Don’t Have Anything to Do in the Church?

If you feel this way, then… l. Mail a card to the sick members. 2. Read and study your Bible diligently every day. 3.Visit all the aged, ill and shut-ins, and bereaved of the congregation. 4. Tell your neighbors about Christ and invite them to church services. 5. Visit new members and newcomers and welcome…

Poverty or Riches

Linda was on vacation playing the slot machines. It was her first time in a casino and she wasn’t sure how the machines operated. “Excuse me,” she said to a casino employee. “How does this work?” The worker showed her how to insert a bill, hit the spin button, and operate the release handle. “And…

Two Ways to Grow

God expects us to grow: to become more like Jesus, to increase in faith, to develop the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and the Christian graces (2 Peter l:5-11), etc. How can this be accomplished? The New Testament mentions at least two factors that are essential to spiritual growth. One is Bible study. “…like…

Boat Potatoes

“So Peter got out of the boat, and started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.” (Matt. 14:29) Wow, what a walk! What courage it must have taken to get out of the boat? Peter chose to get out of the boat. He did not ask for a promise from the Lord to keep…

I’ve learned…

“…that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.”… This content is for Trial, Annual, and Lifetime Members only! Please log in or register to use our free church bulletin resources, or start an Annual Membership and get bulletin articles weekly by email, our exclusive Preaching Ideas newsletter, access to thousands of online articles, searchable…

The Old Farmer’s Wisdom

A newspaper reporter was interviewing an old farmer and asked him to what he would attribute his success as a farmer. With a twinkle in his eye the man replied, “It’s been about 50 percent weather, 50 percent good luck, and the rest is brains.”… This content is for Trial, Annual, and Lifetime Members only!…

Sin By Any Other Name…Still Stinks!

“We need to call sin by its right name and expose it before the world for what it is…We might label a bottle of strychnine some soft drink but doing so would not change its nature…We can’t sugar-coat sin, Underneath the surface it is still sin and that is all one can make of it.…

Everybody Gets a Mulligan

For those of you who are not golfing fans, you may not understand fully the title of this article. A mulligan is a do-over. It is an opportunity to take another shot because the first one was no good. I have used many mulligans in my time, especially in the early years. Mulligans also work…

To Read or Not To Read

Author Louis L’Amour once wrote a short story about a man caught stealing a book from a library. The attendant noticed that the man was acting strangely while looking at the books. He would take books from the shelf and run his hands over them before putting them back. When he took down a copy…

10 Ways to Find Time to Read the Bible

1. Wake up ten minutes earlier each morning to read the bible. 2. Put a Bible portion under your pillow to read each night before sleep. 3. Talk less and you will have a few more minutes to read. 4. Keep a copy on hand in the kitchen or at the telephone to read while…

Five Things To Forget

What are some of the things we need to forget in order to make a success of the Christian life? “Forgetting those things which are behind…I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:13-14). Our Setbacks. We are too prone to brood over our losses–especially…

Consecration for a Crossing (Joshua 3:1-17)

“When we walk with the Lord, In the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way, While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.” So begins one of the most loved and theologically sound songs ever penned. In beautiful imagery…

Bible Class Can Be Destructive

As shocking as this statement is, we must admit its truthfulness. Consider the following: Bible classes can destroy ignorance. If this does not occur, we ourselves are in danger of being destroyed as were the people of old (Hosea 4:6) Studying together can eliminate this malady. Bible classes can destroy loneliness. Some of the strongest…

Attachment to “Stuff”

I must make a confession: I enjoy watching American Pickers on the History Channel. The adventures of Mike Wolf and Frank Fritz have captured my attention numerous times in the past three or four years. Even though I turn away from most “reality shows,” and even though I know some of the show’s elements are…

God Values People–All of Them

What do we do with something that is broken, battered or bruised? Normally, we throw it away. The thing has become flawed or cracked, so why bother? It’s not worth it. It’s useless. Sadly, we do the same with people. Jesus was different. He saw the value of people–all people. A few examples: — A…

This Makes Me Sick

When you have to be separated from your loved ones for an extended period of time, you begin to miss their presence. Being together is an essential part of building meaningful and deep relationships. Because of this, the Hebrew law required soldiers who marry to stay home with their new wives for a year after…

If the Shoe Fits…

Are you a person who wears LOAFERS? Do you want to get by with doing as little as possible? Consider the rebuke to the one talent man of Matthew 25:26. Perhaps the SLIPPER is your choice of shoe. This fits the person who slips in and out of service. He hopes he can slip by…

What I Could Do If I Wanted To

If I wanted to, I could help make the church the most wide awake and working church in all the world. If I wanted to, I could visit members who are sick or home-bound and find other ways of helping them. If I wanted to, I could attend Bible classes regularly and encourage others to…

The Importance of the Bible Class Teacher

It is impossible to overstate the importance of the Bible class teacher. There are those who can teach and impart certain skills, trades and knowledge. There are those who run large corporations, and those who rule countries. Yet, if a list were somehow composed of all positions of the world being arranged in order of…

5 First Steps to Success

GIVE GOD: 1 — the FIRST HOUR of the day. 2 — the FIRST DAY of the week. 3 — the FIRST PORTION of your pay. 4 — the FIRST CONSIDERATION in every decision. 5 — the FIRST PLACE in your heart. via Church of Christ Benton, KY… This content is for Trial, Annual, and…

Mastering Our Moods

There are some things which no one can do for us–things which we must, with God’s help, do for ourselves. Mastering our moods is one of them. Each one must work at this. Perhaps a moment or two in which one ceases his routine and talks to God will be helpful. I heard of a…

Life Is What You Make It!

— A blacksmith makes five dollars worth of iron into horseshoes and gets ten dollars for them. — A cutler makes the same iron into knives and gets two hundred dollars. — A machinist makes the same iron into sixty-eight hundred dollars’ worth of needles. — A watchmaker makes it into two hundred thousand dollar’s…

If It Weren’t For Baptism…

Not one sinner could be saved (Mark 16:16). There would be no remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Our sins could not be washed away (AcTS 22:16). It would be impossible to enter into Christ (Rom. 6:3). No one could be born again (John 3:5). We could not put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). We could not…

Cheap Religion

Flea markets are increasing in number by the week. Sales at the mall attract thousands who would not shop without them. Negotiating before buying is smart shopping. “The cheaper the better” is the philosophy by which many live daily. But cheap is not always the best, whether it be furniture, cars, or medical care. Very…