Living on Purpose: What does having a pure heart mean to you?
Many are familiar with the Beatitudes, which are a section of a larger discourse spoken by Jesus in his earthly ministry.
Faith and Religion
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BreakPoint: The story behind ‘O Sacred Head Now Wounded’
Among the many hymns with deep roots in the history of the Church, "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" is based on a 900-year-old poem written by theologian and mystic…
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Pastor Bo: An inside look at a pastor’s Sunday
If God allows me to keep on living, in just a couple of years, I will hit a pretty cool tipping point; I will have been a pastor longer than I was not a pastor.
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How Tolkien and C.S. Lewis shaped each other — and the Christian imagination
At the C.S. Lewis Lecture on Tuesday evening at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the scholar Holly Ordway discussed the legendary friendship between…
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1 in 4 East Tennessee United Methodist churches poised to exit denomination
The Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church counts about 150,000 members in and around East Tennessee. Now, roughly 1 in 4 of the churches that compr…
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Pastor Bo: Grow your garden wisely
The Wagner vegetable garden has been a constantly evolving labor of love over many years.
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BreakPoint: Don’t call on demons you don’t believe in
Human beings, John Calvin said, are incurably religious creatures. Left to our own devices, we will start worshiping something or someone, whether or not that …
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Living on Purpose: Walking on bridges that human eyes cannot see
Soon after Jesus had resurrected, we find a beautiful account found in John chapter 20 that is a wonderful example of how much God loves us and desires to help…
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‘Bad boy of gospel music’ Calvin Newton of Lookout Mountain mourned
Calvin Newton, the gifted tenor and longtime Lookout Mountain resident dubbed the "bad boy of gospel" for his boxing prowess, jail stints and radiant charisma,…
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Historic St. Elmo Presbyterian Church selects new pastor
St. Elmo Presbyterian Church, whose pastor of 30 years retired in 2020, has selected a replacement to forge a new era for the historic congregation in a fast-c…
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Breakpoint: ‘You are dust and to dust you shall return’ is something to know but not to fear
Feb. 22 was Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the 40-day period in the church calendar known as Lent, a time of preparation leading up to Holy Week and R…
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Living on Purpose: The broad or the narrow way are the only two options
Those who identify with following Jesus are usually satisfied with being comfortable and cozy in their religious styles. Let's just say that suffering for God …
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Pastor Bo: The uncomfortable truth about humanity
Previous generations of human beings competed for some pretty predictable things, things like land, money, mates, titles and occasionally even 6-foot-tall shin…
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BreakPoint: The Gospel’s appeal in a disenchanted age
In the words of 19th-century Scottish minister and author George MacDonald, "To be right with God is to be right with the universe: one with the power, the lov…
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Pastor Bo: Tips for young husbands from 29 years of experience
Right about the time this column goes to press, Dana and I will be celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary. This, of course, leads me to quip that we got marr…