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By Enoch Haven, MBC Arlington Director of Men’s Ministries
A Powerful Picture
If the past is any indicator, this weekend I will see a reoccurring genre of images on my social media feeds. And no, I am not talking about the pictures of flowers, chocolate, and smiling couples at nice restaurants. The exact details differ, but often these pictures depict a wine bottle accompanied by a solitary glass. Some also feature a catchy hashtag like #ValentinesDayDinner. The funny thing is, I don’t always see food in these pictures. An image really can speak volumes.
This day, though joyful for some, is a painful reminder of aloneness for many others. “Singles Awareness Day” provides a fitting acronym for many who long to spend…
By Enoch Haven, MBC Arlington Director of Men’s Ministries
Christmas cheer is here; at least that’s what the billboards say. For weeks now we have been bombarded with advertisements featuring smiling families gathering around filling meals, jewelry boxes being opened, and new cars adorned with big red bows. The Christmas season is, after all, primarily about candy canes, cuddling, and getting gifts, right? But what are we supposed to do when we just don’t feel all the peace and love?
For many of us, the holidays bring something other than happiness. Sometimes it’s hard to have joy when…
…all you can think about during Christmas dinner is the one who is no longer there.
…your positive emotional health is largely due to the…
The scent spread rapidly as he peeled back the lid from another can of sardines. I tried hard to avoid showing my disgust as the smell of oily fish quickly saturated the air surrounding our table. Sitting across from me was a man I had only just met. For weeks I had heard rumors of a Bible study group at my college, but I was hardly prepared for my encounter with the leader of this band of believers. Josiah was a cheerful man with a powerful smile–and many eccentricities. A nursing student, he had recently started college in his mid-twenties.
Josiah listened as I shared my story, his large beard parting frequently to let his lunch swim through. During that…
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. (1 Timothy 3:1 NASB)
In our passage today the Apostle Paul writes to help Timothy, a young pastor, select quality leaders in the church. Paul begins by saying that church leadership is a noble responsibility. Then, over the next twelve verses, he shares a demanding list of requirements for those who would serve. Solid character and holy living are non-negotiable requirements for those…