Knee-Mail

Dr. Mike Murphy

August 23,2026

 
She prayed.  When trouble came, she prayed.  When joy placed a smile on her face, she prayed.  When temptation would hit her, she prayed.  While reading the Word, she prayed. Good times or bad times, well or sick, in giving or in receiving, she prayed.  She prayed not only because she needed to, but because every ounce of her being wanted to. She knew she was limited, but that God was without limits.  That a limitless God could handle all things, so she turned all things over to Him.  No matter what she faced, no matter what she saw, no matter what came her way, she prayed.  She prayed to the only One who could ever receive her prayers.

Knee-mail, a term I have affectionately given to the prayers we send to our Lord.  I have often said that knee-mail comes with a one hundred percent delivery guarantee, and has a perfect customer satisfaction record.  Knee-mail places us in the strongest position a man or woman can ever take, humbly on our knees in front of the only One who holds the power to know the answer to our prayers.  The only One who can give us the strength to face today, but also the only One who can give us the wisdom to change our tomorrows.

Each Sunday we hear just how much power there is in the Blood.  We hear how much power we can find in the Word.  And both are true!  But I am here to tell you there is a “trinity” of our worship, as there is also power in prayer. Prayer shows that we acknowledge the power that is held in each word of His Word.  And prayer show that we accept the power that is found in the Blood, as we turn all over to Christ.

Prayer shows that with God, nothing is impossible(Luke 1:37).  Prayer teaches us persistence, patience, thankfulness, and strengthens our faith. Prayer shows us the will of God, the glory of God, and the heart of God.  And prayer confirms that the Lord is listening to us, and just how deeply He cares about us.

Many will ask, “Is there a proper way we are suppose to pray?”  To even ask that question is to not understand prayer.  Prayer is not a ritual, one that requires us to turn in a specific direction, requiring us to memorize and repeat certain words, or to bow before idols and statues holding items and beads while we cite those words.  Prayer simply put, is a conversation with God.  A conversation with the One we share our closest relationship with. A conversation where we pour out our hearts openly and honestly, knowing that the Lord already knows each of us better than we will ever know ourselves.

Like all good conversations, prayer must be a two-way conversation.  Far too often we find ourselves, eyes closed and hands raised, telling God about our problems, and stating to the Lord our wants and our desires.  Although the Lord loves every minute of time He hears from us, prayer is about far more than our wants, it is about His needs. His needs for our lives.  His will for each one of us.

I have often said, one of the greatest lessons I ever learned was one of silence.  And anyone who knows me, knows that for me to be silent is a true miracle!  But the Lord has taught me, through prayer, sometimes my silence is indeed golden.  Some of the greatest time I have spent in prayer with the Lord has come when I sat with my mouth shut, and just told God, “here I am Lord, tell me everything you need for me to hear.”  Time for God to tell me His will for my life, His plans and purpose for my life.  And a time for me to see the opportunities to glorify Him that He is placing in front of me each and every day.

Like any good relationship, prayer gives us a chance to tell the Lord of our love, our gratitude, and to express to Him the passion of our heart for Him. Prayer is not about the eloquence of our words, but is about the content of our heart.  God does not care if we express those words while we are standing, sitting, leaning, or yes, kneeling. He does not care if we express those words with our hands held together, or our hands held outreached and high.  He does not care if we express those words with our eyes wide open, or with our eyes closed tight. He just longs to hear the words, to feel the love and the personal acknowledgement of our heart.

The closest the Word of God comes to showing us a way to pray is when Christ teaches us the Lord’s Prayer(Matthew 6:9-13).  But I must admit. I often get aggravated when I hear the prayer Christ gave being recited today.  It has become more about ritual and memorizing the words, than the content and purpose of those words He gave us.  Christ gave us the Lord’s Prayer to teach us the power of prayer, not so we could blindly repeat the words. The Lord’s Prayers teaches us what should go into our prayers, the worship, the praise, the trust, the application, the admission, the submission, and most important, the love.

With prayer, it does not matter if this is your one thousandth prayer, the fourth prayer you has offered to God today, or the first time you have ever prayed. Each word is just as precious to the ears of our Lord.  The Lord knows the power of prayer goes beyond the words, He knows that power is found in the action. When we pray, we acknowledge God, we submit ourselves before God. We admit that we do not have the answers, but we know One who does.  Prayer turns His needs into our needs.  Prayers turns His desires into our desires. Prayer turns His will into our will.  His Word tells us, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”(1 John 5:14).  The God to whom we pray, is the true source behind the power of prayer. And He makes it clear, He can and will answer each of those prayers.  An answer as beautiful as each word He hears us say.  An answer that is always fulfilled according to His perfect timing, and His perfect will.

As I explain and discuss the power of prayer, I find myself on my knees turning to God in prayer. I find my thoughts and my prayers focused on this Church.  I pray this Church will again turn to God in prayer, that we will again find the true power of prayer. That His will might again become our will.  That His Word might again be heard in our words.  I pray we will seek to talk to Him because we want to, not because it has come to the point we need to.  I pray our conversations will be less about appeasing this world, and more about serving the One who made this world.. I pray we will share more conversations of silence, with us listen carefully and intently to what He has to say.  I pray that our prayers will not be heard in words we have memorized, but reflected in the words Christ taught us.  Heard in our cries of worshipping Him, in our praise of trust for Him, in our submission before Him, and in the love we show for Him.  I pray this Church will remember, God did not call us to be ordinary, but the Lord created this Church to be extraordinary.  I pray this nation and this Church will become heavily invested in kneepads, knowing that all the answers to our future can only be found on our knees.  And I pray that “knee-mail”  will once again become the most used form of communication for this nation and this Church.

Praying you send at least one letter today by "knee-mail".

Selah

Dr, Mike Murphy
July 12, 2026

With each word, he saw the beauty.  With each word, he heard the praise. With each word, he felt the power.  And with each word, he fell to his knees in awe before the Lord’s endless love and mercy.  Each word did not only convict him, it freed him.  Each word did not just move him, it stilled him.

It has often been said, music feeds the heart.  But the greatest songwriter and composer this world has ever known, David, also believed that music showed purpose in our soul.  David did not compose just because he needed to, not even because he wanted to.  David composed because he had to, because every fiber of his being called him to. Each word that David sang might speak to our heart, but David sang each word he wrote in the Psalms to the heart of our Lord.

There is such power in the words that David wrote.  In each psalm he wrote, David poured out his love for our Lord, bringing to life each word he sang. Each word David sung could have been written in blood, because with each sound of his voice we can all but hear as David poured out his heart before the Lord.  David brought beauty to each of the words, and causes us to pause and listen closely to each of the words we hear.  And each time I read the Psalms, I can almost hear the slight quiver in David’s voice.  I can almost picture the tears forming in his eyes.  And I can all but see the smile on his face, as he pours out his love for God.    

Of all the verses, the cries of compassion, hope, love, and praise I have read in the Psalms, one word David wrote has always fascinated me above all the others.  One word that has often caused me to think, and more times than I can count, led me deeper into His Word.  A word many have read, few remember, and even less will know.  That word? Selah!

We see the word “Selah” seventy-one times in the Psalms, and it is found three other times in the Book of Habakkuk.  Most would never realize it, but the word is used in the Old Testament twice as many times as the word “amen”, and three times as often as the word ”hallelujah”.  Although many have tried to explain the word, most theologians will tell you the exact meaning is unknown.  Most of our versions of the Bible do not even try to explain or translate the word straight from its’ Hebrew meaning.  Most are unsure as to what the root word for selah is. But not knowing has always made me think.  If God saw such importance in placing the word in His Word, then should we not make every effort to best understand what the word means?

Many scholars look at the word, and say it is just a musical term.  A call for a pause, giving all those who are listening a moment to reflect on what the psalm or song is saying to them.  They believe the word comes from the Hebrew word “salah”, which means “to take a pause”.  If this is the case, then each time we see the word appear, the musician would have taken a pause, a moment to reflect on the One who they were singing to.  A second of silence in the midst of the beauty of their song, so they could quietly praise the One they sang about.

Others have said the word comes from the Hebrew word “salal”, which means “to lift up, to praise”.  They say that when we see the word we recognize that we are to take a moment to lift up the Lord with our voice, to praise Him in our song.  Those who teach this will often point to Psalm 9:16, “The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah”.  The word we see before selah, “higgaion”, means “to mediate, to take a moment to reflect”. They say that although we do not use the word, we still practice the word to this day.  That when we sing to the Lord, we often find ourselves raising our hands in praise, taking a moment to reflect on all His glory.

Still others say the word comes from the Hebrew word “calah”, which means “to weigh or measure, to value”.  That when we see the word selah, we are measuring, giving value to all God does.  To all He has given us, and to all He will still do for us.  That just as when we weigh a precious and unique gem, we realize that it is greater and more valuable than we are capable of measuring. And when we see the word selah at the end of these verses and psalms, that we are to realize that our God is greater than any value we could ever place on Him.

Many scholars argue as to which one of these have it right.  But when I look at the word selah, I wonder if without even realizing it, all three might just have it right.  Perhaps God, in all His wisdom, intended for selah to mean all three.  That when we see the word, God is reminding us to take a pause, to take a moment to reflect on all His glory.  To lift Him up in praise for the majesty of His plan and purpose.  And to realize we can never weigh, measure, or even begin to value all He does for each of us.

Psalm 66:4 tells us, “All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing the praises of Your name. Selah!”.  As I read that verse, I can all but hear David begin to sing.  And I understand why the Lord would have him place the word selah at the end of this verse.  A time comes in all our lives, when we must take pause, when we must bow down and humble ourselves before the Lord.  When we must sing His praise, not with a whisper, but with a shout.  A time in our lives when as Charles Spurgeon once said, “to the worship of fear shall be added a singing of love”.  I can still vividly remember that day in my life when His music first caused me to shout louder than my misery.  And once that song got in my head, I have never been able get enough of it, and I always find myself singing it.  And every day since, as I still find myself singing the words, I find my hands lifted, my mouth filled with praise, and my heart incapable of measuring all the love He alone has placed in it. And it never fails, I always find myself pausing in awe as I sing that song, just like David must have done as he wrote down that word, selah.

In his faith and his given wisdom, David knew that a day would come when all men would make that pause.  When the One that he song for, would be worshiped this world over.  A day when the Gentile would know the words of the song as well as the Jew,  A day when no pause could be more joyous or filled with excitement than when all of creation would be reconciled again with their Creator.  A day, when those the world over would pause, taking a moment to reflect, an opportunity to raise their hands in praise, in a measure without value, to the One above.

Each time I see the word selah, I realize that each pause does not bring those songs David wrote to an end, but connects us to the next words he wrote about our Lord and Savior. Each time we see the word selah, we are not watching as one song ends and another begins. We are seeing the connection that brings each of the psalms together. Every vision He shared with each of the prophets.  Every sentence He entrusted to those who wrote down His Word. And every word He taught to each of the Apostles.  It was for the promise that our Savior would bring that David sung, and for the hope He would bring this whole world that caused David to pause, and lift his hands in praise. Because I believe that in each pause, in each selah, David saw what I see today.  Hope.  

With each selah you read, may you pause, lift your hands, value His Word, and remember that hope.

Behind My Mask.....

Dr. Mike Murphy
July 5, 2026

Cancer often brings with it many realities and emotions.  Realities we try our best to avoid so that we do not have to face them, and emotions we do everything we can not to have to feel them.  Those who battle with all that cancer can bring, often find they wear a mask.  A mask not to cover their fears and their pains, but a mask to hide what a true look into their face might show to others.  It is not in the reality we face, but the emotions that reality might bring to those in our life, that often has us putting our mask in place.

Many days, I find myself picking up that mask.  Putting on that mask so I can privately deal with the cancer without others having to see it.  Not letting others see the toll it takes, or having to worry about the concerns it brings. Knowing that the Lord is right here with me behind this mask, holding me closer than I thought any arms possibly could.  

But today, as I again reach for my mask, I realize the great mistake I have been making each day in wearing that mask.  One of my favorite passages in the Bible tells me, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”(Proverbs 3:5-6).  So often I have quoted those words, using those words in sermons and in writing articles.  Today, as I reached for my mask, the Lord showed me an even deeper meaning to those words.  A purpose in those words that I could never speak out loud with my mask on.

I cannot trust the Lord part way, not fifty percent, seventy-five percent, or even ninety-nine percent.  I either trust the Lord one hundred percent, or I do not trust the Lord at all.  And in that trust, in each acknowledgment I give to Him, I realize how often His hand works through the lives of those who call on His name. Through the prayers they give, through the words of encouragement they speak, and through the experiences they share. In each of those instances, it is impossible to not see His hand moving, to not feel the Spirit of His presence, and to see His will being done.  And behind my mask, I am blinded from watching the glory of His hand at work in the lives of those around me.  Giving me strength as He coordinates through each of them with every movement of His hand.

His Word tells us that the prayer of a righteous person has great power in His hands, and produces the most amazing of results(James 5:16).  Behind my mask, I keep that great power away from bringing the amazement of those results to my life.  I keep silent the prayers of those around me, by not letting them know just how much I need them to pray for me.  And no matter how good my intentions might be, by placing on my mask, i cover my eyes to the complete direction of the path He planned for me.  And with my mask in place, I have failed to see that strength can often come when I allow others to see me vulnerable before the Lord.

In each prayer those who care for me offer, and in each word of encouragement those who care might give me, the glory of our Lord is seen.  And whether the petitions of those prayers are granted or not, I see the power that is held in His hands, and the trust that is placed in those hands.  I watch the love and care for me being given to the hands of the only One who can make a difference in me.  Those who are concerned and reach out to me, doing all they can to place my life in those hands.  And as I take off my mask, and the Holy Spirit opens my eyes to each of your prayers, my vision becomes clear with a picture of incredible hope.

As I remove my mask, I quickly realize that the healing request of each of your prayers are being answered.  Answered in a more powerful way than many of you might even realize. The answer to your prayers might never bring a healing to my body from the cancer, but it has already brought a healing and a comfort to my mind from all I see in this world today.  So often, like so many of you, I look at this world and the evil I see overwhelms me.  Each day it seems that evil is overrunning us, and we wonder out loud what tomorrow might bring. But as I take off my mask, allowing the Holy Spirit to focus my eyes, and I see the faces of each of you, a very hopeful smile comes again to my face.

The reality of my cancer tells me that one day soon, my days on this earth will end. And as my name is soon forgotten by this world, reality tells me that this world will still keep turning. And as it turns toward tomorrow, I do not see evil bringing it to a stop.  As a glimpse of tomorrow comes into my sight, I see this world turning with hope.  An incredible hope that brings a smile to my face as I look into the eyes of each of you.  

God’s Word tells me, “For I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”( Philippians 1:6).  Each of you are the fulfillment of that confidence.  Each of you are the hands of that good works.  If each of you are so quick to pray for one as undeserving as me, then I know, without a doubt, that each of you will be just as quick to pray for all those around you.  Just as quick to reach out with all your might to one hurting close to you.  And just as quick to take His Word to a world in need.

I have come to realize from His Word and this world, there is a great wall that our Lord has built.  A wall that helps protect us who call on His name, from the evil of this world. Many stand guard on that wall, helping to keep the destruction of that evil from flooding us. And each day, evil does everything it can to bombard that wall, hoping to chip away at it a little at a time. My job for the Lord has not had me standing on that wall, but has called on me to care for that wall.  To each day pick up my trowel and mortar and to help repair that wall, keeping it standing strong.  Today, as I take off my mask and take a hard look around at those who also have the mortar mix caked on their hands, I see the faces of so many of you.  And the biggest of smiles comes to my face, as I realize that tomorrow when I am no longer here, this wall will be standing just as strong.

As you see me today taking off my mask, for the first time showing you my vulnerability, and giving you a glimpse of the reality of what the cancer has physically done to me, do not think the tears that have formed in my eyes are from the pain.  They are actually the start of the most amazing tears of joy.  Tears of joy that fill my eyes as I look into the faces of so many of you, and see the hopeful reflection of our Lord with each glimpse I see.  In each of you, tomorrow brings hope.

 

Thank you for all you are doing for the Lord today, and all I know He is going to do through each of you tomorrow!

And Satan Smiled.....

 Dr. Mike Murphy

June 28, 2026

 

“Quiet.  I once longed for it, but now it haunts me.  It surrounds me, punishing me for what I have not done, and for what brought me to this place.  I still ask myself how I got here. How did I end up at this place?  I did nothing, but doing nothing soon became the evil that faced me and the sin that convicted me. From the small flicker of flames soon came a blazing fire.  A fire that not only consumed all who were close to it, but eventually those that watched from a distance.  A fire that grew so large it could no longer be controlled.  A fire that most chose to try and escape, until many, like myself, had nowhere left to run.  A fire that engulfed and destroyed this land.  A fire that has now consumed me.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“For thirty-two years I have served as a pastor.  I have served at an average size church in the Midwest of this country for the last twenty-six of those years.  I served the church each day.  I have been there for the good times, and I was there through the bad times.  I was there when the church saw its’ pews full, and I remained faithful to the church at times when there was plenty of room on those same pews.  I was there as the church built a new sanctuary.  I was there as it added a fellowship hall and a gymnasium.  I was there for the births of many of its’ youngest members.  And I was there as many of its’ oldest members left this earth. 

Each day I was there.  And each day I watched as the faces of those I looked out at on Sunday morning changed.  As they changed, the values they brought with them also changed. Just as this nation changed, the changes that came to this church happened slowly at first. But over the past few years they have escalated until they were out of control.  Words that were once viewed as nothing  more than rejected suggestions eventually became the law of the land. Values that were once spurned, soon found themselves endured by the people. Then those values that were endured, became an accepted part of our society, soon celebrated and embraced.  And before we even knew it, those embraced values became the standard, the law we were told to live by.  What we once did not question as wrong,  became the standard that all were forced to see as right.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“As the standards changed, the fire found the door of the churches of this nation.  Would these churches stand by the words the Bible taught them, or would they rethink those words to fit the beliefs of our society?  Many bowed to the pressure, teaching that the Lord’s standard of old did not apply to this world today.  Some taught that God’s Words were nothing more than fables, suggestive stories for good men to live by.  Stories not designed to teach a standard, or a way of salvation, but a recommendation to help men overcome. Others believed that the God of the past was not the same God of today.  God knew more today that he did when the words of the Bible were written.  The God of today had come to accept many of the things He once saw as wrong.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“Then there were those that stood firm, teaching that God’s Word was the only truth. His Word was unchanging, His teachings were unwavering.  The words and examples He gave to us yesterday, are the same words and examples He gives to us today.  At first they were dismissed, uneducated fools babbling about things they could never understand.  But as the issues grew, their stances stayed just as firm.  Soon they were seen as intolerant, hate-filled bigots who stood in the way of progress.  As these values continued to grow, those that spoke out became less and less.  But a few did not lose their voice, continuing to hold steadfast in God’s Word.  But the harder they held to the Word, the more despised they became.

The day finally came when their teachings were no longer accepted.  Their words and views were considered so hateful they could no longer even be tolerated.  Their words caused harm to society,  standing in the way of this nation’s progression.  Soon laws were written and passed to ensure their words could not be heard, and that their actions must confirm the new found values of our nation.  Many faded into the background out of fear. But others continued to speak, and refused to be a part of this change.  At first they were outcast, no longer allowed to speak.  Almost overnight, this nation began to take stronger action on anyone who refused to accept these changes.  Pastors who stood firm soon found themselves facing charges. Many of these were the lucky ones. Others found their churches and homes burnt to the ground.  And what happened to so many others was simply unspeakable, crimes committed against them and their families that the government deemed unworthy to prosecute.  We watched as ‘freedom of speech’ became ‘freedom from speech’, and God’s Word was replaced by society’s voice.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“I followed many others, I decided to take no stand.  We would remain silent on the issues.  Our church would focus strictly on God’s love, and avoid all other topics.  Our church board agreed, that although we did not agree with many of the issues of the day, we would not speak on them.  They would hold no place in our church.  Some around us taught that God’s grace and His truth were entwined, that you could not know one without the other.  We took a different approach, only teaching God’s mercy, and leaving the rest up for interpretation. We figured if we avoided the issues, the issues would avoid us.  We believed that compromise would keep the focus of this nation from the doors of our church.

We watched in horror as many churches around us were closed.  Their doors shut because of the words that had been spoken from their pulpits.  As we prayed for these people, in the back of our minds we were just glad it was not us facing this persecution.  But when those that spoke out were silenced, society did not stop.  It was no longer enough to remain silent, it became required that these new found values had to be accepted within the walls of every church, and spoken of from the pulpit each Sunday.  Persecution was now knocking on the door of our church.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“Society and our nation now turned to me for an answer.  I tried everything I could to show those who questioned us that we were no threat.  I showed them every sermon I had given over the past several years, not a one speaking on the issues that troubled this country. But my examples were not enough.  I pleaded with them for a compromise, telling them that we would never try to interfere with how they lived their lives, if they would just let us live ours. My pleas of compromise were mocked.

I was now standing face to face with my own choice.  I would either conform my beliefs and those of my church with the values of society, or I would face the consequences that would follow.  At that moment the truth of what I had done all these years overwhelmed me.  I had compromised God, and now I was left with nothing to stand on.  My fate was not being decided today, but had been sealed years ago when I let fear drive me.  I had denied God, and placed my hope in my own understandings.  Without even realizing what I was doing,  I had fought this fight until now on the side of man, not on the side of God.  And I was about to be sentenced by man as a traitor, as I suddenly realized that I could no longer raise my sword in the air against the Lord.”

(And Satan smiled.)

 

“I will never again see my church, I will never again speak from its’ pulpit.  I do not even know what has become of it or anyone who graced its’ walls.  All I know are the dingy stones and bars that I see each day.  I spend each day reflecting on the lost opportunities of my past. I pray each day for forgiveness, and I realize that if this horrible place does not kill me, the anguish of what I have done soon will.

I now find myself alone. Contained by these four walls. Locked away because I am seen as a threat to others.  The words I once refused to speak, society is now afraid others may hear from me.  Now that I have found my voice Lord, I have no one left to speak with. Now that I have found the words, there is no one around to hear them. I now sit in the quiet, and the remembrance of my own silence is all that is left to torment me.”

(And Satan smiled.)

Before it is too late, it is time the Church rose up, and removed the smile from Satan’s face.

The Father's Day Present

Dr. Mike Murphy
June 21, 2026

As his dad entered the diner, he looked at his face as if he had never seen it before.  A face he had seen all his life, was a face he seemed to be looking at for the first time.  He noticed the gray and balding that was continuing to come his hair. And he noticed the wrinkles that were starting to form. Wrinkles, he was sure he had placed there through the years.

His life had not turned out the way he had planned.  And if was far from the life his father had wanted for him.  At seven, his mom had passed after battling for weeks with pneumonia.  But despite the devastation of the lose, his father had always been there. Each day as he grew up, his father made sure he had all he needed for school.  Was there loyally at each football and baseball game he had ever played. And each Sunday, his father was always up early, to make sure they were both ready for church.

Through the best of times and the worst of times, his father had always been there. And as he grew into his teenage years, those “worst of times” had come far more often. To say he had grown to be rebellious would be an understatement.  So often finding himself in trouble as a teen, and so often turning to his father in need of help. And as the years continued, the rebellion did not cease.  He went into the military as a young man in search of escaping all his problems, only to find it had brought to his life even greater problems. Problems that had shamefully lead to a dishonorable discharge. As he made his way back into society, he did nothing but carry those problems with him.  Problems that soon found him in even more trouble, and problems that soon found him serving time behind bars. And each time he saw trouble raise up its’ ugly head, he had asked his father to met with him, over lunch, to talk. To apologize to his father, and to ask his father for help in getting through each of those problems.

In the eight months since he had gotten out of prison, he had looked to get his life back on track.  Blessed to be able to find a good job, and blessed to find a girlfriend that had far more to offer him that the trouble that had always found him.  A woman, who each day demand more from him. And who each day, he could not imagine hurting by bringing trouble into his life again. But as he sat there that day, watching as his father entered the diner, he bowed his head, because he knew he soon had news he had to tell his father again.

As he made eye contact with his father, the biggest of smiles came to his father’s face. And soon, he found himself again in the familiar embrace of his father’s arms. As they sat at the table, passing small talk, and placing their order, he knew he could no longer put off the news he had called his father to the diner that day to tell him.

“Dad, I asked you to join me for lunch today, because I have some news I need to let you know about.”

As his father heard these words, the events of the past all came rushing back.  All the times of sadness and disappointment he had experienced each time his son had asked him to join him at this diner. And as he came this time, he had prayed that what he would see was a change.  Not a repeat, of all he had seen before.

“Chris, what has happened this time?  What trouble have you gotten into now?  So often I have prayed for you, that the Lord would find a way into your heart and guide you. So many nights I have worried about you. Not knowing if the trouble you have always found, would lead to the moment I would never be able to see you again.”

As Chris bowed his head, his father continued.  “There is so much I want for you. And there is nothing I would not give up for all to come to you.  But Chris, I just do not know if I can do this again.”

As Chris heard the words, he sat in silence.  A silence that seemed to last a lifetime. And as a lifetime passed, Chris slowly began to raise his head to speak.  “Dad, there is not enough time in a year for me to tell you all the apologies I owe you. Not enough minutes in the day for me to tell you just how sorry I am for all I have put you through.  And I am so sorry for the sorrow you now feel here today. I just wanted to get with you, as I have something I want to give to you.”

As Chris finished the words, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small envelope addressed to his father.  As he placed it in his father’s hands, his dad held it unsure what to do next. Unsure of how a small envelope could make this situation any better.

“Before you speak again, would you please just open it, Dad.”  As he heard the words, Frank looked again at the small envelope.  With each glance of the envelope. time stood still. He began to lift the flap from the back, only to find a small, white card placed inside, with a few simple words written on it.  Simple words, that brought tears to his eyes as he read, “This is to personally invite you Sunday to the baptism of Christopher Ryan Smith.”

As Frank sat in that diner with tears growing in his eyes, he heard his son again speak.  “Dad, I know tomorrow is Father's Day, and I could not think of a greater gift to share with you than to personally invite you to be there as I let the world see, I have given my life to Christ.  Happy Father's Day, Dad!”

In Search Of Mayberry

Dr. Mike Murphy
June 14, 2026

Being like most men, I am an expert channel surfer.  I can wear the numbers off a remote in less than a month.  As I sat the other day to talk with a long time friend, I found myself with the phone in one hand and the remote in the other.  Over two hundred and fifty channels, and I still could not find a thing to watch. As I told my friend of my dilemma, he joked with me that maybe I could find an old episode of the Andy Griffith Show.

Like so many others, I grew up watching reruns of the Andy Griffith Show.  It had often been a running joke for many of us that we would love to find Mayberry one day.  Move there, and put the worries of this world behind us. To find this simple town, where you spend the day talking with your friends and neighbors, not texting to them on the cell phone as we go about our busy lives.  A place where you not only know your neighbor’s names, but desire to help your neighbor with their needs. A town where the greatest worries involved making sure the jail cell was unlocked for Otis on weekend nights, whether Barney knew where the bullet was for his gun, and how you would find good hiding places in order to get rid of Aunt Bee’s pickles.

Mayberry takes us back to a simple, but good life.  A life where “love thy God”, and “love thy neighbor” were more than just words that had once been read on a page(Matthew 22:36-40).  A place and time where morals were not an afterthought, but a forethought. A place where right and wrong were not decided in the moment, but practiced and keep in the hearts and minds of each every moment.  A place where good was not sought in the minds of men, but looked for in the One who created the heart of man.

If we were to search this world for Mayberry today, we would spend a lifetime and not find the place or town.  In a world where so many of us seek a Mayberry, we find ourselves in a world that looks to destroy the very concept behind Mayberry.  A world we live in that is filled to the brim with confusion. A world where good is no longer sought, because it is believed to be nothing more than a passing thought.  A world where man is told to look within himself for good, instead of seeking the only One who can show him what true goodness is.

We watch as the world today seeks to define good without God.  Man looks for good in his own nature, instead of finding good in God’s standards and teachings.  Man looks to define good by his own vision, not through God's eyes, and not in relation to God’s purpose.  Famous atheist Richard Dawkins once attempted to define good and evil without God. He did it this way, “Humans have always wondered about the meaning of life...life has no higher purpose than to perpetuate the survival of DNA...life has no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference”.  Despite the meaningless purpose that Dawkins sees life holding, look at the conclusion about life we see in his words.  In the midst of all of Dawkins words, even the most devout atheist is left trying to define and explain the impossible. If right and wrong is ultimately for survival, then right or wrong will be seen differently in every situation.  Based on Dawkins way of thinking, there could never be a standard of right or wrong that man could live by. No standard by which laws could be given, no expectation by which crime could ever be stopped. Without a standard of right and wrong, whatever I deemed necessary in my situation, could never be denied me.  The very thing I might see as right today, could well become the very thing my neighbor decides is wrong tomorrow. Without even realizing it, Dawkins has made Scripture’s point. Without God, without Him setting a standard that clearly defines good and evil, man would never know what good and evil is. Without God, man is left with nothing more than chaos as the governing force of our lives. 

As we look at the chaos of this world today, we see our society constantly seeking to explain good without God.  But when the honest man takes a moment to think, he quickly realizes where the conclusion of this argument leads.  C. S. Lewis once found himself in this very position, looking for good in every direction but “Up”. Of this, he would go on to write, “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.”  C.S. Lewis came to the conclusion in his life, that without God, he was incapable of defining good.  That without God, he had no way of ever understanding what is good. And all this led him to realize that only in having a personal relationship with God, could he ever come to see good(Exodus 34:6, James 1;17).  Lewis came to love and understand what the Word of God tells us, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.’”(Luke 18:19). Realizing, you cannot have good without God. You cannot know good if you do not first know God.  And you cannot see good without first seeing God. 

It is from this basic acknowledgement that only the Lord can define for us good and evil, that draws us back to the simplicity of Mayberry.  A place where we see good and evil so clearly defined. A place where our love for our Lord, and our call to love our neighbor, takes center stage.  A place that reminds us, if He is truly the love of our life, then our concern for our neighbor will be found as a priority in our life. 

Mayberry draws us back to a place where the neighbor we stand beside as we worship Him on Sunday, is still found in the thoughts and concerns of our heart come Monday.  A love for our neighbor that finds us quicker to reach out a hand to them, than to be found gossiping about them. A love that finds us looking to share what we have with them, not remembered for the grudge we held for days against them.  And a love that leads us to want to share Christ with them, because at some point in our life, a loving and faithful neighbor was willing to share Christ with us(Matthew 7:12).

Mayberry, a place of simple goodness so many of us wish we could find, a place we wish we could call home while we are here on this earth.  We would love nothing more than to be able to talk to Helen at the PTA meetings. Or to be able to step in the Barber Shop and tell Floyd “just take a little off the top”.  Or even to be able to ask Goober to check the oil as we fill up our gas tank. But as we long for this perceived utopia on this earth, we must realize that the goodness we seek does not come at the hands of man.  Mayberry is not our perfect town because of anything man has done, or because of anything a single resident of this town could do. When we watch the episodes we soon realize that the goodness we seek lies behind the scenes, in the only One who could make each of  our lives truly good! The only One who can define good. And the only One who can show us the perfection of its’ meaning!

So as I finish my story, I again pick up my remote.  And as I flip through the channels, I see so many filling the screen of my television with theories of failed logic, instead of His truth of proven wisdom.  Men and women who try to describe for me the good of this world, without the perfect hand of the One who created this world. A goodness man looks in every direction for but one, “Up”.  So once again, I find myself flipping the channels in search of Mayberry.

Praying the true definition of good will fill each of your lives! Even if it means you have to eat a couple of Aunt Bee's pickles!

Moving Day!

Dr. Mike Murphy
June 11, 2026

Among my many, many faults and shortcomings, not always asking others for prayer is near the top of that list.  I have always found it easier to pray for others than to ask them to pray for me. Looking to lead others in prayer for those around me in need, instead of directing that focus to the problems in my life.  And I must admit, it often leaves me trying to put the proverbial lipstick on a pig, With the cancer, others will frequently contact or message me, asking me, out of concern, how I am doing. And usually, I am quick to dismiss them, moving on to other subjects the first chance i get.

Recently though, the dismissals have become a lot harder, as the cancer is taking a greater toll.  Often leaving me facing struggles more each day that are increasingly difficult to put a good face on, and move the conversation away from. Showing me that one day soon, the cancer will leave me facing a permanent address change. But as that “moving day” draws nearer, I find the Lord is giving me little glimpses of what my new home is going to be like.

“But as it is written: What eye did not see and ear did not hear, and what never entered the human mind-- God prepared this for those who love Him.”(1 Corinthians 2:9). We read those words, and we think to ourselves just how glorious Heaven will be. But as we look closely at those words, we soon realize that mankind does not know a word that can come close to describing how amazing Heaven will actually be.  Heaven will be perfect, and without seeing perfection, there is just no way we can begin to describe what we think that perfection will look like. Simply put, we have nothing in this world to compare it to. Nothing in this world that gives us a glimpse of a place where suffering will be felt no more. Where conflict will no longer be seen. And where disappointment will never be experienced again. A place where temptation, and the evils of this world, will never again have a single ounce of influence on our lives.

Heaven will be a place where our friendships will be even closer, as there will be no disagreements or misunderstanding.  A place where all our relationships will be open and honest, as the complications of our sinful nature will be left behind.  Heaven will be a place where our work and our rest will go hand in hand. As we serve Him each day, our work will be found as perfect, sweeter than anything we can imagine, never leaving us bored for a single second.  And Heaven will be a place where our longing for home will finally be fulfilled. A place where our hunger to know Him more will forever be quenched, and a place where satisfaction will no longer need to be defined.

The glory of Heaven will not be felt in our anticipation, but will be known each day in His presence.  Think about that. All you know about Christ now, will pale beside being able to hear His voice speak to you each day.  And as our Lord creates a new Heaven and a new earth, we will share in that wondrous world with Him. A world of such perfection, the wolf will then live with the lamb(Isaiah 11:6-7).  A place of continuous joy, where we will be able to finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together, and realize just how perfectly all fits into His eternal plan.

As I now struggle with the cancer, and anticipate the approaching of that day, a verse from His Word continues to comfort me. “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”(Isaiah 41:10).  My life is not a measure of the ups and downs that this cancer might bring to me. My life is a sum of His love, and His undying grace. And through His love, and by His grace, I am blessed each day, to get a little glimpse of what this “moving day” soon holds for me.

Each day, the Lord gives me a glimpse of Heaven, as He blesses me to be able to look at so many of you.  Most days as I turn on my computer, or check my phone, I see or hear each of the messages all of you send me. Messages of prayer and encouragement, that ask the Lord to keep His hand of protection over me. Messages of sincerity, that come my way with all the concerns each of you have as to how I am feeling. Messages that often are nothing more than a simple picture of something you know will uplift me. Messages of stories of how Christ is working in the lives of others.  Messages of hope, that tomorrow will hold for me a better day. All messages that offer a small reflection of the true love and compassion that Heaven will offer, as you take the time out of your busy day to check on me. Giving me a glimpse of the brotherly and sisterly love that Heaven will be overflowing with.  

As so many of you send me your questions each day about Scripture, and how the Word of God applies to our life, the Lord also gives me a little glimpse of what Heaven will be like.  In each, I see your sincere desire to know more about His Word, and about our Savior. A true yearning and craving in each of you to know Him more, to know everything you can possible learn about Him.  To be feed by a truth that only He can bring us. And with each new fact you learn, you do not sit quietly on that knowledge, you look to to use it to feed others. Each new detail you learn about Him, you find yourself wanting to praise Him more.  And with each of those praises, with each desire in you to know Him more, I am blessed to get a little glimpse of what each of my coming days will soon hold.

And as I watch and hear the concern that so many of you have for this world and this Church, the Lord also gives me a little glimpse of what Heaven will be like.  I see in you a compassion for all that only He can offer. A compassion that brings you to your knees in search of the certainty that will come from His lasting answers, not just leading you to turn to your fellow man in the hope he might have a temporary solution.  A compassion that helps all around you each day to understand, true peace will only come from the Prince of Peace. And that true hope, is only found in His presence.

There is no denying, I cannot even begin to imagine or fully understand what the Lord has in Heaven waiting for me.  But as I see the compassion each of you offer, the desire each of you have to know Him more, and the hope each of you find in the presence of His arms, the Lord gives me a little glimpse of just what Heaven has waiting for me.  The slightest of glimpses at the way to spell that word that no man yet knows. The perfect word to describe all that Heaven will have to offer. But each day until that word is perfectly known to me, I thank Him for allowing me to understand the perfection of that word a little more as I see it reflected in all of you.

I pray on the day you hear that I have officially moved, you will not be saddened by my leaving.  Knowing that in my new address, I am more alive than ever. And as the days draw ever closer to my “moving day”, my mind wanders forward to the day each of you will be moving also.  A day that as you stand in His presence, and find all your questions answered, you will look over your shoulder to see someone standing there with a smile so big it will not fit on their face.  And as you look closely, I hope you will begin to realize that smile has a familiar presences. A presences that you cannot help but walk over and speak to. Because behind that biggest of smiles, you will find me!

Praying the Lord gives each of you a little glimpse of Heaven today!