March 2024 Remembering Charles Simpson Dear Friend in Christ: As many of you know, my father, Pastor Charles Simpson, passed away on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2024. He has joined my mother, Carolyn, and Jesus in eternity. Our family and the CSM Team want to thank all of you for. [...]
THE NEXT THING Dear Friend in Christ: It’s hard to believe we’re already more than a full month into 2024. You’ve been in our hearts and prayers. What I’d like to do this month is to follow up on some thoughts we were developing in last month’s Pastoral Letter, “The One. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: Happy New Year! If you’re like me, it’s taking some time to get used to writing “2024” on your documents. The Latin phrase “Tempus Fugit” is often translated into English as “time flies,” but literally means, “time escapes.” The older I get, the faster time seems to. [...]
December 2023 Prince of Peace Dear Friend in Christ: Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord! Yes, grace and peace, even in days of turmoil, strife, and confusion; in fact, especially in these days. We just witnessed the memorial service for former First Lady of the. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: This month, I want to open Scripture and my heart about unconditional love and presence. To do so, I want to talk a little bit about our family dog, Sparty, who sadly passed away a few days ago at age 13 after a wonderful life. Can. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: Recently, I had breakfast with my good friends Ronnie Head and Pastor Terry Ragsdale (Grand Bay Community Church, Grand Bay, Alabama). Ron is the founder of Head’s Heating and Air Conditioning and is considered a “guru” of heating and air in our part of the world.. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: When facing sickness or disease, how serious is proper and early diagnosis? For many people in many cases, it is matter of life or death. My dear and beautiful wife passed away due to a faulty diagnosis. The true diagnosis came too late at stage 4. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: John, the beloved friend and disciple of Jesus, had faithfully preached the Gospel for many years after Jesus ascended into heaven. He was finally exiled to the small Mediterranean island of Patmos. While John is there in prayer, the Lord Jesus appears to John in a. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: What makes this time truly wonderful is not really all of the lights and decorations and parties … it is that each of us has the renewed opportunity to receive Jesus and His miraculous gifts of salvation, acceptance, and joy. In my life, I’ve been blessed. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: Wisdom is a matter of life or death. I’m so thankful for parents, grandparents, pastors, and mentors who not only modeled wisdom, but taught me from an early age to pursue wisdom. Their foundation for wisdom was God’s Word and His Holy Spirit. Look at just. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: “I was overwhelmed by the needs I saw, almost to the point of despair. And then, a miracle happened.” In November of 1991, I made the first of two mission trips to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. The people in each place found a place deep within. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: Recently, I was having lunch with a close Pastor friend in another city. We were talking about another brother in the Lord, and what a tremendous blessing that brother is to so many people. This pastor friend shared how, more than 25 years ago, the Lord. [...]