Quay County Sun - Serving the High Plains

Who is the master of your conscience? Or, who gets to define for you what is right and what is wrong? Who has the authority to tell you what you must believe to be true? If you could answer those...

When God established his own nation, Israel, the system of government he installed, had no legislature (since it already had the law of God) and no executive branch (someone authorized to use force...

My last article here, about the injustice done to WNBA player Brittney Griner, resulted in a few angry responses. These were not responses to me personally, but to the friend who posted it on his soci...

WNBA player Brittney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia on drug charges, including the possession of marijuana. From the standpoint of biblical principles, this is an unjust...

Simon the sorceror in Acts 8 has the distinction of having a particular sin named after him, “simony.” Note to self: There are things you don’t want to be remembered for. One of them would be me...

One popular saying about wealth is that he is a rich man who has a dollar more than I do. Similarly, among conspiracy theorists, the maxim seems to be that a nutty conspiracy theorist is one who...

I enjoy listening to podcasts. One of my favorites is from a retired, long-time veteran of professional wrestling. I’m not a wrestling fan so much, but this guy is genuinely entertaining and funny....

It can’t keep going like this. I mean, it can’t, right? Something’s got to give. The divisions in this country get deeper, and then the threats hurled across the chasm get darker. Tragedies...

In Acts 6, the first Christian martyr, Stephen, is described as a man full of grace. For your future Bible trivia conquests, note that there are only two people described as “full of grace.” The...

In Acts chapter 5, we have the second confrontation between the church and the centralized government of the day, the Sanhedrin council. The first clash came (in chapter 3) in the wake of a...

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.” — Acts 4:32...

Issues of power and authority are inescapably religious. Why do you get to boss me around? What if I don’t comply? How far does your authority extend? What if you command something immoral? How...

In Christian circles, we have a tendency to develop “jargon,” a technical short-hand way of speaking. We use words, and we just assume everybody knows what we mean. They don’t, however, and the...

In the Bible book of Ephesians, the apostle famously (or infamously, depending on your outlook) tells wives to submit to their husbands (5:22-24). That instruction would not have shocked any resident...

In King David’s famous prayer of repentance, Psalm 51, he includes this odd sentiment in speaking to God: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” It’s an...

Just preach the Gospel, they tell me. “Who’s they?” you ask. You know: they, the ones who get either nervous or angry about any attempt to apply the teachings of the Bible outside the church...

Lots of us remember where we were when the planes hit the towers on 9/11. Do you remember where you were the next Sunday? If you’re like a lot of Americans, you were in church. I was preaching at th...

The ancient pagans had a circular view of history, where patterns and cycles repeat endlessly. One side-effect of this view is that there is no room for any lasting progress or change. Whatever you...

“OK, men. Today’s the last game of the season, and we’re about to take the field against the Canaan Giants. Now, these guys are huge. They’re faster, stronger and tougher than we are, and...

The topics of prison and police reform are hot items, nationally. Lots of people are giving their opinions, whether solicited or not; but, no one is asking if the Bible gives us any guidance about...

I avoid big words. They draw attention to themselves, like politicians. However, like politicians, they are a necessary evil. Today’s needed big word is “epistemology.” It means the study of kno...

Years ago, there was a popular bumper sticker that you were likely to see on pickup trucks driven by young men. It simply said, “No Fear!” One pastor responded with this: “Stick around, kid. We...

Easter is upon us. Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. Since he walked out of the tomb, you can walk in newness of life. There’s more to that story. In the lingo of the old Westerns, “There’s...

Here’s a single-question Bible quiz for all the scholars. What is the biblical penalty for theft? If you guessed chopping off a hand, you’re thinking of the wrong religion. So what is it? Prison?...