Author Archives: bjrutledge
Despair and Hope
When your soul’s in despair, change your focus. In light of what’s going on in culture there are times I feel a sense of despair as did the author of Psalm 42 which I just read. In these times of … Continue reading
HE’S NOT HERE – HE IS RISEN
Reviewing some photos from our trips to Israel caused me to reflect on the things that took place as Jesus was arrested, falsely tried, crucified and raised from the dead. Of course, one of the most significant places we visited … Continue reading
LOVE LETTERS
Actual love letters may not be used much today, but when I was in a serious dating relationship with Janet (now my wife of nearly 44 years) we wrote love letters to each other one summer. We wrote these letters … Continue reading
TRIALS, ABANDONMENT & ABUSE
Reviewing some photos from our trips to Israel caused me to reflect on the things that took place as Jesus was arrested, falsely tried, crucified and raised from the dead. Late Thursday night Jesus was betrayed and arrested in the … Continue reading
Gethsemane and Blood Clover
Reviewing some photos from our trips to Israel caused me to reflect on the things that took place as Jesus was arrested, falsely tried, crucified and raised from the dead. On Thursday, Jesus gathered with His disciples in an upper … Continue reading
Lawlessness Destroys Love
As I was preparing for my men’s small group yesterday, I reviewed a portion of Chapter One of The Good And Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith. He said Paul showed us how to ruin our lives without even trying … Continue reading
The Importance of Stepping Out Of The Traffic
After sharing some closing thoughts with our staff this past week, one of our newer staff members, Dee Mathis, stopped me and asked: “What’s the one thing you’d say is most important as a staff member?” She said she’d watched … Continue reading
Pharisees and Prostitutes
In Luke 7, there’s an amazing historical account of Jesus visiting with a Pharisee named Simon, and while in Simon’s home a prostitute enters. She washes Jesus’ feet with her tears & dries them with her hair. She kisses his … Continue reading
We Want The Miracle But…
I was reading Luke 1 recently about the birth of Jesus being foretold to Mary. Luke 1:37-38 says: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me … Continue reading
RESPECT and IDENTITY
I recently did a very informal social media poll asking what are the values you see disappearing in our culture today. The overwhelming majority of responses included the word RESPECT. Merriam-Webster defines RESPECT as worthy of high regard, or to … Continue reading
BJ Rutledge 