Author Archives: Dr. Mike Courtney

On Conditional Statements

On Conditional Statements

Jon-Mical is 10. Jakson will be 7 in a couple of weeks. They don’t know it, but they are masters at geometry and philosophy, well, at least one part of geometry and philosophy, the conditional statement. Let me remind you of Philosophy 101. A conditional statement is also called an “if-then” statement. If this is… Continue Reading

Change

Change

Deuteronomy is just about to get the best of me. This is the place in my yearly, “through the Bible” reading, like Leviticus, that I go into hyper speed reader and pray for a change in scenery. Proverbs is sounding repetitious. Paul can’t get over the giving kick in II Corinthians. I’m glad there are… Continue Reading

Deuteronomy 24

Deuteronomy 24 has some good advice. That thing about staying home for a year after you are married? I like that. I wonder if that could be retroactive so that, after 40 years, I could take a year off from work and tell the boss, “I didn’t get my wedding bliss year way back then,… Continue Reading

Digging Out of Conflict

Digging Out of Conflict

Okay, chapter 23 did me in. You are so complementary about my ability to find a story in these obscure Biblical passages, but I just can’t. Doo-doo-ronomy 23 (I had to go there, didn’t I?) takes us someplace that I cannot possibly make a devotional from. Nope. I got nuthin’. Let’s try II Corinthians 7… Continue Reading

God 2.0

God 2.0

If you have been following along since the beginning of the year, you know that we have been reading one chapter in Deuteronomy, Proverbs, and Corinthians each day. I called it “History Lessons” and we have been trying to find little applications each day from the scripture reading, especially the ancient story of the Jews… Continue Reading

Safe Place

Safe Place

I have been thinking about safe places lately. We have had some unusually cold, and icy, weather in Middle Tennessee. There are a number of news stories about caring for the homeless, bringing your pets inside, and one that I watch with great interest, taking care of the elderly during this cold snap. I mean,… Continue Reading

Happy Birthday Jon-Mical

Happy Birthday Jon-Mical

Today is Jon-Mical’s birthday. He is 10 today. He is named after his father, Joshua Jon-Mical, who was named after Doris’s brother John and me, Michael, Jon-Mical. Jon-Mical doesn’t have a middle name. He just has the one, hyphenated Jon-Mical. Just like I don’t have a middle name. I just have the one, not hyphenated… Continue Reading

The Power of Praise

This is a message that was “snowed out” on 1/17/18 in Phenix City, AL. I will post a video of the FaceBook Live feed as well. We have been talking about this battle that rages within us, the battle for the mind. We are made, as Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:23,  of spirit, (the… Continue Reading

SNOW DAY

SNOW DAY

We interrupt this regularly scheduled study of Deuteronomy to bring you this news flash, IT IS SNOWING IN PHENIX CITY, AL. We are experiencing an all out blizzard. It is coming down in…well, in flakes. The table tops are covered. The sidewalks have a dusting. The city looks to be shut down. It is expected… Continue Reading

Symbols, Signs, and Asherah Poles

Symbols, Signs, and Asherah Poles

I was in the 4th grade and we had moved again to a new school in Indiana. It was a rainy, winter day and we did PE indoors. The gym teacher said we were to pick teams and play kickball. Now. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in the “pick teams” scenario, but it… Continue Reading