Over the years, I’ve often told our church family here at Lancaster Baptist Church, “I’m Baptist born and Baptist bred, and when I die I’ll be Baptist dead.” At times, this has been a fun, catchy phrase, but in reality I fully mean these words because I believe in my Baptist heritage, and I hold it dear.

Philippians 4:11 reminds us to be content in every season of life, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Don’t fall into the trap of thinking, “Tomorrow, life will be better.” Sometimes we stew in discontentment over today, while we think things like this: “The kids will be older; they will do more for themselves; I won’t have to worry as much; or we will have more money.”

Do you know the single greatest enemy of gratitude? It’s not poverty. It’s not stinginess. It’s not mistreatment. It’s expectancy. That’s it—expectancy. We don’t often recognize the expectancy in our own hearts, because it seems so normal—so right—to us. But we can see it in others.

Once your people trust you, it is amazing how their hearts become open to the truths you are preaching. I go to some large churches, and listen to the preacher, and the preaching is okay. It isn’t anything spectacular, but you can tell that it is effective because the people love their preacher and trust him. The preacher is transparent with them.

On Thanksgiving Day millions of Americans will enjoy and be thankful for a delicious meal (deep fry my turkey, please). As we prepare to dig in to the turkey, dressing, and gravy, we may express our gratitude for family and friends. Perhaps we will go around the table and share specific things for which we are thankful. Truly, we are a blessed people living in a blessed land.

Don’t let anyone tell you—and don’t you ever tell anyone—that believers are exempt from tough times in life. There is an element in the broad range of “Christendom” that claims God intends for us to be problem free. Just fly away towards Heaven… they have created their own form of escapism. God never works that way. Note, God says, “When ye fall into…” not if!

For years I have written and spoken against being contentious. Yes, I’ve contended against contentiousness! A contentious, always-in-a-fight spirit will damage whoever it touches. A wrong spirit will kill any marriage, church, or movement. But make no mistake. The mark of a biblical leader is his willingness to contend for the faith. While we should not be contentious, we must contend.

It could certainly be said that the year after high school graduation marks the first part of one’s adult life. In fact, it is commonly stated at graduations that high school commencement is a threshold one crosses into adulthood. Based on the biblical principle of first things, it would certainly seem wise to dedicate at least this first year as a time for spiritual growth and grounding.

There were false prophets among the people of Israel in the Old Testament—that’s a matter of history, and those who falsely claimed to be prophets of God were to be stoned. But the Israelites rarely had the will to deal with them, so they multiplied, causing disaster to the spiritual life of God’s people.

There are times in the Christian walk when the Lord seems far away. The dew of His conscious presence no longer saturates the contemplations of our heart. The clouds of unbelief hide the Son from us and we feel all alone.