Links to my other blogs

I continue to work on and add to each one of these to keep them active and up to date. Constantly adding my old material and adding fresh content.

Title: Click on the title below to go to blog	Brief description of each blog
Off-The-Church-Walls	Humor blog
Real Life Quotes	Growing Quote collection.
Real Life Enrichment	Practical information for everyday life.
Parable	Inspiring devotional illustrations
Preacher Points	Place for sermon outlines and resources
Kevin Rayner's Ministry to God @ The Edmond Church of Christ	Many current resources currently being used at the Edmond Church of Christ
Edmond Oklahoma SAM's	Information for helping Seniors
Rayner Resources	Hub for my information online
Magnify Jesus	A look at the Christ's life and teachings
Christ's Church	Reflecting on the followers of Christ
Real Life Conversion	How lives are changed by Christ
Oaks of Righteousness	Where to focus on becoming more fully devoted followers of Christ
"Overtime Church"	More challenging thoughts for the disciple that is most serious about Jesus. Theology for the night owl, weekend worker, or Bible student who wants to learn more.
Kevin's Komment	Online commentary and resources to better understand scripture.
Real Life Servant Maker	For the Christian growing with a Christ-like servant attitude toward others.
Becoming Great Neighbors	Encouragement to love and serve your neighbor
Edmond Church of ChristHospitality	Helping each Christian become more hospitable.

Memory

Click below to listen to the audio file about memory.

"Overcoming Hypocrisy"

"Overcoming Hypocrisy"
by Neal Pollard

Abundance

Spiritual Abundance

An uneducated man, on his conversion, wished to learn to read, so that he might read the Bible for himself.  He started, and made such good progress that he soon began to read the New Testament through.  A Christian friend, meeting him one day, asked how far he had got in his reading.  He replied that he was now reading in Romans.  "And how do you get on with that?" was the question.  "Well," answered the man, "there is a great deal I can't quite understand, but whenever I come to a 'therefore,' I get a blessing."  He could not comprehend all of those great arguments, but Paul always sums up with a "therefore," containing the sum and substance of his theme, which even the simplest by faith, will have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1).

Not Too Late

Note Too Late: Just Do It -- Now

Not Too Late: To Ask For Help
Not Too Late: To Say I'm Sorry
Not Too Late: To Start Over
Not Too Late: To Make a Difference

Can You Prove God?

Text: Ps 14, Heb 11:6

Proving existence of God.    Psalm 14

                             ==================
                             CAN YOU PROVE GOD?
                             ==================

    I. Does God really exist?                                 Hebrews 11:6

   II. Who needs him, anyway?  The view of skeptics.
        A. We don't need a god to explain things.
        B. Other faiths cancel each other out.
        C. Why do so many believe in God, then?

  III. Existence of God cannot be proven scientifically.
        A. Science can only prove repeatable things.
        B. Consider the alternative:  existence without God.
        C. Skeptics cannot be compelled to believe.

   IV. Reasons to believe He really is there.
        A. Human history.
        B. Philosophical arguments.
        C. Order and design of universe.
        D. Truth of Bible.
        E. Personal experience.

    V. What kind of God do you believe in?

Creation Or Evolution?

Text: Gen 1:20-26...

Darwinian evolution.    Genesis 1:20-26

                          ======================
                          CREATION OR EVOLUTION?
                          ======================

    I. Did God really create everything?

   II. Inner tensions.
        A. Truth of Bible - but Science also tries to establish truth.
        B. Some Christians have made dumb statements concerning science.
        C. Faith and facts.

  III. A theory that has changed the world.
        A. The voyage of the "Beagle" in 1859.
        B. Theory took society by storm.
        C. Unintended consequences.

   IV. Problems with Darwinism.
        A. Improbability of random mutations.
        B. The "missing links" are still missing.
        C. Macro or micro?

    V. Varieties of Creationism.
        A. Theistic evolution.
        B. Young earth creationism.
        C. Ancient earth creationism.*

   VI. People are special.
        A. Darwinian-ism and the human animal.
        B. Bible is adamant that humans are special.
        C. Are you related to your Creator?

Do We Have A Monopoly On Truth?

Text: John 1:9-14, John 14:6

Truth, as evidenced by Jesus.  John 1:9-14

                      ===============================
                      DO WE HAVE A MONOPOLY ON TRUTH?
                      ===============================

    I. A politically-incorrect Christmas.
        A. "Merry Christmas" is taboo.
        B. Satellite dish religion.

   II. The need for toleration.
        A. There is much good in other faiths.
        B. Inadequacies in our own faith.
        C. Tolerance doesn't mean agreement.

  III. Is there any such thing as objective truth?
        A. Modern society is hungry - for something.
        B. The gospel avoids asking for mere intellectual agreement.
        C. What is demanded is conversion, detoxification, being born again.

   IV. The real meaning of Christmas.                           John 1:9-14
        A. Most don't recognize Jesus.
        B. Truth became a man.
        C. "Peace on earth" was not for everyone.                 Luke 2:14

    V. Truth doesn't convert, but it can lead to Jesus.
        A. Our problem with the gospel is moral more than intellectual.
        B. Love works better than arguments.

What Happens When We Die?

Text: 2 Cor 5:1-7, Phil 1:23

The hope of heaven.    2 Cor 5:1-7

                         =========================
                         WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?
                         =========================

    I. What happens when we die?

   II. Misconceptions about heaven.
        A. Heaven is boring.
        B. Heaven is escapism.

  III. What heaven will be like.
        A. It is more than puffy clouds.                        Rev 21 & 22
        B. Dramatic changes in nature.                          Isaiah 11:6
        C. Expansion of human activity.                         Rev 21:24
        D. Christians will be changed to be like Jesus.         Phil 3:21
        E. The presence of God will be focus of heaven.         Rev 22:3-5

   IV. When do we go to heaven?
        A. Nighty-night view.               1 Cor 15:51-51; 1 Thess 4:13-14
        B. Right away view.                 Luke 23:43; 2 Cor 5; Phil 1:23

    V. Most important question:  Are you going to heaven?
        A. Many people think they are.
        B. We cannot get there on our own.                      John 14:1-6
        C. Death is a victory for Christians.

PowerPoint in Preaching

I WAS IN THE PULPIT TODAY
by Norman Bales

Pulpit preaching is in my blood, and that's why I gladly accept every opportunity I have to do it.  Mark was away on vacation today, and he asked me to deliver the sermon.   That like saying "sic 'em" to a dog."

Funny thing about being in the pulpit.  For years I preached every Sunday.  Sometimes I would think, "I'd love to have this Sunday off."   Now, I don't preach every Sunday, and there are many Sundays I wake up thinking, "I really wish I could preach today."

I'm well aware of the fact that expository discourse isn't all that popular in the contemporary church climate. Communicators are trying to come up with all kinds of creative ways to compete with the high tech world in communicating the message of Christ.  If  you're going to have a sermon at all then you expect the guy who does it to be wittier than David Letterman, more dramatic than the winner of this year academy award for best actor, and able to deliver well thought  out deeply theological content in an understandable fashion in less than ten minutes.  If that's the job description, I don't need to apply.

I know I'm old school, but I've dabbled in all the attempts to communicate in more interactive ways.  I've used film clips, object lessons, various forms of dialogue, breakout groups,  You name it I've tried it.  I even used PowerPoint in today's sermon.  Nobody came out talking about how wonderful the PowerPoint was.  PowerPoint preaching is a little bit like umpiring.  You know you've done it reasonably well when nobody says anything.  You know you used it horribly when people say, "But you should have done this."

When I first got acquainted with PowerPoint, I used to throw up about forty slides.  Today I used less than ten.  About five years ago, I watched and listened to an exceptionally powerful sermon, and I thought the preacher made the best use of PowerPoint I had ever witnessed.  He used three slides, but where he placed them in the message made all the difference in the world.

To continue baseball analogy, preaching can be compared to pitching. A baseball pitcher has to know when to use the fastball and when to use the change up.  Preaching methodology is much the same way, and few of us master it.  I certainly haven't.

Still it was good to face the challenge of putting together a logical, practical presentation that didn't put everybody to sleep.  There are enough pitfalls that confront the speaker to keep you humble no matter how long you've done it.  I'm reminded of the story of the lady who complimented the preacher after the sermon one Sunday morning.  She bragged on his presentation. "Brother, that was such a powerful sermon this morning."

He said, "I really can't take credit for me.  I just speak what the Lord has given me."

The lady said, "It wasn't that good."

Mine wasn't either.