tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142012012012-01-02T15:14:52.015-08:00The name says it all...Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-35850027906870916982011-10-06T08:28:00.000-07:002011-10-06T09:24:11.286-07:00

Maybe I've just got a hypersensitive sense of smell, but there are few things that delight me like the fragrances of nature. The weather has cooled down enough to finally drive with the window down, and I absolutely love the aromas the night air brings. Even here in a metropolitan area, there are scents and fragrances in the air that still tickle my senses, that delight me, that, yes, make me

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-58597973236562177892011-06-07T07:44:00.000-07:002011-06-08T12:36:29.613-07:00

In a forum of ministers that I’m blessed to be a part of, someone recently posed the question, “Where do you see God?" I was sitting in my cubicle at work on a Monday night when I read his question, and began to type my response. I confess that I had to stop a couple of times and try to brush tears from my eyes as inconspicuously as I possibly could. Someone later read my response and told me I

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-46256688936664725372011-05-18T23:58:00.000-07:002011-06-08T12:35:37.461-07:00

I know there are several who follow me on Facebook, so pardon the redundancy. However, for those who've not seen it, when I woke this morning, laying there in bed, this thought came to me, and I shared it (in abbreviated form, of course) on my Facebook:Remember riding in the back seat of the car as a kid? Especially on late-night trips, you could just fall asleep and leave the driving to Dad,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-10482396981672999032010-04-29T08:50:00.000-07:002011-10-06T09:24:44.150-07:00

I was "taken to the woodshed" recently by a friend I've come to know in the past couple years. I watched this guy—a very successful businessman—communicate and connect with rank strangers from every walk of life, and asked him about it later that evening. My question exactly was, "The way you communicate and talk with people, is this just your own personality, or is this a learned trait...

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-27341583512857993712010-04-08T07:51:00.000-07:002011-10-06T09:25:43.626-07:00

I was bored this morning. I'll admit, that's what started the whole thing; boredom causes a man to tackle those menial chores that seem like they don't really need to be done. Chores like sweeping the garage out, or cleaning the driveway. However, as I watched my wife drive off to work again this morning, I took a look at the driveway, littered with grass trimmings and mulched-up leaves from my

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-53753841567153499202009-12-14T07:09:00.000-08:002010-03-07T19:33:25.441-08:00

Looking back over 2009, this has not been a good year. I lost two men that were extremely dear to my heart, men that were both friend and mentor to me, yet neither of which I ever got a chance to really express my love and appreciation to. Wayne Joiner, Jr. actually passed from this life in February of 2008, yet not having seen or heard from him in a long time, my search for him (including the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-76340146010972084162009-09-20T15:35:00.000-07:002009-09-20T19:20:53.973-07:00

Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer, living securely in the palace of Shushan, ever close to the King's presence, always at His beck and call. Meanwhile, his fellow captive Jews were "in great affliction and reproach" because the walls and gates had been destroyed. Walls were a city's chief defense against enemy forces. The gates, in addition to being a defense, were also a city's identity; in some

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-53931120476516708922009-09-14T08:38:00.000-07:002009-09-14T08:49:10.474-07:00

Samson's final request was for vengeance. He could have asked for restoration, but he chose vengeance: "Avenge me this once of my two eyes...". As a result, he died with an enemy he had fought bitterly against for much of his short life.Who knows what great things he might've accomplished had he sought restoration of his anointing, instead of revenge for his blindness? A blindness that was

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-76783540486315335552009-04-26T04:37:00.000-07:002009-04-26T05:06:54.800-07:00

A testimony to God's goodness: A few nights ago, I was just sort of meandering over the piano, when my wife asked me to play Timothy Spell's When God Unfolds The Rose. For those who have never heard it, you've missed a tremendous blessing; I suppose I could easily name it among my favorite songs of all times.Because of how dearly I love to hear Bro. Spell sing this, my initial reaction was, "Oh,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-68418060605860613262008-01-26T21:18:00.000-08:002008-01-26T19:19:45.289-08:00

I sat down at the piano here in my living room a few nights ago. My wife was at her computer in the office, and the girls were busy playing some game on their computers. It was quiet, and I was alone...Sat down at the piano, and began to play the old chorus:Just to walk with Him means everything to meJust to know He's real, His Hand is leading me.Let this world go their wayPass me by, let me be;

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-75999034875515887522007-12-20T21:08:00.000-08:002008-01-05T08:26:44.173-08:00

Do you have children? If not, do you spend much time around them?Listen to them, especially siblings; they often display something I call the "One-Up Syndrome", otherwise known as "trumping". Whenever my youngest daughter talks about doing, reading, going, or accomplishing something, her older sister has this incredible need to "one-up" her.It is an embarassment to say that preachers are no

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-71857741828588265792007-10-08T05:45:00.000-07:002008-01-05T08:36:49.261-08:00

This post stemmed from Ron Wofford's outstanding commentary on WordShare regarding "The abomination we never preach about". This is not to take anything from him or his words; they are truly worth reading...I have watched this forum for a couple weeks now (having been gone for some time), and the fallout of the advertising resolution has left me wondering if the passing of this resolution really

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-37543736423784475512007-08-10T20:22:00.000-07:002008-01-05T08:40:35.004-08:00

Recently, I had the pleasure of breaking bread with a fellow minister; we sat in the restaurant for close to 3 hours, enjoying our time of fellowship and getting better acquainted. It was merely a time of fellowship, a time for he and I to get to know each other a bit better, yet it lasted almost three full hours.A couple weeks ago, I met another friend at a well-known coffee house; we sat there

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-65555397616878728302007-08-10T09:39:00.000-07:002008-01-05T08:41:52.588-08:00

Some time ago, I volunteered to take some old audio cassettes of sermons and preaching and convert them over to MP3 files for a friend of mine. He had discovered these old tapes in rummaging around through his attic, and thought to just discard them (attics, time, and mud wasps take their toll on old cassette tapes) but when I discovered his intention, I stepped up and offered to do this for him.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-35262174466733852502007-08-03T15:55:00.000-07:002008-01-05T08:45:02.256-08:00

Had to take my youngest daughter to the dentist this morning. Although I'm going to reveal something that might, in the future, be a bit of an embarrassment to her, I'm only sharing this to validate the point that I want to make. Please don't feel that I'm being a cruel, heartless father for "telling on" my child; after all, it's something that many a child has to deal with. She has had a problem

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-48112136456828791122007-07-23T05:43:00.000-07:002008-01-05T08:44:24.804-08:00

I bought a book several years ago that I still have yet to read all the way through; the title was captivating, however:Descending Into GreatnessI remember mentioning the title in one of my bible college classes, and a couple of guys popped off and laughingly said, "How do you descend into greatness?" It is, indeed, a mindset that many men---of all ages---are completely unfamiliar with. Jesus,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-60146205681971291272007-07-16T08:05:00.000-07:002008-01-05T08:46:30.185-08:00

What an incredible eulogy; what a thing to be remembered for.I woke this morning, and as I lay here in my bed talking with God, this passage came to my mind. Unashamedly, I confess that tears welled up in my eyes as I wondered what might be said of me after my passing.Would it matter if folks said "He was a great father, a loving husband, a preacher of the gospel..."? Would that be a legacy to

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-10741382757658755372007-06-26T15:51:00.000-07:002008-01-05T08:47:11.863-08:00

I actually killed a buzzard.In my entire lifetime, I've only seen one or two dead on the highway; it seems the nasty things---as bulky as they appear to be---always manage, somehow, to get out of the way of that oncoming vehicle. Buzzards. Scavengers. Connoisseurs of carcasses and other things dead or dying. I hit one today. Killed that nasty thing graveyard dead. And cracked the windshield on my

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-45005251236075774992007-06-19T08:11:00.000-07:002008-01-05T08:57:49.100-08:00

Splenda® has taken the artificial sweetener world to a new level, and they've done it in a most unexpected way.Instead of trying to concoct their own sweetener, the folks who created Splenda® simply changed the molecular formula of sugar itself. Ergo, the tagline that (somewhat truthfully) states: "Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar". The problem is, it doesn't really taste like sugar...

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-41186559593383609642007-05-17T12:59:00.000-07:002008-02-21T18:11:18.497-08:00

I've lived with the Music Devil pretty much all my life.I know what it is to struggle---and lose the fight---with the Music Devil.Many who will read this blog may have never heard my piano playing. There are those, however, that can attest to the ability that God has seen fit to bless me with, and I readily give Him all the glory for it.I can play the Jerry Lee Lewis "Whole Lotta Shakin'" style,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-9087919468206182732007-04-10T11:45:00.000-07:002008-01-05T09:00:29.600-08:00

"This church was born in a blaze of glory with outsiders wondering what in the world was going on. I think if they ain't still wonderin', we ain't still the Acts 2 church. Just my 'pinion."Thus, my response to someone who accused our modern-day worship in Pentecostal churches of being a "learned response" rather than a genuine reaction to God's Presence.I cannot tell you of a certainty how they

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-8828337016724335372007-04-07T10:36:00.000-07:002008-01-05T09:06:55.621-08:00

Are folks getting the "real" Holy Ghost? Is there such a thing as a "false" infilling? I have heard it stated that, because a non-apostolic preacher delivered the message of salvation, that folks who came to God at the close of the message received a "false" Holy Ghost, not "the real thing".Let the record show that I wholeheartedly disagree with such sentiment. God uses whom He will, and He has

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-92218559842335220892007-04-07T08:12:00.000-07:002008-01-05T09:07:44.301-08:00

Used to be a time when I prided myself on having a bit of a "connection"; all the latest goings-on of this grand organization of which I'm a part were easily discovered by just keeping an ear close to the ground, and a couple of phone numbers on "speed-dial".In recent years, the few "inside tracks" that I once had have all but disconnected themselves, or have lost their inside connections, or

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-72451517513491613162007-04-04T10:10:00.000-07:002008-01-05T09:08:28.404-08:00

In the United Pentecostal Church Int'l, the vast majority of business is accomplished by the election process. Pastors, presbyters, superintendents are voted in, resolutions are passed, departmental directors are elected, committees are formed, etc.How much of all this business is our personal agenda, and how much of it is reflective of the Will of God actually being achieved? Do our elections

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-32807517661147363682007-03-30T20:55:00.000-07:002008-01-05T09:41:23.235-08:00

The topic of preaching on Hell was recently raised in an online forum for preachers of a particular church affiliation. The question was asked, and the statement made: "When was the last time you preached about hell?...Millions are going there...We must preach about this horrible place!"The author of the thread was seeking some feedback concerning our lack of preaching conviction, hell, and the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-53015278778719229432007-03-26T06:31:00.000-07:002008-01-05T09:40:21.383-08:00

I posted this in an online forum for ministers, but decided to post it here for the sake of posterity. This was a response to someone's question about "What do you do to protect yourself?" etc. Several questions were asked regarding accountability, et al. This is my response.PS: The reference to the "Music Devil thread" concerns a thread that was started in this same forum. Pardon the confusion._

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-39949968365429586122007-03-23T12:14:00.000-07:002008-01-05T09:14:10.532-08:00

In a recent email, a pastor friend posed the question to me: "What makes us [as a church body or organization] distinctive?"There was a time when the United Pentecostal Church was distinctive for several things: standard of dress, lifestyle, abstinence from worldly things, the belief---and teaching---that water baptism in the name of Jesus was a necessary part of the formula for salvation, and,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-41832223435222765152007-03-13T00:04:00.000-07:002008-01-05T09:23:43.464-08:00

Yet another "spill-over" from the online forum of which I am such an active part. This time, my dear brother (name withheld) posed a question entitled "Is It Really Okay?" This was his response to the very liberal amount of name-calling, goading, biting comments directed from one supposed "apostolic" minister to another.I was once again appalled at the response from at least one of the men who

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-52977258835937876442007-03-05T05:41:00.000-08:002008-01-05T09:18:06.992-08:00

Someone posed the question, "Who should set the direction for the United Pentecostal Church?" This same person then went on to lambast "all these upcoming young guys" who (in his opinion, at least) had no "corn in the crib" yet had all these visions of wanting to change the direction of this fellowship that I am blessed to be a part of. (Incidentally, the guy posing the question/accusation is

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-1167335081814174902006-12-28T09:07:00.000-08:002006-12-28T12:09:57.750-08:00

The Pittsburg Steelers bulldozed their way through opponents into a National Football League SuperBowl championship last year.This year, they didn't even make the playoffs.The Indianapolis Colts team won 13 straight NFL regular-season games last year, seemingly with ease, then collapsed against the mediocre San Diego Chargers. The Colts started off the 2006 season with 9 straight wins, exhibiting

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-1166528913485062202006-12-19T02:36:00.000-08:002006-12-19T05:29:22.083-08:00

Sometimes you serve God; other times you just sit.It would seem that the "sitting" part is easy; after all, we all need a little break from the tedium of serving sometimes. Even the work of the Lord can become monotonous and draining at times. This applies to both pastors and evangelists; neither office is a prelude to glamor or a life of ease.Someone once wrote a song that states "Serving God is

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-1166465418741867002006-12-18T10:04:00.000-08:002006-12-18T10:10:18.746-08:00

There's an old saying that refers to "making a mountain out of a molehill"; that is, turning something trivial or insignificant into something massive, even insurmountable.How long does it take to make a molehill out of a mountain?Several years ago, my wife and I visited Grand Junction, Colorado on a ministry-related trip. While we were there, the host pastor took us up into the Colorado National

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-1166194837671691372006-12-15T04:40:00.000-08:002006-12-15T08:34:12.773-08:00

I bought a candle yesterday while out Christmas shopping. (For obvious reasons, I will refrain from using the actual name of the manufacturer, but it was obviously a well-known brand..from up north.) I was actually shopping for other family members, but they had these new fragrances, and my wife and I are partial to this particular brand anyway, so I picked up a candle for our home, as well."

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-1163948780398112412006-11-22T03:45:00.000-08:002006-11-22T07:10:02.880-08:00

It's funny---sometimes---how being forced to slow down and wait can make you observe things that you probably would have missed otherwise. Such is the source of my writing this morning...After dropping my youngest child off at school one morning this past week, I found myself in a line of cars all waiting to exit the parking lot. Directly in front of me was a smallish vehicle, a newer model built

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-1163723122097323012006-11-16T16:24:00.000-08:002006-11-16T18:16:16.903-08:00

prod·i·gal(adj.)a. Rashly or wastefully extravagant: prodigal expenditures on unneeded weaponry; a prodigal life.b. Giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse: prodigal praise.(noun)One who is given to wasteful luxury or extravagance.-------------------------------------------------------------------Am I guilty of being a "prodigal son"?The thought came to my heart today in prayer, and I

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-31006852848216758272006-11-03T15:16:00.000-08:002008-01-05T09:43:08.259-08:00

Escape The FamiliarIt's not quite as easy as one would think. For one thing, "familiar" can often be synonymous with "comfortable". We are most comfortable with the things we are most familiar with. In the wonderful world of Pentecost, and more specifically the United Pentecostal Church, the religious organization of which I am a licensed minister, we tend to be most comfortable when we know the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14201201.post-1161429948462451732006-10-21T04:18:00.000-07:002006-10-21T04:48:37.650-07:00

Author's Note: This article was originally written and published in the local newspaper in Nov. 2003 when I served as Pastor of Turning Point Church in Monett, MO. The article was later published in the Missouri Voice as well as The Pentecostal Herald.No, it’s not a new coffeehouse, a cybercafé, nor is it a new form of “drive-thru” religion. It’s a simple thing that many people might refer to as

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479220057839741746noreply@blogger.com0