrong way to bring our concerns to God, according to a Christian social worker.    Laura Kuehn, LCSW, writing on the website cornerstonesforparents.com, points to the book of Joel in drawing a distinction between grumbling and complaining.    This is a passage from Joel …

Welcome (Not Welcome!) To Kevin’s Ark

by Kevin Burton    Our home Bible study has left Genesis for now and gone to Esther. But before we get too far from Noah and the ark, a few more stray thoughts.    Or should I say “astray thoughts?” Thoughts that show I have gone astray, at least in the moment.    I wrote …

Of Past Glory, Duds And Small Things

by Kevin Burton    The first time I heard the word “dud” was in the context of fireworks.     Something you paid good money for didn’t work.  The promise of boom-boom, the reality of silence, or maybe a little hissing.    No bang for the buck.    Of course the term applies to many other …

Getting The Lay Of Your Spiritual Land

by Kevin Burton    This fourth-period class at the Earthly School for the Spiritually Blind is one many of you will not be familiar with.    At the school for the blind we had a class called “Orientation and Mobility” to teach us how to navigate our surroundings safely with the use of certain tools …