Tommy Mann

  If you watched the debates or have listened to the news recently, you probably heard questions posed to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris about whether or not they would pack the court if they were elected. I have gotten the feeling that many people do not really understand what that phrase means, so I wanted to discuss it.    First, let me remind you that I try very hard to refrain from weighing in on political matters. As a pastor, there is a fine line between speaking about issues of morality and endorsing parties or candidates. With the exception of the time when I ran for office myself, I have never publicly endorsed a candidate, and I am not doing that now. Please do not hear this as pro-Trump, pro-RNC, or even anti-Biden/Harris or DNC. This is simply an attempt to explain what packing the court is, and why this should be a major issue.    Because the media has been accusing Trump of trying to “pack the court” by nominating Amy Coney Barrett, many may be left ...

Do you know the story about how the church began? The book of Acts begins with Jesus going to heaven, but first promising the disciples that the Holy Spirit was coming to give them power, and that they would go around the world carrying the message that Jesus was alive. Jesus called His followers to be witnesses, not to keep the good news to themselves, but to act out for His name. Come follow the Apostles on this 30-part study of Acts, and see how God is calling you to continue to Act Out for the sake of the gospel. This book is available wherever books are sold, as well as  here . It retails for $14.42, but our price is only $14.00 and free shipping. 

President Donald Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has caused the national conversation to turn once again to  Roe v. Wade. Supporters of abortion are nervous that this right might be taken away, while those of us who rightly believe that abortion kills an unborn child would love to see this slaughter brought to a halt. In my book which was released last Friday ( Asleep in Heaven’s Nursery, 2 nd Edition ) I included a new chapter that deals with why the Judicial and Legislative Branches need to act. I analyze the majority opinion in Roe, highlighting Justice Blackmun’s conclusion that the Court disagreed with any notion that a woman should be able to have an abortion at any time and for any reason, and how women should have a consultation from a responsible doctor before having an abortion. The abortion business has taken us light years away from that decision. Most people think the Supreme Court waded knee-deep in science and expert opinion...

The author of the epistle of James, who I believe to have been the half-brother of Jesus, was quite the wordsmith. There are at least a dozen words or phrases in his short letter that appear nowhere else in the New Testament (two of those words he used twice), and it is possible that one of those words is one he invented. Additionally, there are at least three other words used by James that only appear one other time in Scripture. 1.      Double-minded (1:8, 4:8) Literally “double-souled,” ( dipsuchos ) James uses this word first to apply to those who pray for wisdom, but lack faith when they pray. The double-minded man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. The second usage appears in the back half of a Hebraic parallel, an ancient form of Hebrew literature in which the same thing is said twice, but the second time is more specific than the first. In 4:8, James says, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded....