By Bob Russell Since “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” we vaccinate our children against disease. The primary emphasis of medicine today is on maintaining wellness, not just curing illness. We all know the wisdom of fire prevention, crime prevention, and flood prevention. But when it comes to our spiritual lives, […]
The Church’s Response to an Aging Culture
By Bob Russell Bill Hulsey, executive director of The Forum at Brookside, a retirement community in Louisville, Kentucky, shared some eye-opening statistics about aging. Maybe these stats are of particular interest to me because I am 72. But they illustrate why future church leaders need to be intentional about ministering to their elderly: • In […]
Winning Over Worry
By Bob Russell Don’t worry! That command is really difficult for many of us to obey. There are so many things in our country, our church, and our families that seem out of control. I’ve heard many of my peers say, “I’m not worried about myself, but I’m just concerned about my grandchildren. What kind […]
The Positive Witness of Lavish Generosity
By Bob Russell Generosity has many benefits. It helps conquer greed. It lays up treasure in Heaven. It reminds us of priorities. It funds deserving charities and missions. But an oft-overlooked benefit is that generosity can be a very effective evangelistic tool. In Luke 16:9 Jesus made this unusual statement about the wise use of […]
Is One Sin Just As Bad As Another?
By Bob Russell There’s a phrase I’ve heard recently that’s becoming a popular spiritual myth. I’ve heard Christian leaders say, “Sin is sin. One sin is just as bad as another.” That line of reasoning is often used as a convenient excuse not to confront flagrant sin in the church. “What right do we have […]