During this transition from Mayfield to Henderson I have taken a break from blogging. I am not sure all of the future plans I have for the blog at this time. I know I do not want to close or take down the site, but I also cannot write like I used to. I am toying with the idea of rebranding it as a leadership focus blog in the future. Currently I am teaching at FHU and preaching for the Beacon Church of Christ outside of Parsons, TN. Thanks for reading and using the blog through the years. Use the search or topics to find articles on a wide-variety of subjects.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/pause/
May 18
Saying Goodbye to Mayfield
My records indicate this is my 240th article to be printed in the Mayfield Messenger since April 2015. This is my last article. We moved to Mayfield in November of 2003 to work with the then Seventh and College Church of Christ (since named the Seven Oaks Church of Christ). Mayfield has been our home for almost 18 years. We are moving this July to Henderson, Tennessee where I will start my work in August as a Bible professor at Freed-Hardeman University. We are excited about this next phase of life and ministry, but are sad to leave this community we have called home for nearly two decades. Allow me some reflection and an opportunity to express gratitude.
I appreciate the Mayfield Messenger editor and staff for allowing me to submit weekly articles. I am most grateful for all the readers through the years. I have received much encouragement and joy from hearing from you. These articles have been a way for me to share my life with the broader Mayfield community and hopefully encourage you in your faith, family, and life.
This is a wonderful community. You have welcomed us as one of your own. We have so many friends that have enriched our lives. All four of our children were born and mostly raised here. You have provided educational opportunities, community resources, athletic competition, and many wonderful memories. We love this community and are thankful for its impact and good it has had upon our family. I am thankful for Seven Oaks Church of Christ and their support and love to our family.
Saying goodbye is difficult. These next few months of transition invoke many emotions. We are going to embrace them all as best we can. Because loving and being loved by people and creating a storehouse of memories with your family and church is what live is about! It is how God made us to be!
While these weekly articles will stop, you can find all the old articles and new ones I will add in the future at my website – www.JoshKetchum.com. You can even subscribe to receive new articles by email.
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26)
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/saying-goodbye-to-mayfield/
Apr 13
Common Courtesy
Where has common courtesy gone? In an age of smart phones, ear pods, and rushing to the next appointment, do we have time for courtesy?
Paul told Titus, “to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:2). Courtesy is shown to others because we are gentle and humble. This is the concept and idea of Paul’s thoughts here to Titus. True humility causes us to show concern and love to all people, not just those like us or those we desire their favor.
Christians should be the most courtesy people in our community. Here are some ways we need to revive common courtesy and teach it to our youth.
- Use traditional words like “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me.”
- Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking.
- Let others know when you are running late or your plans change.
- Be aware of your surroundings in public and don’t talk or play music too loudly.
- Consider your attire and the respect you show with your dress and attitude.
- Be respectful to those older than you with terms like “Mr” and “Mrs” and “Sir” and “Ma’am.”
- Use good table manners.
- Respect other people’s property. Don’t take something without asking permission and return what you borrow.
- Clean up after yourself. Don’t leave trash or a mess where you have been.
- Take your ear pod out and look someone in the eye when they are speaking to you.
- Open and hold the door for someone entering or exiting.
- Allow others to pass rather than pushing and hurrying by someone in a store.
- Be kind and thoughtful to others!
These actions will go a long way in fulfilling Paul’s instructions of showing “perfect courtesy toward all people.” Parents, let’s teach and model these actions for our children. Let’s not let common courtesy die, but let it be common in our community!
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/common-courtesy/
Apr 06
Spring: The Time When Kings Go to Battle
I am loving these beautiful spring days! We have been blessed with some great weather recently. While, I enjoyed the snow for a brief period, I much prefer the beauty of a warm spring day.
The Bible rarely mentions the season of spring, but it is used significantly in regard to when kings go out to battle in the Old Testament. From ancient times, all the way through the Civil War armies would go into winter quarters to break from fighting and then embark on new campaigns in the spring. We see the prophet of God warning the king of Israel he will be attacked by the king of Syria when spring comes (1 Kings 20:22). Sure enough King Ben-hadad of Syria will attack when spring comes (1 Kings 20:26). Nebuchadnezzar embarks on a campaign against King Hezekiah of Judah in the spring of the year (2 Chron. 36:10).
It was the spring of the year when David was supposed to go out to battle with his army, but he stayed behind wandering on his rooftop spotting Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:1). David was not where he should be, and his idle time led him into the terrible sins of adultery and murder.
It is the spring of the year, the times when kings go out to battle! What does this mean for your life this spring?
First, what battles or missions should you be embarking upon? The spring gives life! Hope and optimism are filling the air. The pandemic is receding. The temperatures are warming, fields are being prepared, and the grass is greening. What projects do you need to tackle? Spring is a time for vision, purposes and pursuit. It is time to get serious and quit delaying. Maybe the first mission needs to be coming back to church. Maybe its time to committ to getting out and living life again. The time when kings go out to battle is here!
Second, what will you avoid by finding a purpose, rather than straying into idleness and sin? David should have been with the army. He should have been taking the next victory. Yet, he was arising from his couch and walking around his rooftop looking at a woman bathing next door! See the difference? An idle mind is a devil’s workshop. It is spring, which means we must also avoid temptations that come our way. We need to make sure we place our energy, enthusiasm, and desire for life again in the right places!
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/spring-the-time-when-kings-go-to-battle/
Mar 31
The C.R.O. of the Church
Jesus is the C.E.O. of the church. He is the head of His church (Eph. 1:22-23). But every preacher, youth minister, and the shepherds of the church are the C.R.O.’s. What is a C.R.O. you ask?
A Chief Reminding Officer!
“Great leaders see themselves as Chief Reminding Officers as much as anything else. Their top priorities are to set the direction of the organization and then to ensure that people are reminded of it on a regular basis.”* Reminding often feels wasteful and redundant, but it is crucial for leaders to constantly communicate the mission of the church and truth of the gospel.
Preachers–see yourself as the C.R.O. of the church. Your job is not to invent anything new, but to preach the primitive gospel of Jesus Christ. A form of the word “remind” is found 13 times in the New Testament (ESV). Peter, as an older apostle, wrote “I think it is right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Pet. 1:13). Jude wrote to “remind” the early Christians of what they already knew. Paul had to “remind” the Corinthians of the gospel he had preached (1 Cor. 15:1). Paul told Timothy and Titus to remind their listeners of core truths of the gospel (2 Tim. 2:14, Titus 3:1). Christians come to worship each Sunday not to learn a new thing, but to be reminded of what they believe. Christians need to be stirred up to love and good works through reminding. They need to be “established in the truth” through reminding (2 Pet. 1:12).
Shepherds of the church are the C.R.O.’s of the church in that they are to constantly remind the church of its mission and vision for God in this world. The one job shepherds have that no one else can do is set the vision, direction, and mission of the church. They point the way! But Christians are busy people with distraction-filled lives, thus shepherds must constantly remind, challenge, and call them back to their purpose.
This reminding isn’t just saying the same thing over and over. It is using different methods, illustrations, Bible passages, works, and personal example to deliver the same message. The challenge of church leaders is to be fresh and passionate about the same message that has not and will not ever change. Church leaders, the Lord needs you to be His C.R.O.’s! The church needs to be reminded! So go preach!
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*Patrick Lencioni, The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business. p. 142-143.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/the-c-r-o-of-the-church/
Mar 23
We are Miserable Bracket Prophets
How is your bracket? In 2021, it is probably worse than normal. One thing for sure–it is broken! The final three perfect brackets lasted through 28 games, but fell with Maryland’s win over UConn. Only 0.42% of brackets remained perfect after the Oral Roberts win on the first day. In fact, after Friday’s first day of games, only 121 brackets remained. The longest perfect bracket streak is held by Greg Nigl who started 49 of 49 in 2019, but his bracket was broken in a Sweet-16 game of that year. We are miserable bracket prophets! Even the experts, who watch and study all the teams throughout the year, fail miserably in their predictions.
Why are we such miserable predictors? Because we don’t know the future. We can’t pick what will happen in only a couple of days. Yet, God through the ancient prophets predicted detailed prophecies about nations, Jesus, and the church hundreds of years before. Let’s take the prophecies regarding Christ. “It is estimated that the Old Testament contains altogether some 456 prophecies concerning Christ.” Here is a sampling of some of the detailed prophecies. Notice how many of these he could not control or make happen himself. The Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem in Judea (Micah 5:2), of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). He was to be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9) for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:13). He would come into Jerusalem riding on a foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). He would be buried with a rich man (Isaiah 53:9). They would cast lots for his cloths while he suffered (Psalm 22:18). He would be pierced, but not have bones broken (Zechariah 12:10, Psalm 34:20). His physical body would not experience decay (Psalm 16:10). This is just a few of the 300-400 prophecies given about Jesus. Many of them quoted and referenced by the New Testament writers.
We can’t get a bracket right one day before! How can prophets like Moses, Isaiah, David, and Zechariah get these detailed predictions right hundreds of years before? They were inspired by God. God gave them this prophetic knowledge. He did it to show that Christ is the true Messiah and Savior of the world. Just like our brackets, all of us are far from perfect. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). We needed a Savior. Let’s be thankful that the predicted Savior came just as God said he would and died for our sins, so we can gain the victory despite our imperfection.
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Sources: https://www.ncaa.com/
The Predicted Messiah – Apologetics Press.com
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/we-are-miserable-bracket-prophets/
Mar 09
Praying in Faith
Praying is hard. There is no secret formula or proven technique to make prayer easy and effective. Prayer doesn’t turn God into a “genie in a bottle.” Prayer is not a vending machine, where we pop in the right amount and get what we want. Prayer is about a relationship. Prayer is a child talking to his Father in Heaven (Mat. 6:9).
Prayer challenges our faith. James taught us to “ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (1:6). Jesus told his disciples, “Therefore I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). While we don’t pray to get, we should pray in faith believing we will receive. Does that seem contradictory? We aren’t supposed to think like children in this sense. We should not bring selfishness to our prayers, but rather surrender–remember Christ in the garden, “Not my will, but Thy will.” But we must bring faith to our prayers.
Asking in faith is asking with trust and confidence. James goes on to say that the man who lacks faith in his prayers is “unstable in all his ways” (1:7). He is described as being like a wave of the sea driven and tossed about. Prayer is to stabilized us through the rocky ride of this life. Prayer is casting our cares, request, confessions, and thanksgivings to God in faith. If I don’t ask in faith, that is trusting and believing that God hears and will answer, then I should not “suppose that I will receive anything from the Lord” (1:7). God wants to hear our faith when we talk to Him. He desires our conviction, trust, and love. Prayer isn’t about getting, but it is about believing the one we ask can give!
Pray bold prayers of faith!
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/praying-in-faith/
Mar 02
Camping Dangerously Close to the Edge
A family in England is being scolded by local authorities for camping just inches from a 280 feet sheer drop. To add to the concern, the area was experiencing landslides due to wet conditions and they were camped at a perilous location. A 30-year-old man with a 27-year-old woman and young child camped on the edge in North Yorkshire, England. Thankfully, no incident occurred and there was no loss of life to them or to rescue personnel.*
Reading this story caused me to consider how many families are “camping dangerously close to the edge” with their choices. I am not talking about literally camping on a landslide prone cliff inches from the edge, but rather the dangerous daily choices families are making that leave them open to falling.
10 ways that families camp dangerously close to the edge.
- They become consumed with collecting material possessions.
- They allow a constant flow of worldly entertainment and media.
- They pursue their kid’s activities, while neglecting their marriage.
- They flirt or develop close friendships with friends of the opposite sex.
- They fail to make Bible school and worship a priority for their family.
- They “recreationally” use alcohol and drugs.
- They spend more money than they make, thus creating debt.
- They begin to neglect their family in pursuit of recreation, hobbies, or time with friends.
- They fail to have quality time together; i.e. being involved in such things as family meals, going to parks, and doing chores together.
- They think they can journey through life without having God as the priority and protector of their home.
If your family is involved in any of these ten things you are camping dangerously close to the edge. You are only waiting for one significant event to happen and the landslide will occur. You are only waiting on one slip of the foot and you will topple over the cliff. Don’t camp close to the edge! Jesus taught us to not build on shifting sand, but on the solid rock of His word (Mat. 7:24-27).
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* https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/family-scolded-for-setting-up-camp-on-cliffs-edge
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/camping-dangerously-close-to-the-edge/
Feb 23
She is Not Your Guy Friend
Be one another’s best friend! This is wise and helpful marriage advice. Your spouse should be your best friend. You should share the joys and struggles of life together. You should spend time together, talk about everything, and share common interests.
But this advice can also get us guys into trouble. We foolishly think that being best friends with our wive should look and be like being best friends with our guy buddies. So we do harmful actions when we try to apply the same principles of friendship onto our wives. Here are a few examples of how husbands don’t need to treat their wive like she is a close guy friend.
First, don’t tease and pick at her the way you tease and pick at your guy friends. With guys, growing up and through our adult years, we like to tease one another. We like to give each other a hard time. This involves poking fun about their looks, their actions, or something they said. We may call them names or let them have it when they do something dumb. Many a young husband has done the same to his wife. This can go on for years, but it can greatly harm the marriage. Don’t run your wife down in the name of just “picking on you” (Eph. 4:29). You need to be kind, encouraging, and sweet to her (Eph. 5:25-33). You must be her biggest cheerleader. Ridiculing her or poking fun of her looks, her actions, or words in public is never appropriate.
Second, know that win/lose arguments mean you both lose. With guy friends, men like to have win/lose arguments. We can argue and debate about some of the silliest and least important stuff. We try to recruit people to our side. We search Google to prove we are right. We want to win! We debate and argue just for the fun. It does nothing to the friendship, in fact it is often a part of the fun. But don’t take this same thought to your marriage. In marriage, if you are constantly finding and creating win/lose scenarios, you are asking for trouble. Avoid debating and arguing over trivial matters as much as possible. Seek to match one another in agreement. In marriage you need each others support, trust, and loyalty.
We need to nurture and grow our friendship in marriage. We were created to be one another’s companion (Gen. 2:18-25). But understand that friendship within marriage is going to look and be different that friendships you have had with friends in life. Men, remember she is not your guy friend! Don’t treat her the same, she needs your friendship in a different way. She needs your heart, words, love, and time.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/she-is-not-your-guy-friend/
Feb 10
Valentine Gifts for God
I hope you recognize Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to share expressions of your love. While the holiday is commercialized, there is value and significance as a culture in recognizing love, romance, and those who occupy unique and special places in our lives. So be sure and take advantage of this Valentine’s Day to share your love. We typically do that through giving gifts. We exchanges cards to tell our love in words. We purchase flowers, chocolate, jewelry, or other gifts to show our love.
This got me to thinking about what gifts we offer to God. What if this year you celebrated Valentine’s Day not just to your love on earth, but also to your love in heaven. What gifts would you give to God?
First, you could write God a card. You could recount the many ways God has loved you this year. You could offer your thanksgiving for His love and adoration. Your card could tell how grateful you are for the sacrifice of His son on Calvary’s cross. Your card could profess your undying love for and commitment to Him. How do you mail your card to God? You simply open your heart to God in prayer and read your card to God, like a young child reading and offering her father a Valentine’s card she made.
Second, you could offer God worship. Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year. You should be in church! God desires your worship (John 4:23). You give the “fruit of your lips” in singing praises to God (Heb. 13:15). You listen to His word, pray fervent prayers, and lift up your heart in adoration. The greek term for worship means “to kiss towards.” This Sunday, be sure you “kiss towards” God in worship!
Third, you could use your money to give God a gift. God doesn’t need anything material, after all He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps 50:10). But He does ask for us to give to others in HIs name. Like the poor widow who gave all she had to the Lord as a gift of her love and adoration (Lk 21:1-4). Mary offered an expensive ointment to Christ in preparation for his burial. Her extravagant gift was seen as an acts of worship and honor (Mat. 26:6-12). This Valentine’s Day you can offer a monetary gift to God by helping a friend in need, giving to a food ministry, sending money to a missionary, or giving your contribution to the church. Your monetary gift is the “proof of your love” (2 Cor. 8:24). It says, “I love you Lord!”
This Valentine’s Day, I hope you express and enjoy the day with your sweetheart. I hope you bask in the glory of love. But more importantly, I hope you will reflect upon the great love God has given you. I hope you will choose to express that love back to Him. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19)
Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/valentine-gifts-for-god/
