Author Archives: DelSmith

Jesus told a story about a man who prepared a huge banquet and invited all the best people in town to come. They all began to RSVP with excuses: “I can’t come because I have bought some land, I have bought some cattle, I have just gotten married, I’m too busy,” and on and on. … Continue reading »

Our heroes usually wear masks, so we don’t know who they really are. Like Spiderman and Batman and the Green Lantern and Zorro… and, of course, the original masked man, the Lone Ranger. We benefit from their kindness — they frequently save the world from bad guys like the Penguin and the Joker — but … Continue reading »

We’ve all heard countless sports stars thank God for the victory after a big game. The comment has been made countless times that you never hear athletes blame God for the loss. (“We would have won the game if Jesus hadn’t made me fumble.”) Most people thought it was a joke … until last week. … Continue reading »

There’s an ancient proverb that says “The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth.” We’ve all witnessed signs and wonders at various times: miraculous healings, providential provision, supernatural inventions — things that can only be attributed to God. These are miracles, it’s … Continue reading »

The chill in the air here in the Northeast is a reminder that winter, unforntunately, is here.  While I’m not a huge fan of cold I do enjoy snow! I also love the spiritual renewal we experience when we enter a brand new year. Every year it is my practice, and the tradition at CLC – to start the year with a renewed emphasis on spiritual … Continue reading »

Mary was the greatest of all woman, but instead instead of being given luxury, she was given simplicity. Her husband was a carpenter. They lived in a poor community in Galilee, kind of like living in Appalachia or the hills of east Tennessee. When she was 8 months pregnant, she was required to take a … Continue reading »

In his book  Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus talks about his friend Mick, who has struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. He’s been a part of their church for a number of years, and Mick has gone through countless ups and downs, seasons of loss and seasons of victory. There were many times when McManus thought … Continue reading »

In December 1863, during the height of the Civil War, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow received news that his son had been wounded in the Battle of New Hope Church. Longfellow had struggled much of his life with depression, and having had lost his wife only two years before, the news of his son’s wounds was … Continue reading »

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist;  If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an … Continue reading »

Another good Connie Mack quote. “No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball.” He said this in an interview with the Sporting News magazine in March 1951. He was 88 at the time, retired from the game, but he couldn’t stop talking about baseball. We’ve all known people whose conversations always … Continue reading »