By Sean Dietrich
A television is playing in a Birmingham bar. The talking head is shouting politics. Most folks in this joint are below thirty, and aren’t even watching TV. They’re transfixed with the opiate glows of their smartphones.
The bartender looks thirteen. He stares at the television screen and says...
By Pastor Doug Stauffer
Every celebrated Independence Day finds patriot hearts swelling with pride and gratitude for our freedoms enjoyed in this great nation. Even after the fireworks, parades and family gatherings, let us take a moment to reflect on the true essence of freedom as expressed in the Holy...
Adapted by Pastor Doug Stauffer
In the beginning, God established the home with a simple design, as stated in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” However, the world, the flesh, and the...
By Sean Dietrich
The boy holds his fish as high as he can. His father hugs him and kisses his hair. They make a fine picture together.
I’m watching a father and son fish in a state park. They stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
After a few minutes, the boy’s rod starts to bend.
He screams,...
By Sean Dietrich
Easter Sunday. An Episcopal church in Birmingham. Vaulted ceilings. Ornate masonry. A pipe organ. A choir dressed in lacework cottas. Individual stained-glass windows that cost more than tactical government helicopters. The whole works.
My wife and I arrived late. The place was loaded with parishioners in pastel colors....
By Pastor Doug Stauffer
Life’s journey is guided by the decisions we make, shaping our path and defining our future. The Bible offers invaluable advice on making wise choices. James 1:5-8 stresses the importance of seeking God’s wisdom before making a decision. The book of James also says that God...
By Pastor Doug Stauffer
Like so many other churches, we establish a new theme every year. Interestingly, our theme for 2020 was pretty predictable—“20/20 vision” (ugh, right before COVID-19 reared its ugly head). The vision that year seemed blurry at best. Last year, it was from James 4:8: “Draw nigh...
By Sean Dietrich
The plane landed in Tuscaloosa at 8:37 p.m. Central Time. Coach Kalen DeBoer deboarded.
He was met with an entourage of photographers and reporters with iPhones. DeBoer’s press conference was scheduled for 1 p.m.
It was a blustery, rainy day in the Yellowhammer State.
Nick Saban retired on Wednesday. DeBoer...
By Pastor David Holland
The world broils with conflict. Can you imagine living in Israel with rockets lobbed into your neighborhood at random times? Or, in Gaza, where the country is being reduced to rock and rubble? Or in Ukraine, where soldiers rot entrenched in freezing foxholes. They fight a...
