By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 50:15-21 Lynn pulled on her red fire suit, grabbed a black helmet, and slid through the window of the iconic number 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet race car. This wasn’t a mere photo op – this was her opportunity to harness several hundred horsepower and go tearing around the Nashville Superspeedway at 130 miles per hour. As a woman with

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 45:3-11 Countless dollars and hours are invested as medical professionals investigate the cause of our most ravaging diseases. Find the cause, find the cure. While there is currently a well-deserved focus on the dangers of Ebola, no one is searching for the cause of a disease that is much older than Ebola, as deadly as Ebola, and affects

Focal Passage: Genesis 41:28-36, 46-49 By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Hard times come in many forms. Some of what we might call hard times are actually nuisances rather than extreme challenges. A dear lady had a husband who was an airline pilot, and he often had difficulty locating items around the house. One day he asked his wife where the salt was. Annoyed, she responded, “How on

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 39:3-12 The Temptations were a hit Motown vocal group in the 1960s and 1970s. “The Temptations” could also describe the difficult battles every believer faces daily. Sunday School teacher Clara Noll had just finished a lesson on Christian behavior. “Now, Billy,” she asked, “Tell me what we must do before we can expect to be forgiven for our sins.”

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 37:19-27; 39:1-2 You have walked across the razor-sharp pieces of broken trust, just trying to understand why you were betrayed. The act of betrayal creates a tormenting pain that tears at every emotional fiber of your being while simultaneously wrapping you in a dulling numbness. Disbelief, shock, and denial become constant companions because of someone’s treachery or violation of

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Ephesians 6:18-22 E.T., the abandoned alien in the 1982 movie, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” learned enough English to express his deepest desire: “Phone home.” Today E.T. would probably say something like, “Skype Saturn.” Incredible technological advances allow us to use high-definition sight and sound to easily connect with someone in Memphis, Madagascar, or on the moon. Thankfully Christians have prayer as

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Ephesians 5:15-21 Most people probably would not own a computer today if it was a stand-alone device. Whether used for e-mail, shopping for virtually anything imaginable, or keeping track of family and friends through Facebook or Instagram, the computer’s value to users is exponentially multiplied because of one thing: servers. An earth-spanning network of data-processing gee whiz boxes called servers

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Ephesians 4:25-32 In 1987 President Ronald Reagan spoke in front of the Brandenburg Gate beside the Berlin Wall, the heavily-guarded symbol of the Iron Curtain. West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt called this divider of freedom and people the “Wall of Shame.” Reagan’s speech, which Time ranked as number 10 among the world’s all-time greatest speeches, is remembered for four words:

Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Ephesians 4:11-16 Some people fondly recall the days of their childhood, reminiscing with great appreciation the slower pace of that bygone time. A glance in your rearview mirror would reveal different recollections than anyone else’s, but you would discover one link that connected all children. Whether urban or country, rich or poor, easy life or one filled with struggle, all kids

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Ephesians 4:1-6 In a world filled with disagreement and divergent opinions, how does one go about achieving unity? Kristi’s T-shirt boldly and humorously answered that question: “Agree With Me Now. It Will Save Sooooo Much Time.” If you asked a coach, university president, or corporate CEO to list essentials for success, “unity” would be mentioned quickly, with their responses likely