Ken's TOP 10 (#1-5)

This month marks 10 YEARS since I took over THE WORD full time.  Crazy, I know!

In celebration of this milestone, I’m counting down the TOP 10 blog posts from the last 10 years.  To be honest, the process of choosing them was a lot harder than I expected.  It was like being forced to pick your favorite child or rank your best memories with your spouse.  There were a lot to choose from, because God’s taught me so much! 

My criteria included aspects like:
·       Biggest lessons God has taught me
·       Memorable ways I’ve had God’s truth play out in my life
·       Posts that I’ve returned to, in order to remind myself of what I’ve learned
·       Most popular posts via web search, clicks from email, or comments back from y’all

Last week, we went through the list, from #10 to #6. If you missed it, you can check it out here.  Without further ado, let’s countdown from #5 to #1 (click each title to link to the post):

#5
Dance floors and lampstands, posted on January 17, 2019 – A special night out with my wife showed my coworkers a side of me they hadn’t seen before.  It also provided a lasting lesson on how focusing on God creates a memorable witness to those around you.

#4
Coming out of the detour, posted on July 13, 2017 – I lost my job, and as a result, we knew we would have to move to a new state.  But where to go next proved harder to figure out than I thought it would.  And my wrestling with God was more intense than I ever thought possible…He provided, but on His terms and not mine.

#3
More than just thoughts and prayers, posted on May 26, 2022 – the Uvalde elementary school shooting struck a deep cord in me, and I was increasingly frustrated by the standard “thoughts and prayers” response of so many.  I believe I found the solution to school shootings…it may feel like a big ask, but big problems require all of us to step up.

#2
One year later – Joe Rheney has relocated to Heaven, posted on January 10, 2019 – on the one year anniversary of my mentor’s funeral, I posted this remembrance of the day we laid his body to rest.  It also includes the eulogy I gave at his funeral service, which answers the question “What does Christian discipleship look like?”  This post explains how the originator of THE WORD influenced my life’s path.

#1
The greatest reward possible, posted on September 26, 2019 – Our eternal destiny is secure when we believe in Jesus for eternal life (John 3:16), but did you know that God promises additional eternal rewards for those who serve Him well in this life?  These are greater rewards than I ever imagined, and God offers the opportunity to all believers.  You need to check out this post, I wouldn’t want you to miss out.  Understanding this concept changes the way we walk the Christian life.

I hope you take the time to read at least one of these, and I pray that resharing what I’ve learned will be helpful to you, as well.

Thank you for walking with me all these years! 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Ken’s TOP 10 (#6-10)

This month marks 10 YEARS since I took over THE WORD full time.  Crazy, I know!

In celebration of this milestone, I’m counting down the TOP 10 blog posts from the last 10 years.  To be honest, the process of choosing them was a lot harder than I expected.  It was like being forced to pick your favorite child or rank your best memories with your spouse.  There were a lot to choose from, because God’s taught me so much! 

My criteria included aspects like:

·       Biggest lessons God has taught me
·       Memorable ways I’ve had God’s truth play out in my life
·       Posts that I’ve returned to, in order to remind myself of what I’ve learned
·       Most popular posts via web search, clicks from email, or comments back from y’all

Without further ado, let’s countdown from #10 to #6:

#10
Understanding why God knows the number of hairs on our heads, posted on August 17, 2017 – This post is by far the most web searched post on my site.  I don’t know why other than maybe people have heard that God knows the number of hairs on your head, but that saying hasn’t brought a whole lot of comfort that God knows such a trivial thing about me.  What I found in my study was that the “hairs-on-your-head” phrase had a deeper meaning to the audience Jesus spoke it to.

#9
Blindsided, posted on May 22, 2015 – When you get “that call” out of the blue, what is our best response?  When grief is overwhelming and we don’t even know how to address God, what should we do?  This was a post I returned to when my step mom passed last year.  The words in the psalm are both powerful and comforting.

#8
My daddy said “STOP!”, posted on April 4, 2019 – Although this trick-or-treating incident happened nearly 20 years ago, the story has stuck with my family.  The spiritual parallels raised powerful questions for us to consider.  I still get choked up when I read the post and remember that night.

#7
He believed in me, posted on October 6, 2022 – We believe in Jesus for eternal life (John 3:16).  But what does it mean to “believe”?  Lots of people will try to add to it, but it’s not as complicated as we make it out to be.  This truth was demonstrated to me when I was on crutches and told my director I’d be ready when the performance week came.

#6
When the house tears itself apart, posted on October 28, 2021 – Who knew that an unexpected full-home remodel from my childhood would be such a great example for how we need to study the Scriptures?  Additionally, I learned what to do when I began to suspect that an interpretation I had of a passage might not be right.

I hope you take the time to read at least one of these, and I pray that resharing what I’ve learned will be helpful to you, as well.

Next week, we’ll count down the TOP 5!

Keep Pressing,
Ken