STROUD, Okla. (AP) — Authorities say a high school golf star was killed in a single-car accident hours after competing in the All-State golf tournament in Broken Arrow.

Bethel's Kyle Lewis was alone in his car, which left the road and struck a bridge embankment on the Turner Turnpike near Stroud on Monday. Authorities say it's unknown why his car left the road.

Yesterday I posted a blog about being ready to be called home with God. Hours after that blog was posted, one of our kids in the youth group, Kyle Lewis was called home.

May God bless his family through your prayers, good Christian.

- Chris

I wasn't watching the clock, I was just sitting, relaxing, and minding my own business. Suddenly I looked up and my family was at the door ready. Jessica looked and said, "It's time. Are you ready to go?"

I've been thinking a lot about the parable of Matthew 25:1-13. As the parable goes, ten maidens waited for a wedding party to begin, anticipating the arrival of the groom. However, five didn't bring oil for their lamps, so were forced to leave early to buy oil, before the groom made an appearance. Anyway, while they were out, the groom arrived and shut the door to the party, leaving five of the maidens outside and alone.

Stephen Hawking in A brief history of time c.1988

Matthew 22:31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

Matthew 6:22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

This morning I had camped in my prayers before God about some areas in my heart in which I just continue to remain at arm's length from people... reluctant to accept help or just in general prefer to be independent... and what God might need to heal in me to be more open and relational. I prayed, and 'ended' my portion of prayer, and then decided to pick up in my reading where I had left off yesterday. That's where God picked up and responded to me.

"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us- set us right with Him, make us fit for Him, we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand - out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise." Romans 5: 1-3ish. (The Message)

"If there were no empty tomb... this would all just be for nothing." I've heard that a hundred times and read it from scripture more often than I know. Every time I read it or hear it, I think of this statement from the perspective of Christian evidences. "If God hadn't raised from the dead, then Jesus was a sham. The empty tomb validates Christ."

The empty tomb doesn't just validate Christ though. The empty tomb validates us. It validates our journey, our struggle, our fight against sin, our life-long sacrifices and never-ending challenge to be more in Christ. The empty tomb is a resounding trumpet call, and a banner for victory. The empty tomb draws us towards peace that passes understanding.

Please know as you read this I am very aware that exceptions exist in every generality.  In our case each congregation of the churches of Christ and her leaders exist as they’re own exception.  What’s true for one has no bearing on another.  At the same time I believe that generalities arise from our mutual fellowship, shared events, universities, schools of preaching, brother-hood speakers, newspapers, books, blogs and so forth.  All of these things mingle together to form a collective ministry of sorts.  It is to this which I write.

You should also know the tone I meant to convey here is one of pleading.  Not anger.  I’m not mad, just concerned.  If  the tone strikes you otherwise it’s a reflection of my poor writing skills.