Tag: christianity
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Walking My Spiritual Path: From Dualism to Harmony, Silence, and Love
I grew up with a strong sense of dualism—the sacred and the profane, heaven and hell, saved and lost. In the Free Will Baptist Church, I was taught the Arminian way, yet it still carried the weight of a worldview where humanity was seen as sinful and bound for judgment. Though I did not embrace…
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Finding Joy in Life’s Trials
Scripture Reading: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”— James 1:2-4 (NIV) Reflection Life rarely goes according to our plans.…
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The Journey of a Pilgrim
Scripture:“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105 When I was in high school, my English and Literature teacher, Mrs. May Ruth Ishee, assigned me to read Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan and give a report to the class. At first, I saw it simply as…
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Loving God with all we are
In December of 1964, at just fourteen years old, I preached my very first sermon at Lee’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church near Laurel, Mississippi. The text I chose was Mark 12:30-31: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your…
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Order in Mind, Life, and Dress
When I was a freshman at Free Will Baptist Bible College (now Welch College), Dr. Judy Simpson, my English professor, taught me a lesson that has never left me. She graded our essays not only on grammar but on our ability to organize our thoughts around a theme. She often reminded us, “A messy mind…
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Empathy Is Not a Sin: A Biblical Response
In recent years, a curious argument has emerged in certain Christian circles: that empathy itself may be a kind of sin. Voices like Allie Beth Stuckey, Joe Rigney, Pete Hegseth, and J. D. Vance warn that empathy can cloud our judgment, compromise our convictions, and even lead us into affirming sin. They argue that empathy…
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Facing Reality with Eyes of Faith
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32 Jesus never asked us to close our eyes to the pain of the world. In fact, in three powerful passages of Scripture, we are reminded again and again that the Christian life is not about painting a rosy picture,…
The Curious Pilgrim 