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A great article by my favorite writer!

Neal Pollard

The SEC Network launched a campaign just ahead of the opening of the unusual 2020 football season to try and engage their fans during this atypical year. It’s called #ShowYourSaturday.  They are asking for photos or videos of how fans are supporting their team, using that hashtag. No doubt, there will be tons of pictures especially of children and pets or grown men acting like children. It’s about staying connected and showing team spirit. I saw a commercial promoting racial harmony, how fans of all races and backgrounds come together each Saturday, the day most college games are played, as part of a common fan base and transcend their differences. The encouragement was to “show your Saturday” for the rest of the week. 

That struck me immediately! What about God’s people? We come together each Sunday to honor God, to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, to remember our Savior’s sacrifice, and to recenter our focus. We sing songs pledging commitment, faithfulness, obedience, and holiness. We hear sermons urging us to be dedicated to our purpose as Christians. We enjoy each other’s company before and after services, even eating together or hanging out. 

The challenge for each of us, Monday through Saturday, is to “show our Sunday.” Yes, to be who we are “at church” when out in the world, unlike Jeremiah’s peers who acted one way in the temple and another way away from it (Jer. 7:3-7). But also to be “day by day” Christians (Acts 2:46), fellowshipping with one another and showing the faith we display when we’re together on the Lord’s Day. The lost are usually attracted to Christ on the weekdays by Christians who “show their Sunday.” The world is waiting for us to show them the way! Let’s “show our Sunday”!

Neal Pollard

“I Don’t Like Thy Kingdom Lord…”

What are we saying to our spouse, children, and other bystanders when we get into the habit of criticizing the worship, leadership, and fellow Christians? We’re ready to talk about all that’s wrong with our congregation and all we wished was better. What is a witness to our frustrations to think?

“I’m Not Part Of The Family…”

Cliques are abysmal things and none of us should be exclusive. But, sometimes, we contribute to the problem through misperception and assumption. Beware statements about the church that refer to her as “them” and “they” (or, “those people”) instead of “we,” “us,” and “me.” Such detachment and aloofness is spiritually dangerous, and it lets us off the hook regarding the responsibility we have within the family.

“Cursed Be The Tie That Binds…”

“After all, nobody calls me or comes by to visit me. Brother/Sister So N So hurt my feelings, ignored me, was rude to me, etc. They’ve broken my trust. They’re really mostly hypocrites.” I know it seems harsh to read those things in print, but how often have they been said? Matthew 25:31-46 reveals our responsibility to minister to each other and any others we can. Jesus’ words should convict all of us. We also have guidelines for how we treat one another, but also for how we resolve those matters. If we’ve lost sight of the blessings of “the fellowship of kindred minds…like to that above,” we must start by looking within.

We could add “We Are Not One In The Spirit,” “Angry Words, Oh Let Them Ever, From The Tongue Unbridled Slip,” “I Don’t Love You With The Love Of The Lord,” or “A Common Indifference,” but none of them are part of a spiritual hit parade. If we’ll stop and think about our words and attitudes, that people are listening to what we say and watching what we convey, it might align our words with beautiful songs like these. The Lord’s church should be prized above our highest joy. It is filled with imperfect people, but they are our people. More importantly, they are God’s people. May we always remember that, even when our guard and our hair is down!

Latest Post Today (August 26, 2020)

 Thursday’s Column: Captain’s Blog

Carl Pollard

“I love you” is a phrase that is often thrown around without pausing to stop and think what those words actually mean. The world has corrupted the definition of love. People will say, “I love pizza” then turn to their spouse and say, “I love you.” Love, for us, has become more like infatuation in today’s world. There has to be a distinction between love and infatuation. So where do we find love’s definition? We find it in the perfect, practical, and powerful Word of God. 

“I love you” to the Christian should mean, “I love you with a love from God.” Mankind has invented some truly incredible things. Self- driving cars, submarines that can go to the deepest depths of the ocean, cures for thousands of different diseases, buildings that stretch thousands of feet into the air, and the list goes on and on. Humans have invented some truly impressive things, but love is NOT one of them. 1 John 4:7 tells us that love is from God. Love is in no way of human origin because it defies the very nature of mankind. God loves us in spite of what we’ve done. Any wicked deed, the dirtiest of sins that perhaps we can’t even forgive ourselves of; God’s love is truly remarkable. Man’s love is weak, it has no substance. If we only love the lovable then that is not a love from God. We were meant to be impressed by the love of God. We were meant to be inspired by it. 1 John 4:11 says, “beloved, IF God so loved us, we also ought to love one another…” This “if” is not a “perhaps God loves us.” This Greek word is a marker of a condition, existing in fact. It is proven as fact. Let this love from God push you to do something you wouldn’t normally do. Love the unlovable, love God’s people, love God fervently. 
When we make “conditions” for love we are failing to really understand what kind of love we ought to have. We might say “well I’ll love him/her when they apologize for being so rude,” or “I’ll show my love when he/she admits that they were wrong!” We may even think, “The moment they show me some love I’ll return the favor.”
God has already made His own conditions. If you want to know God, love one another because He loved us first. He demonstrated true love for us to imitate. God has given us the definition of love. It is limitless. Does love cost us anything? If it doesn’t we may need to re-evaluate whether or not we are truly loving. 
What is love? Love originated from God and that’s why God is love (1 John 4:16).

I didn’t know her name but we called her the Tootsie Roll Lady. Every Sunday kids would flock to her after services had ended. She would open a large bag full of the candy and give it to all of us. She ended up passing away a few years after we moved, and I remember dad saying, “Mrs. Compton passed away.” I said “who?” he replied, “The Tootsie Roll Lady.” I didn’t know much about her, not even her name, but I knew she loved us. To this day when I think of love she pops into my head.

1 John 4:16 says, “We have known and believed the love God has for us. GOD IS LOVE. And whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” God came to earth in the flesh, does that not speak volumes of His love? If you were in a perfect paradise and you saw the wickedness and pain on earth, would you leave? Jesus would witness the destruction of the earth on account that every mans thoughts were wicked continually. Jesus would witness the sinful degenerates perverting the natural ways of life in Sodom and Gomorah. Jesus would watch the sinfulness of man through the ages and then leave His throne to come save us. Every time we scheme and turn our backs on Him, God still loves us. Not only that, Jesus is the one who is mediating in our relationship with God for our own sake. 

Love is not infatuation or a feeling of butterflies, so what is it? It is an emotion that was created by God. It is an action done by God for our benefit. It is an attribute that every Christian should be striving to perfect. 

With that in mind, I love you. 

Hosted by Dale and Carl Pollard

TBNB EPISODE: ANGER

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

Dale Pollard

You know what I hate? Running out of paper towels. You spill a drink all over the floor and you run to grab some but there’s nothing but a roll on the dispenser.

You know, God can only use you if you’re wrapped in Him. Without God life has no point. We hear things like “let God use you!” Or “Serve God!” Or “Love God!” But why should you? That sounds like a terrible question to ask, but let’s think about this. Why should you serve God? Let’s take a minute to look at who God really is, and why we should love Him so much.

First of all, God is not cruel. God has had you in mind since the beginning (Ephesians 2:10).

God can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary (2 Cor. 5:17). 

God can give you spiritual sight so you can make sense of this world. 

God can make things a little easier. He can help you lose your load of sin. He can help you worry and stress less.

God can give you family.

God can offer you the best retirement plan. If this sounds good to you, God’s looking for someone to give that to— a special kind of person. 

He’s looking for the seeking 

He’s looking for the struggling 

He’s looking for the simple. 

He’s looking for the sinner.

He’s looking for the sincere. 

The more we come to know God, the more we will fall in love with who He is. No matter what your spiritual state may be, pursue His presence and your life will be more blessed because of it. 

“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.“

– Psalm 100:5

Monday’s Column: Neal At The Cross

Neal Pollard

The American Academy of Pediatrics, who most would not consider a politically-driven entity, shared their findings and concerns about children not being able to return to school this fall. Reasons they advocate for a return to the classroom include risk of social isolation, abuse, untreated mental health disorders, food insecurity, less physical activity, racial and social inequalities, and developing diseases. Then, there’s the academic reasons. There’s a great risk right now that they might catch and/or transmit Covid-19, but the AAP, along with so many others, is suggesting weighing that risk against these others (Dr. Sabina Bera, 7/10/20, “Why Pediatricians Are Pushing For Kids To Back To School In The Fall,” ABC News).  To do so, there would need to be changes to protect everyone involved–physical distancing, hand washing, face covering, altering how class changing is done, temperature checking, testing, and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting, etc. (healthychildren.org).  But our children’s future, their development, and their needs, make the unavoidable risks necessary.

The greatest need every child (and adult) has is spiritual. Within each child is a never-dying, eternal soul. They need to learn about and know about God’s Word. There is such benefit to getting back to sitting in a Bible classroom, with their friends, and having their faith built in God and Jesus, learning about the importance of the church, and being shown how to live lives that will please God. The case could be made that this must be prioritized over anything else (Mat. 6:33). While the same virus-related precautions must be observed, consider these reasons why we should give thought to getting our kids back in Bible school as soon as we can.

• • • • • Children need teaching that is at their specific level. While Paul was making another point with this observation, children speak, think, and reason differently than adults (1 Cor. 13:11). They need more basic and simplified teaching about many biblical subjects, and the Bible school supplies this need.
        • Children need to form the good habit of being in the Bible classroom. There are trying moments with our little ones under the best of circumstances. They can be more trying when children have been out of the habit of sitting in class. Teachers and parents will probably need to remember that once classes resume.
        • Children need the stimulation that comes from each other’s presence and their teacher’s presence. While this happens at a different level for children, they are stimulated to love and good deeds through their assembling for classes (Heb. 10:24-25). Just watch how excited these little students often are at seeing each other. 
        • Children need their enthusiasm for the Bible stoked. Children’s classes are a formidable foundation for future faith. Our job in the church and in the home is to do whatever we can to increase their zeal for spiritual things. Perhaps no one outdoes a child for honestly and enthusiastically exclaiming, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD'” (Psa. 122:1). 

We cannot afford to be dismissive or reckless. We must be vigilant in physical precautions. Balanced with this, though, we must understand how essential the spiritual education of our children is! The home has the primary role in this, pandemic or not. But, the church is a frontline partner. Let’s pray that we will do all we can, when we can, to get back to serving in this role! They have no greater need!

Friday’s Column: Supplemental Strength

Brent Pollard

Thanks to an autoimmune disease, I had an organ within my body constantly described as “friable” when I had cancer screening. Used in a medical context, friable means the tissue was easily irritated, making it more prone to inflammation. Perhaps you can deduce from the word “inflammation” its origin from a word denoting flames. Indeed, the Latin root for “inflame” is inflammare or “into flame.” Hence, a description of my organ’s tissue as something having the appearance of being burned with fire! Even now, I combat inflammation. In some respects, then, I am a man burning from within.

Obviously, that’s not good. I’ve sought to proactively do things to quell this inflammation within. I cut out sugar and reduced my carbohydrate intake. I’ve tried to keep myself stress-free. I have avoided the types of pollutants reported to cause inflammation. Even so, I’m still a man burning on the inside. As it turns out, sometimes current medical science just cannot figure out, in certain cases, why inflammation occurs.

This truth has caused some to look to unlikely places for the answers. For example, I’ve known some who looked to questionable sources of wisdom, such as the stars. One new-age acquaintance announced to me my problem stemmed from self-denial. Evidently, I’m not true to my fiery Moon sign but obey the urgings of my watery Sun sign. In other words, I quell my spirit.

Obviously, that’s not true. Firstly, self-denial is essential to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ (Luke 9.23). We give God’s Kingdom and Righteousness primacy in our lives (Matthew 6.33). Being “true to myself” would mean giving in to my lusts and becoming a friend of the world (1 John 2.15-17).

Secondly, as Cassius told Brutus in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.” In other words, Cassius was telling Brutus that the stars destined nothing. All they needed to do was to decide not to follow Caesar. Through their strength of will, they could overcome him. Whether or not someone says the stars say this or not, that’s not why the inflammation within burns.

Recently, though, I stumbled across something of interest that you might find beneficial as well. It’s possible for shame to cause inflammation since it causes the body to release cytokines. ¹ Researchers at UCLA detected these cytokines in a blood test after the subjects related a shameful experience. ² Joseph Burgo, Ph.D. maintains a difference exists between guilt and shame in that the former relates to others while shame relates to self. ³ In other words, with guilt, you recognize you’ve done wrong, perhaps injuring another. With shame, though, you feel distressed because you’re conscious of what you’ve done.

Shame is what Father Adam and Mother Eve felt when the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil opened their eyes. Yes, they recognized their guilt, but shame led them to hide from God, something impossible to do. Despite its negative implication, however, shame can elicit the godly sorrow Paul states leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7.10-12).

Now, I’m not saying that if you burn from within as I do, that you’re needing to repent of some sin causing you shame. However, I do want you to realize that when you try to live with the shame of sin, you do more harm to yourself than you realize. Most importantly, you jeopardize your soul. Consequently, though, you may set yourself on fire within and sicken yourself by doing nothing to properly rid yourself of the shame that should help repentance.

I close with the words of John: “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” (1 John 2.28 NASB).

Thursday’s Column: Captain’s Blog

Carl Pollard

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans‬ ‭12:1‬ is a verse that every Christian should keep in mind every day. It tells us how we are to conduct ourselves while we are on this earth.

There is a reason Paul refers to this sacrifice as living. In the Old Testament the Jewish peoples’ sacrifices always ended in death. It was a one time sacrifice that was concluded through the death of the animal. A living sacrifice is perhaps even harder than dying.

There is no clear end in sight. It is a day after day sacrifice on our part. Not a one time event. We are to live as a continual sacrifice for God. Rev. 2:10 says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” And In Matt. 24:13, “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
A person who is a living sacrifice is one who endures, and is one who continues to sacrifice, even in trials.

So the question we must ask is, “What is this sacrifice?” If we give our money or time and it doesn’t affect us, was it really a sacrifice? Sacrifice is defined as, “giving up (something important or valued) for the sake of other considerations.”

Sacrificing ourselves to God implies that it actually takes effort on our part. Christianity that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. A chaplain was speaking to a soldier in the hospital and said, “You have lost an arm in the great cause.” The soldier replied, “I didn’t lose it—I gave it.”

Sacrifice can only occur if we have a change of mind. Paul would tell us that our motivation to sacrifice for God should come from a knowledge of our sin. And through the knowledge that they have been forgiven through Christ. Our sacrifice is willingly done because of the justification we have.

We are commanded to be living sacrifices and one of the struggles we may have is making our sacrifice an everyday occurrence. I know of a few people that think they can get by on a few sacrifices, but anyone can make a single sacrifice, the hard part is making it a part of our behavior. So are we living a life of sacrifice, or has our sacrifice already died?

As we go throughout this week we must ask, am I living a life of sacrifice for God?