Articles that reference the book of Romans

I wrote and produced a small voice song. But it was based on the greatest life in the universe. Yeah, God doesn’t need the destructive forces of nature to show His power. He doesn’t create the chaos in the world to display His majesty. In fact, He communicates most effectively with a still small voice…with anyone who’s willing to listen . And God’s voice, in these tim...

God is everlasting and everywhere He wants to be. You and I are SO not like that. But if you could take a minute to try and see yourself from God’s perspective, you can get a better understanding of how much trouble He’s gone through to bridge that gap. And that’s true because of one thing, and one thing only. The power of God’s everlasting Love that’s available every...

This is something good to share with the kiddos. I talked about this over 10 years ago. But since this kind of nerve health is an ongoing issue, it’s just as relevant as ever. And here’s what I mean by “this kind of nerve health.” Have you ever heard someone say “you got a lotta nerve?” Usually they don’t mean that in a good way. It’s usually someone...

19000 days. Yes, that’s nineteen thousand days. And that’s a lotta days. But I didn’t just pick a number off the top of my head. No, it’s the approximate number of days I’ve written poetry. Some might say that’s a huge waste of a large number of days. To those I say, “Ouch. You hurt both my feelings.” So, the number of days also closely represents th...

Today, America is a messed up vision. A shadow of its former somewhat shadowy self. Because right and wrong is a concept blurred by propaganda. And good and bad are now in the “eye of the beholder.” So, those who run America ( and that’s probably not the politicians) don’t learn from their mistakes. They think they’re wise. But they’re fools . I talked about thi...

Ah, yes. Diversity, equity, and unabashed tolerance. That’s what you get when you mix a whole lotta different kinds of people together in one place. Right? And you just better brace yourself for gobs of group hugs, too. Because peace, love, and joy overflow where masses of people go. (cue the record scratch and bubble pop sound effects) Uh, get real. Because this is about murder, mayhem, and...

I had my eyes examined (no, not my head) a couple of weeks ago. And this week I got my new glasses. Plus, this is my 2020th post here on TonyFunderburk.com . So, those two things, and a couple of other unnamed things, got me thinking about that expression, “hindsight is 20 20.” From what I’ve been able to figure out, with only a little research…because I don’t wanna s...

You and I should cling to what is good. Not because it’s some kind of law. But because there’s much benefit to it. Sometimes eternal benefits. But you can’t do it. And I can’t either. We just can’t do it. Because it doesn’t jive with our human nature to cling to what is good. And that sounds bad. Right? (tongue only slightly in cheek) And it sounds bad because i...

Different people don’t tend to get along so well. Have you noticed that? And history books denote sections of time, most often, using wars as markers. And almost all of those wars were between different peoples. Although it could be argued that America’s own civil war runs contrary to that assertion. But it doesn’t diminish my point. Which is how the basic issues of society haven...

This comes from back in the days of knights and lords and ladies. Apparently it was customary for a knight to wear the name of a certain lady during a tournament. And it was typically the lady he loved…or would compete to impress. In other words, he was laying it all out in the open. These days, when you wear your heart on your sleeve, you’re probably revealing your innermost thoughts....

OK, kids. Gather ’round. Because I’m gonna tell you a story that’s true, even though it sounds like a fairy tale. “Once upon a time, when I was a kid, my whole family would sit down in the same room and watch television shows together. That’s right, the same shows…together.” Yeah, that sounds like a fairy tale these days. But it was true. And a news story...

I woke up in the middle of the night, as usual. And while I was still halfway between a dream and awake I heard my own lyrics inside my head. But not just lyrics I’ve already written. No, I also heard rewrites. New words and phrases to replace certain ones in the song. So, I closed my eyes, fell asleep, and moved on.   No, I didn’t move on. I listened to the new lyrics inside my head....

Have you noticed how bad news travels fast? How does that happen? Short answer, of course, is…people. Because people tend to have itching ears. And dark hearts. And bad news travels fast from hearts to ears and back to hearts. It’s a vicious cycle. Fortunately it’s far from a hopeless situation. At least for some people.   Good news is even gooder when bad news travels fast. And,...

Silver words of hope OK, get out your eight stringed harp, or your drums, guitar, keyboard, or other instruments. And let’s sing some silver words of hope today. Who’s with me? You don’t need special talents to sing these silver words. In fact, if you’d rather listen, that’s OK, too. Because the words I’m talking about can maybe give you even more hope if you ju...

I pray I sing with the understanding What am I talking about? The understanding of what I’m singing about. And making sure my message is understandable. When I sing with the understanding that no one wants to listen to garbled messages in secret tongues, the message has a chance of getting through. Here’s why it matters… People can hear when I sing with the understanding Paul wro...

When in Rome, what do you do? You’ve probably heard that old expression , when in Rome do like the Romans do. It was apparently started by a guy named Ambrose, maker of fine scents…uh…saints. And he apparently thought it was a good idea to adhere to the local customs and practices when visiting another city or country. But two or three hundred years before Ambrose was another guy...

Hate speech is in the ears of the listener I just read an article on my Apple News app talking about the shooter connected to the Pittsburgh synagogue. And the article called it a hate crime committed by a man who shared hate speech on social media channels. First off, I have to say how stupid the term “hate crime” sounds. It’s just redundant. All crime flows from selfishness, wh...

Grace to me almost unbelievably This is gonna be about me. But…if you’re looking for some answers for your own life, you should keep reading. Because when it comes to needing answers, solutions, and hope, I’m just like you. My life has not been the picture of perfection. Far from it. Even though I listened to my Grandmother pray for me, when I was 13. And even though I accepted J...

There is no greater love than this…. …that a man be willing to lay down his life for his friends.  Do you have a love like that living in your heart? It doesn’t mean that you have to be killed in order to prove you love your friends. It means you’d be willing to do that if things ever got to that point. I pray you never have to face a circumstance like that. But I also pray...

What do invisible attributes have to do with God’s wrath? How can you see something invisible ? I mean, after all, it’s invisible. Right? So, what in the world did the apostle Paul  mean when he said God’s “ invisible attributes are clearly seen “? And if we can’t see invisible things, why would God’s wrath come down on anybody who doesn’t see them?...

Are you getting what you deserve? I hope not. Sometimes getting what you deserve is not a good thing. For example, when I was a kid, I remember getting some spankings I deserved. But I wasn’t glad about it. Quite the opposite. I’m sure you can think of a time in your life when you got what you deserved and it left you feeling empty. Right? (If you prefer to listen rather than read, her...

Is Christian Cool…cool? I’ve been thinking over some “real” stuff lately. As cool as I think the digital world is (or can be), it doesn’t hold a candle to the real world. And by that I mean people. And by people, I especially mean Christian people. But not the ones who focus on being Christian cool. There’s a place in the Bible where it actually tells Christians...

Note to Self: focus on what you do best After receiving some info from a friend about “it”…and discovering some more info about “it”…and even watching some videos about “it”…I’ve made a note to self that says what they all say. Focus on what YOU do best. And for what it’s worth to those of you who don’t care about music, or to...

There is no greater love than this…that a man be willing to lay down his life for his friends. Do you have a love like that living in your heart? It doesn’t mean that you have to be killed in order to prove you love your friends. It means you’d be willing to do that if things ever got to that point. I pray you never have to face a circumstance like that. But I also pray you&#8217...