Watts' Words

Almost every person in these United States have heard, know, and understand the term “Arm-Chair Quarterback.” A synonym for the ‘arm-chair quarterback’ is a “Monday Morning Quarterback” as both terms means basically the same thing.  After a little research (very little for sure), I discovered that this is an American born phrase or concept.  The difference in the arm chair and the Monday morning is that the ‘arm-chair’ guy always second guesses the football coach and he does it in ‘real time’, as it happens. The Monday morning guy (and they can be and frequently are the same person) is the one who, on Monday after the action is over, looks back to the game played yesterday and begins to tell how things should have been done, how the game could have been won, and how he would have done it.  Sitting with him and/or watching a ballgame with these guys makes you feel like you are sitting with one who has the knowledge of a Don Shula or Bear Bryant and yet, you know it isn’t s...

There is an old story about a teenager who lived down the road from a magnificent church building which had a large cross on the top of its tall steeple. As he grew up, he watch the worker do maintenance on that cross as they replaced light bulbs and kept it freshly painted. Even though he grew up in the shadow of this steeple, the people of the church never reached out to him. As he began Junior High, he began to run with the rough crowd. For 4 years, his life was on a downhill spiral which included drugs, sex, and violence. One night he was found face down in an alley, high on drugs, and severely beaten. His rescuers wanted to take him to the hospital, but he knew that would bring questions which he didn’t care to answer, so he asked them to take him home. Between the alcohol, drugs, and the beating, he could not remember his own address. Remembering that church building and that enormous steeple, he said, “Take me to the cross, I can get home from there.” Today I ran across this old...

Since before the founding of this nation, Churches have held a place of prominence, respect, and more.  Followers of Christ have had an easy way to practice faith, to establish a church, and to worship.  After all, it is a part of our nation's founding documents.  Sometimes, ease, comfort, and convenience breed an attitude of entitlement and complacency while discomfort, troubling interruptions, and the breaking of tradition bring the basic needs to the forefront.  Having watched the struggle of Pastors and churches trying to find their way during this pandemic, I keep being overwhelmed by a sense of excitement.  As an outsider who is a very interested observer, the response has been extraordinary.  By external forces, we have been forced to change lifelong traditions for the sake of the gospel.  We have learned to 'color outside of the lines' and 'operate outside of the box'.  Here are just a few things that I pray our churches do not lose after ...

This morning I was reading an article about two prominent Pastors connected to the Southern Baptist Convention.  Both have worldwide ministries and impact.  Literally millions of people around the globe, to say nothing of the several thousand members and others faithfully attending before the COVID19 shutdown.  The article was very specific and graphic about the differences in the ministry of these two men.  While both were deemed to be ‘conservative’ in theology, one would be seen as traditional (although he was and is progressively modern) in his approach while the other one was the lights, sounds, smoke, and more, which many would term as 'contemporary'..  Both men have amassed an incredible number of followers from all walks of life.  Different races, cultures, nationalities, and more were a part of each man’s congregation.  At the outset I should offer that, having spent years and years within the traditional (never wanting to try much new) chu...

Being one who is always looking to God and asking Him to speak into my heart with a fresh word, I do a great deal of reading and listening of men who seem to be somewhat successful in leading people to come to Christ, follow Christ, and serve Christ.  Most of the time these men are Southern Baptist, but sometimes not.  In recent years, I have read a great deal of Thom Rainer, Michael Catt, and Chuck Lawless, just to name a few of many.  This past week, I encountered a new person via a twitter feed from a friend.  His name is Carey Nieuwhof, a Canadian pastor. who has some keen insight (at least for me) into leading, preaching, as well as spiritual and strategic thinking.  Sometimes it is forgotten that God expects us to use our minds to overcome the schemes of Satan.  For instance, we see that the church of our membership is declining.  Some would say, “No problem, God will take care of it,”  In actuality, God may have determined to ‘take care o...