Nov 20
A church member who worked in the book industry gave me this Bible last night. It looks completely normal from the outside. But every page is completely blank on the inside. The publisher made a mistake in the printing. As I was showing Ryan, our youth minister this Bible, it hit us that many could …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/the-blank-bible/
Nov 18
The holidays are approaching. For the dominant culture it is welcomed and anticipated as the “most wonderful time of the year.” Yet, for many it is a time they have been dreading. The calendar is marked off not with anticipation, but with anxiety and fear. They wonder how they will get through the holidays. If …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/let-others-wear-their-mourning-garments-this-holiday-season/
Nov 16
This past week we went to the Cincinnati area for a vacation with my parents. We left Sunday after worship and drove to Petersburg, KY. We planned to visit the Creation Museum on Monday. But Caleb, our 2 year old, had different plans. He got sick with a stomach bug and we were up with …
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Nov 13
This past Sunday I was scheduled to preach on “What will heaven be like?” As I began preparing for this study. I wanted to focus on some texts besides Revelation 21-22. Revelation 21-22 are a highly symbolic description of heaven, that should not be stretched beyond the context of Revelation. As I began to study …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/heaven-it-is-not-about-the-what-but-the-who/
Nov 06
Austin turned 10 yesterday on November 5th. We are proud of the young man he is becoming. He gave his first sermon on Tuesday of this week. Austin has been leading prayers, reading scripture, and leading songs for years, but after last month’s nursing home devos I encouraged him to deliver the lesson. He was …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/austins-first-sermon/
Nov 02
Read these five conclusions from a recent study by Christian Smith, a scholar from North Carolina University. A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/the-best-analysis-of-our-current-religious-world/
Oct 31
Today is Halloween 2014. Many people will wear a mask of some sort for their costume. These are physical masks, but people also wear masks all through the year. In fact, all of us are guilty at times of wearing masks to hide ourselves. Adam and Eve immediately tried to hide themselves from God when …
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Oct 30
If your wife wrote a journal or spoke about your love and service to her, what would she say? Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian writer, tried to follow the teachings of Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount. Yet, he failed miserably to live out what he preached. His marriage was certainly not what God …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/what-would-your-wife-say/
Oct 27
The title is certainly audacious. You may even think a bit vain and arrogant. I certainly am not claiming to be a great lectureship speaker. In fact, I have only spoken at a few lectures. But I have listened to hundreds of lectures over the years at various events in our brotherhood. I have spoken …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/how-to-be-a-great-lectureship-speaker/
Oct 23
If your spiritual life had a page with status updates like your social life has a Facebook page what would be your status? Social media is so popular today and has a place in connecting family and friends to one another. People typically will put their “status” periodically on their page which shares these thoughts …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/spiritual-status-updates/
