Points To Ponder
Points to Ponder is a series of occasional articles
written by Rev. Dennis Whitmore, Pastor of
Hilltop Christian Fellowship of Clear Spring, MD.
The articles examine various aspect of life and
the Christian faith. Topics include ministering to
those in need, making time for God, Christian
marriage, the difference between concern and
worry, and assessing the eternal value of our
lives today. The articles are available for reading
and reflection from our Points to Ponder Web
page, and new articles are added as they become
available.
2008

November
If You're Lost (Or Not), Find True North
Truth Really Can Be Stranger Than Fiction
Effective Leaders Die Trying

October
The First Point To Ponder (10/22/08)
What's Wrong With Gambling? (10/4/08)
Yours, Mine And Ours Is His (10/3/08)
From Goofy To Greatness (10/1/08)

September
If I Perish, I Perish (9/8/08)
The Problem Is Us (9/3/08)
Testing: Dumping Cold Water On God? (9/2/08)
Busy Bricks (9/1/08)

August
Thus Saith The Lord: Can You Hear Me Now? (8/16/08)
Face It-You're Scared (8/8/08)
Perfecting The Imperfections-Even Ours (8/7/08)
Here Lies A Hard Worker (8/1/08)

July
Does God Ever "Draw A Line In The Sand?'' (7/22/08)
Thank God! A Crisis (7/3/08)
Reliving Or Releasing The Past? (7/3/08)
Chance Encounters? (7/1/08)

June
What We Look For In Others We May See In Ourselves (6/28/08)
Underneath Are The Everlasting Arms (6/12/08)
Faith - A Risky Pursuit (6/9/08)
They Who Hold The Spatula Can Change The World (6/1/08)

May
What Good Is A Vision To The Blind? (5/20/08)
Last Exit Before Toll (5/5/08)
503,499 Elizabeths (5/1/08)

April
Considering Having An Affair? (4/10/08)
God Understands (4/10/08)
Start Wearing The Power Suit (4/10/08)
How Pressing Is What Is Pressing You? (4/10/08)

March
How Goes The War (In You)? (3/25/08)
Training The Eye Of The Beholder (3/18/08)
Pillow Talk With The Divine (3/18/08)
Is Happiness An Entitlement? (3/4/08)

February
Should YOU Do It "The Way It's Done''? (2/29/08)
Play It Forward By Just Playing (2/22/08)
You Can Have It For A Song (2/19/08)
Buyer's Remorse (2/19/08)

January
The Poverty Of Wealth (1/30/08)
Touched By Bitterness? (1/30/08)
Little Decisions Guide The Big Journey  (1/21/08)
Do You Merely Believe?  (1/16/08)

2007

December
The Creeping Crud Of Carnal Christianity  (12/31/07)
Simple Impact  (12/31/07)
Prayer In An Evil Time  (12/31/07)
Missing Someone This Christmas?  (12/13/07)
Are You Letting Today's Pointlessness Blur Your Vision?  (12/10/07)

November
Wisdom Is Never Obsolete  (11/28/07)
Is The Root Of Your Bitterness A Deception?  (11/22/07)
Falling Near The Cross  (11/13/07)
Could That Be You?  (11/12/07)

October
Killing Time  (10/28/07)
It's How You Play The Game You're Playing  (10/22/07)
Truth Or Consequences ...   (10/22/07)
Are Churches Fanatical Enough?   (10/5/07)

September
Are You Wasting Your Life?   (9/30/07)
Green With Honesty   (9/22/07)
Supernatural Expectations   (9/17/07)
Are You Blessed and Highly Favored?   (9/16/07)

August
If I Could Only Go Back   (8/31/07)
Did You Die In Haran?   (8/28/07)
Remember The Girl In The Yellow Dress   (8/24/07)
Too Busy To Grow   (8/12/07)
The Fly Knows Jesus   (8/9/07)
Who Upholds Your Life?   (8/6/07)

July
FORGIVENESS: Part 2 of 2: Root Beer in the Line   (7/27/07)
FORGIVENESS: Part 1 of 2: A Scary Thought    (7/27/07)
LIFE: A Course Of Influence     (7/25/07)
If Anger Rules, Guess Who Isn't?     (7/12/07)
The Battle Is Not Yours     (7/11/07)

June
Amnesia Of The Heart     (6/20/07)

May
The View From A Starbuck's Window     (5/24/07)
New Carts Can Roll The Wrong Way     (5/16/07)
What Am I Giving Up?     (5/5/07)

April
Are Birds Bigots OR Bigots Bird-Brains?     (4/26/07)
Rubber Band Righteousness     (4/18/07)
Bad Company     (4/7/07)


March
Every Saint Has A Past ,,,,     (3/25/07)
Staying In The Light On A Dark Night     (3/17/07)
Your Mind Is Like A Camcorder     (3/6/07)

February
Breakfast With God     (2/28/07)
Little Things Mean ... There's Room For Growth     (2/16/07)
The Letter From Home     (2/2/07)

January
Not Making Enough Mistakes?     (1/24/07)
Why Do I Even Try?     (1/19/07)
Thank God For Rattlesnakes     (1/19/07)
Suppose Moses Had Taken Anger Management     (1/10/07)
How The Mighty Fall     (1/3/07)

2006

December
The American Idol     (12/20/06)
I'm Dreaming Of An Orange Christmas     (12/5/06)
Not One Of "Those'' Articles Again     (12/5/06)

November
When Meltdown Is OK     (11/22/06)
Remember Thanksgiving On Thanksgiving     (11/16/06)
The Gaze Of Temptation     (11/14/06)
It Ain't Just No Song & Dance     (11/6/06)

October
Sin Of Omission     (10/24/06)
Join The Army     (10/24/06)
What's In A Name?     (10/6/06)

September
The Stumbling Block Of Old Thinking     (9/25/06)
You Don't Have To Fix It     (9/19/06)
Words To The Wise     (9/18/06)
The Sacrifice Of A Changed Life     (9/7/06)

August
God Is On High Forevermore     *8/30/06)
What's Holding You Up?     (8/23/06)
Stuff Happens     (8/7/06)

July
Reflections On Today's Dilemma Through Yesterday's Eyes     (7/21/06)
Without Faith The Journey Is Always Longer     (7/19/06)
Seek First     (7/18/06)

June
Because You Obeyed, You Worship     (6/18/06)
Testing The Winds That Test Us     (6/22/06)
Well, It Can't Kill You - Can It?     (6/19/06)
Building Destiny     (6/8/06)

May
Called, But Jumping The Gun     (5/30/06)
Are You Chasing After Nothing?     (5/12/06)
Your Red Sea     (5/11/06)
Faith Goes Deeper In Desperate Times     (5/3/06)

April
The Comforting Embrace That's Always There     (4/27/06)
Shaking In Obeying - Better Than Shaky Obedience     (4/13/06)
You Guys Are Brave!     (4/3/06)

March
What Does That Have To Do With Me?     (3/22/06)
Victorious Living: A Movement And A Process     (3/15/06)
You Dwelt In The Wilderness A Long Time     (3/9/06)
Are You Out Of God's Will Or Married To Someone Who Is?     (3/2/06)

February
It's How You Play The Game     (2/28/06)
Has Your Lamp Lost Its Way?     (2/13/06)
Life Is A Hard Hat Zone     (2/7/06)

January
Under The Weather Under God     (1/30/05)
Daddy, Tell Me A Story     (1/9/06)

2005

December
Hollowed Or Hollow?     (12/28/05)
Tis The Season To Be .... Miserable?     (12/19/05)
The Parable Of Eternity .... Smoking Or Non-smoking?     (12/12/05)
Blinded By The Blessings?     (12/6/05)

November
Is Sexual Morality Really Biblical?     (11/28/05)
Life Is Tough, But ....     (11/21/05)
We Wish You A Merry Winter Solstice .....     (11/15/05)

October
Hugs From Heaven     (10/24/05)
Why Is Church Irrelevant?     (10/11/05)
Whose "Team'' Are You On?     (10/11/05)
Chewing Gun In Church?     (10/4/05)

September
Truth Or Consequences: Which One Is Driving You?     (9/20/05)
A Pharisee In The House     (9/12/05)
A Blue Card Question     (9/8/05)

August
Giving Blossoms From The Root Of Trust     (8/30/05)
Fear Factor     (8/24/05)
You're Not Done Until You're Finished     (8/22/06)
Names To Know     (8/8/05)

July
God And Me, And Other Conversations     (7/26/05)
A Key To The Treasury: The OFF Button     (7/18/05)
A Prison Cell Full Of Things     (7/14/05)
USA: United Samaritans Of America     (7/11/05)
The Past Is Where Your Future Began     (7/8/05)

June
Following God Through The Dead End     (6/27/05)
The Cure For What Ails Us     (6/15/05)
Hey Dad .... Got A Minute?     (6/7/05)

May
The Danger Of Not Checking In     (5/23/05)
The Power Of Perspective     (5/10/05)

April
Are You Music To His Ears?     (4/26/05)
Maybe It's Suppose To Be This Way     (4/18/05)
Are You Sure You Want An Answer?     (4/11/06)

March
Almost Home     (3/30/05)
Will You Keep Planting In A Field Of Weeds?     (3/23/05)
You Are Somebody's Hero     (3/14/06)
Fools Are Not Necessarily Stupid     (3/2/05)

February
For God Or Money     (2/22/05)
Honest To God? That's A Good Idea     (2/15/05)
Are You Cheating Your Season?     (2/7/05)
Faith Is A Song AND Dance     (2/1/05)

January
The Continuing Saga Of "It's All In How You Interpret It"     (1/26/05)
It's How You Interpret It (Oh Really?)     (1/21/05)
Purpose-Driven Prayer     (1/18/05)
You're Not Over The Hill Until They Put You Under It     (1/11/05)
Happy New Year - For Now     (1/3/05)

2004

December
What Would A Child See In You?     (12/22/04)
You Don't Like Where You Are?     (12/20/04)
Mourning Christmas Morning?     (12/14/04)
Dealing With Our Tendency Toward Wickedness     (12/13/04)
The Joy Of Trial And Temptation     (12/9/04)

November
Are You An Old Rooster During The Holidays?     (11/29/04)
Greater Is He: Focus On That     (11/4/04)
Elevating Otis     (11/4/04)

October
Letter From Death Row     (10/28/04)
Seeking The Light     (10/26/04)
Affluenza     (10/21/04)
Lay It All Down For What Really Matters     (10/12/04)
Doing The Harder Right     (10/6/04)
The Rich Walk Dangerously     (10/4/04)

September
Blessed Is He Who Endures Temptation     (9/28/04)
God Doesn't Take Coupons     (9/23/04)
There Goes The Neighborhood     (9/20/04)
Bike Trip To Mayberry     (9/16/04)
Don't Leave .... Go!     (9/7/04)

August
As The Wheels Turn - Reflections From A Summer Bike Tour     (8/17/04)
Sucker For A Savior     (8/2/04)

July
Mastering The Muscles Of Faith     (7/29/04)
Blue Card Questions     (7/27/04)
What On Earth Am I Here For?     (7/22/04)
64 Hours     (7/19/04)

June
Daddy, Let's Go On An Adventure?     (6/30/04)
Out In The Yard Helping God     (6/25/04)
Hurry Up & Wait     (6/19/04)
A Little Girl's Daddy Ponders The Road Yet Traveled     (6/16/04)
Being Responsible For The Messes Who Do Not Mean To Make     (6/2/04)

May
Being Conscious Of Your Walk     (5/11/04)
Training On Loving Life     (5/3/04)

April
Rust Spots On Your Soul?     (4/26/04)
Failing To Rise To Full Trust     (4/20/04)
Tired Of Being Nice?     (4/8/04)
Apostasy: "Abandonment Of A Previous Loyalty''     (4/2/04)

March
Teachable Moments     (3/25/04)
Slavery Always Looks Good When Freedom Gets Tough     (3/10/04)
Pondering The Passion: Why It Cuts To The Heart     (3/8/04)
The Passionate Reaction To "The Passion''     (3/1/04)

February
Is There A Personal Sacrifice You Ought To Make?     (2/18/04)
Does A Biblical World View Make You Itch?     (2/12/04)

January
Sixteen Minutes And Counting     (1/22/04)
One Window To The World Is Seldom Opened     (1/13/04)

2003

December
Christmas Recorded In Front Of A Live Audience     (12/20/03)
Big Message In A Small Package     (12/15/03)
Simple Faith Yields Ordinary Heroes     (12/10/03)
Agree To Disagree Agreeably     (12/5/03)
What's The Cost Of Free?     (12/1/03)

November
Rise And Really Shine     (11/19/03)
Pondering Parenting: A Divine Appointment     (11/6/03)

October
A Wedding Or A Marriage?     (10/23/03)
Assessing The Eternal Value Of Our Todays     (10/20/03)
Beer Can In The Bathroom     (10/10/03)
Considering The Suffering Of This Present Time     (10/3/03)

September
The Constitution Unconstitutional?     (9/24/03)
Limited By Good Enough     (9/10/03)
How's Your Crisis Coming Along?     (9/3/03)

August
The Terrible Two's And You     (8/27/03)
Sometimes You Should Sweat The Small Stuff     (8/6/03)

July
Did God Really Say ....?     (7/14/03)

June
Thank God! A Crisis     (6/23/03)
The Power Of The Ordinary Person     (6/12/03)
Going Nowhere? Sometimes That's The Place To Be     (6/5/03)

May
Hope Beyond The Tears     (5/28/03)
Would You Give Your Right Arm To Live?     (5/12/03)
Watch Your Step (But Not Too Much)     (5/12/03)

April
Dealing With Apostasy     (4/25/03)
Course Correction Needed?     (4/23/03)
Watch For Signs Of Ministry Slippage     (4/17/03)
Going To Hell With A Grudge?     (4/17/03)
Are You Holding Back?     (4/7/03)
Can You Be Trusted?     (4/2/03)

March
Who Cares What People Think?     (3/26/03)

2001

July
Priority One     (7/22/01)
Turn My Eyes Away From Worthless Things     (7/15/01)

2000

July
The Devil's Yard Sale     (7/8/00)