Nostalgia

[280 words] Nostalgia has a selective memory. When we feel this, “sentimental longing” for the past we often remember the good times fondly and forget the hardships. Many hit songs use nostalgia as a theme: “Yesterday,” “Time in a Bottle,” “Those Were the Days,” “If l Could Tum Back Time,” “Yesterday When I WasYoung,” and…

Looking Unto Jesus

[223 words] If you have ever watched a choral group or orchestra, you will note one thing each member always does – they look at the conductor from time to time. This is to insure that they are in harmony and performing in accordance with the conductor’s directive. As members of the church, we make…

What About the Unfit?

[114 words] The theory of evolution declares mankind is the result of the survival of the fittest. If this is so, then getting rid of the unfit is desirable. To conquer and exploit weaker people, businesses, or countries is simply the law of the jungle from which we evolved. Mercy killings, forced sterilization, and selective…

Take Note

[132 words] Lying at your side, perhaps, Or living right next door, Or working at the desk across The company’s polished floor; Seated next to you and riding On the city bus, Or walking in the city park And making nary a fuss; Hidden from view, a smarting hurt Behind the checker’s smile, Or a…

Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

[132 words] Read Matt. 27:11-26 Do we crucify the Son of God afresh today in our careless and indifferent attitude at His table? “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine…

Christian Service

[414 words] One of the essential characteristics of a servant is “humility.” Without this trait the Christian cannot be successful in his attempt to serve. Peter says, “Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another; for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5). Of interest…

Why is He Old?

[281 words] Everyone should have some interest in paleoanthropology; not necessarily that branch of science, but the word itself. Paleoanthropology is a compound word meaning “the study of ancient man.” Interestingly (at least to this preacher), the primary root words that make up our English word are found together in the Bible. For example, the…

Home

[294 words] Over the past several weeks many people have traveled because of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. During those trips many people either went home or came home. Home is an important place for many people. It is the place where either you grew up or where your parents or grandparents live now…

A People Eager to Do Good

[309 words] We are God’s people, His holy people, the church of God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). We want to do what pleases Him; it is our new nature (2 Cor. 5:17) and our identity as His children (1 John 3:22). However, we do fail, we sin! If we…

Is There Enough Snow to Shovel?

[331 words] Several years ago I recall having awakened from my slumber to find that it had snowed a little while I had slept. It was just a ground dusting, but snow nonetheless. As I do every morning, I prepared myself for the day ahead, then I went in to get my children up and…

What Time is It?

[215 words] Ever been in a group of people and ask what time is it? How many answers did you get? You perhaps got as many answers as there were people with watches. Yet there is a place in Denver where time is correct to a split second. It is never wrong and many watches…

Who Will You Worship Sunday?

[89 words] The god of Ease? “Had a hard week, gotta rest some.” The god of Mammon? “Gotta get another dollar.” The god of Popularity? “Folks came, gotta stay with them.” The god of Pleasure? “Only day I have to hunt, fish or play.” The god of Self-Pride? “They do not do me right.” The…

God’s Only Way 

[276 words] Ever since the creation, man has sought to have his own way in religion. It started with Cain and continues today with people going in every direction but the right way in trying to be religious. People are being told they are saved when they “accept Jesus as your personal Savior” and say…

Test Your Love

[198 words] The Savior taught us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Simply put, We are to love God completely and with an undivided heart. Test yourself and see how you measure up. We wish to be in the presence…

God Forgives Completely

[142 words] The East-West Promise (Psalm 103: 12) “As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The Stain Remover Promise (Isaiah 1: 18) ” … though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as while as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they…
Funny Jokes for Church Bulletin

On the Lighter Side (February 2015)

A proud and confident genius makes a bet with a dummy. The genius says, “Hey dummy, every question I ask you that you don’t know the answer, you have to give me $5. And if you ask me a question and I can’t answer yours I will give you $5,000.” The dummy says, “Okay.” The…

‘OMG’

[481 words] “Oh my God!” Hardly a day goes by that we do not hear someone exclaim it. You hear it at work or school, at the bank or the supermarket, and sometimes even on the church parking lot. Television, no doubt, is the chief offender, with nearly every game show, soap opera, situation comedy,…

Commitment

[301 words] In the book, Driven from Within, Michael Jordan (Hall-of-Fame basketball player) recounts an event from his life that exemplifies just how committed he was to the things that were important to him. Jordan asked to borrow a jacket from a friend before they went out to have dinner together. He was told where…

Giving God the Glory

[321 words] “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation, the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me. He delivers me from my enemies; surely You lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man” (Psalm…

A Deer and a Blind

[318 words] It was early Saturday morning. The alarm clock went off and I jumped out of bed, excited at the opportunity to do a little deer hunting. I threw on every article of clothing I found that was camouflaged, grabbed my bow, and headed to my blind (small camouflaged tent). It was a perfect…

Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?

[359 words] It was a fact that Jesus was innocent. The Roman governor in charge of Judea, Pontius Pilate, so stated himself after having examined Jesus personally (John 19:4). It is also a fact that Jesus never even committed a single sin (Heb. 4:15). And yet, they fashioned the crown of thorns and placed a…

Path Determines Destination

[421 words] God created us as free moral agents. We choose the path we take in life, for good or for ill. While most of us relish our freedom, the down side is that we must take responsibility for the choices we make. I like the way Joe Fitch put it: “When you choose the…

The Seven S’s of the Savior

[164 words] Jesus came to the earth to… … Speak – “I have many things to say… He who sent Me is true ; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him” (John 8:26). … Seek – “for the Son ofMan has come to seek… that which was lost” (Luke…

Burning Your Priorities

[420 words] From Jumper Fables by Ken Davis Years ago, when I was a teenager, I sat in a youth meeting and listened to a speaker talk about identifying the important aspects of your lives. “Don’t waste your time working towards goals that aren’t really important to you,” he said. “Figure out what really is…

A Judgment Worse Than The Flood Looms!

[325 words] “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth… ” (Gen. 6:5). Before moving in judgment against the most evil and corrupt society in history, God commanded Noah to build an ark. It soon became a symbol of life and salvation to the few who believed God. Even though…

Jesus Solves Problems

[376 words] As I watched my television recently and saw people making accusations of racism and injustice, setting fire to police cars, breaking windows, and stealing from unprotected stores, one thought kept coming to mind: this country needs Jesus. If you have followed the Ferguson case at all, you probably have an opinion about it.…

Is Life Fair?

[333 words] Is life fair? Do we always have our needs met? It seems like in life we expect to be able to control every thing that happens to us. In a recent Oklahoma high school football game, the referees mistakenly erased a go-ahead touchdown because of an erroneous assessment of a penalty. The coach…

Habits Are First Cobwebs, Then Cables

[249 words] There is an old saying, “Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.” We have all experienced how true this proverb is. Some habits are ridiculously tough to form and others nearly impossible to break. If we continue building our habits, they can turn to addictions. This can either be wonderful or terrible. In 1…

Dees The Bible Really Mean This?

[238 words] “Do all things without complaining and disputing” (Phil. 2:14). When the children of Israel left the bondage of Egypt one of the first things they started to do was complain. If you recall God did not deal kindly with such actions, He put them to death! Do we think that the judgment of…

God ls Colorblind

[441 words] Quite often, when someone learns that I am colorblind, they begin to quiz my ability to see colors. “What color is this?” “And how about this one-what color is this?” Colorblindness is not the same for every person that experiences it. For example, I know a man that is so red-green colorblind that…

What About Me?

[195 words] My sister is taking a meal to the sick My brother has gone a wayward one to see They both were busy, no “convenient” time to pick But what about me? They invite their neighbors to come to church Have over people with frequency and glee For good deeds they seem to constantly…

Remember Who You Are

[528 words] If you are familiar with the story The Lion King, you know the critical point of Simba’s life. He was a young lion cub destined to become the next King. But due to some tragic events, including the death of his father, and the evil influence of his wicked uncle he had left…

Are You Lying to God?

[132 words] Acts chapter five contains a familiar account. It tells the story of Ananias and Sapphira. They sold some land and gave a portion of that money to the church. Normally this would be a great deed. However, they claimed that they were giving everything to the church, most likely motivated by wanting all…

Unappreciated Love

[223 words] Doing the right thing is hard Harder than it seems it should be. I always think the right will bring me reward. And my good deeds the world will see. But most of the time it goes forgotten, No one notices my noble cares. The satisfaction I hope to receive rarely comes, It…

God’s Eternal Plan

[216 words] The purpose of our meeting at the Lord ‘s table each week is to bring to remembrance the eternal plan of God to offer His Son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. In the ages before Christ’s time, God ‘s people had offered animal sacrifices to have their sins rolled…

Hating is Serious Business

[494 words] Some of those reading this can recall a television show called “Our Gang.” It flourished in the 1920’s, ’30s and ’40s, but enjoyed a comeback in the ’70s. It featured a lovable group of kids who occasionally got into mischief. Viewers identified with “Spanky,” “Alfalfa,” “Buckwheat” and others of the regular cast. One…

Being Faithful

[147 words] There can be nothing more important in any relationship than faithfulness. It is the test of true devotion and love. It is the virtue that authenticates the bond and communicates an invention to “stick with” one another to the end. We value faithful friends, family members, and especially spouses as the people in…

Home Improvement

[587 words] Recently as Alice and I were traveling, we saw this bumper sticker on the back of a vehicle:‘Home Improvement Begins With the King James Bible.’ We speak of home improvement in different ways. Perhaps we are painting or remodeling our home or maybe even building a new one. There are certainly many ways…
Clock

If Today Was the Last Day

[162 words] Imagine that today was the last day of each person you see today. Everyone you associate with at work, school, where you attend worship, your family, your friends, your acquaintances. If you knew today was their last day in this life, what might you do/say differently? How would your conversation, your actions, your…

How to Respond

[525 words] How do we respond to others when they mistreat us? With love and understanding so that we can, hopefully, share the “Good News” with them? Or do we respond with whatever the law will allow? Of course if we choose the second one, we may never have the chance or opportunity to share…

How To Identify a Lukewarm Christian

[171 words] • He has time to read the newspaper everyday but not the Bible. • He spends more time with the sports page than he does in prayer. • He spends as much for pleasure as he gives to the Lord. • For lack of study he is unqualified to teach others. • He…

Faithful Attendance

[430 words] God expects (demands) His faithful followers to worship Him. The Scriptures are emphatic in the faithful child of God reflecting their love and loyalty by coming together with the saints, to worship their Heavenly Father, on the first day of the week. While attendance at worship services is NOT the only measuring stick…

Precious to Christ

[205 words] Anytime we buy something we have to decide how important that thing is to us. There more we want something, the more we are willing to pay for it. You might want a new computer, but I doubt you would be willing to spend $ 150,000 on it. However, you might be willing…
Funny Jokes for Church Bulletin

On the Lighter Side (January 2015)

“Dear God: I bet it’s very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only four people in our family and I can never do it.” – We had just finished tucking our five kids into bed when three-year-old Billy began to wail. Turns out, he had accidentally swallowed…

The Bible’s Advice on Thanksgiving

It is very interesting to note the various contexts in which the word “thanksgiving” occurs in the Bible (NKJV). Here are just a few of the places: • In Lev. 7:11-15, it is connected with offerings and sacrifices to God. • In Psa. 26, it is connected with the proclaiming of God and His “wondrous…

Giving Thanks in ALL Things

Most of you I am sure have heard of the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville. It tells the story of Captain Ahab’s relentless hunt for the great white whale Moby dick who had destroyed his ship and bitten off his leg. Ahab was obsessed with destroying the whale—his life revolved around his resentment, bitterness…

Thanksgiving?

Paul told the young preacher Timothy concerning the eating of food, “for every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim. 4:4). That certainly includes the Thanksgiving meal that we will partake of in a few days. But, it seems that, in this day…

How To Observe Thanksgiving

Count your blessings instead of your crosses. Count your gains instead of your losses. Count your joys instead of your woes. Count your friends instead of your foes. Count your smiles instead of your tears. Count your courage instead of your fears. Count your full years instead of your lean. Count your kind deeds instead…

Our Influence

We all have influence over others that we come in contact every day. As a parent, teacher, and youth minister, I have influence over the many youth that I work with each day. I must take this task seriously. I must think of the words that I use and the actions that I take because…

Is Your Marriage Lawful?

Marriage is a beautiful God-ordained union between men and women (Gen. 2:18,23,24). In marriage, there is a solemn vow to maintain faithfulness to one another until death. For this reason, it should never be entered haphazardly (Rom. 7:2; Mat. 19:6). Since God is the originator of marriage, He is the one who has set the…

Excuses

Man has made excuses for his behavior and actions almost since the beginning of man’s history. In the Garden of Eden, the devil tempted Eve to sin and eat the forbidden fruit. She in turn enticed her mate to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When God asked Adam if…

Thanksgiving Proclamation

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a…

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is, in the eyes of some, esteemed as the greatest of holidays. When one thinks about the idea of thanksgiving, it is easy to appreciate the holiday as some do — being the greatest of holidays. Those who are truly thankful, however, are those who were once dead, but are now alive. The Lord…

Thanksliving: “Living Your Thanks”

(Colossians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:18) Remember the “magic words” we teach our children: please and thank you. Those words remain effective as long as we live, not only in regard to our human relationships, but also and especially in relationships with God. There are three aspects to consider. Receiving with thanks. “Thanks” is not payment…

Please and Thank You

Are basic manners (such as saying, “Please and “Thank you”) old-fashioned and a thing of the past? Why is it that adults have a hard time expressing appreciation for things they have been given? Zig Ziglar (known as “America’s Motivator”) has some interesting thoughts: “Of all the things a parent can teach a child, manners…

God’s View of Marriage

Many educators are teaching young people that to experiment with premarital sex is good, live-in arrangements are OK, and divorce is fine! The result? Our nation is wallowing in a moral abyss of broken homes, children tossed to and fro, and shattered lives by the millions. We need to teach young people (indeed, all people)…

What God Promises to Do Concerning Our Trials

“Oh, no, here I go again. Another trial in my life. Lord, just how much do you think I can really handle?” Have you ever said or thought those words, or something like them? That recently? Me, too. When times like that hit, we need to avoid the temptation of thinking that maybe we have…

The Losses We Endure

It was 2009. She died in my lap. I do not agree with those who say animals seek to be alone near death, though perhaps some seek comfort elsewhere. My cat friend had been poisoned as had been her sister who had died earlier. Our vet was fairly sure it was deliberate. I was too,…

‘But They Did Not Ask Counsel of the Lord’

Soon after Israel’s victories over Jericho and Ai, several of Canaan’s southern city-states formed an alliance and immediately set out to fight against God’s people (cf. Gen. 9:1ff). The fearful Gibeonites, however, had a different strategy. They chose to deceive Israel into thinking they were somebody that they were not (non-Canaanite inhabitants) with hopes of…

Don’t Be So Irrational

We have two dogs at home, both a breed of terrier. To say that they are high strung can, at times, be somewhat of an understatement. For example, the other day, after putting away the groceries. l wadded up the plastic bags and tossed them onto the trash. Notice I said, “onto,” and not “into,“…

The Storms of Life

At some point in life most of us face many types of health, financial, family or other serious problem. Recently, it seems that “storm clouds” have encircled many due to lost jobs, poor health and the economic situation in our country. It would be quite easy to begin counting our problems instead of our blessings.…

Mind Your Own

A few weeks ago Neil Wheeler gave me a note he had written as the result of our discussion in a Bible class. The note said, we should “Be careful of the dirt you rake up, you never know what nasty things might take root.” We both laughed because the lesson was about tale-bearing and…

An Inside-Out Transformation

Christians are being transformed into Christ’s likeness (2 Cor. 3:18). God is trying to press His people into a Christ-shaped mold. But this transformation isn’t an easy process, partly because the world is trying to press us into its own mold. In order to be transformed into the image of Christ we must resist being…

Living Life

As we live life day in and day out, are we living in a way that shows Jesus to others? Allen Webster wrote, “The shortest verse of the Bible says a lot! It tells us that the Great Physician had good bedside manners. Jesus knew that people generally do not care how much you know…

Did God Create These Little Devils?

I am talking about a small but extremely aggressive marsupial called the “Tasmanian Devil.” They only exist on an island south of Australia. Experts in Sydney believe that these little animals developed/evolved a (cocktaiI) milk formula that helps their young resist infection. Their milk contains cathelicidins in their genetic code, and tests run on 25…

I’ve Got to Start…

You may actually know someone who has begun a sentence using the above words. The words that this preacher has heard used most often to complete this sentence are “exercising” and “eating right.” It appears that most of us have a sense of what it will take to improve our health. The key to accomplishing…

Words of Wisdom

A man is only as good as what he loves. All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action. One of the nice things about problems is that a good many of them do not exist except in our imaginations. To err is human; to blame it on someone else…

Harvest of the Heart at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the harvest of the heart After the fruit and grain are stored away. The quiet season of remembering, The moment when we pause to praise and pray…. We are sorry, but this content is for Annual and Lifetime members only. You either are not yet a member (Register), have yet to confirm your…

Why Only One Day for Thanksgiving?

Charles Dickens said that we are somewhat mixed up here in America. He told an audience that instead of having one Thanksgiving Day each year we should have 364. “Use that one day just for complaining and griping,” he said. “Use the other 364 days to thank God each day for the many blessings He…

Who Are You Worshiping?

Henry Ward Beecher, the famous pulpit orator, once had to be absent and his brother was invited to speak for him. The church house was crowded, but when it became evident that the eloquent Henry Beecher was not going to appear, many started to leave. Beecher’s brother was not disturbed. He stood up before the…

Different Attitudes Toward Faith

Some Welcome It (Acts 8:31-32; 10:33). Some Receive It (John 12:48). Some Obey It (1 Peter 1:22; Acts 17:10-12). Some Do Not Love It (2 Thess. 2:10-12). Some Resist It (2 Timothy 3:6). Some Turn Away From It (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Some Speak Evil of It (2 Peter 2:1-3). via San Augustine church of Christ…

Man’s Three Needs

“And he (Isaac) builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well” (Genesis 26:25). Much confusion exists in our world regarding the purpose of life. Many people are confused and uncertain about what to do with their lives. This passage,…

Christians Who Are Afraid Of Heights

If you’ve been to the Grand Canyon, you might have had that certain itching feeling, the crazy urge to walk right up to the edge of the cliff. For those of us who aren’t afraid of heights, there is something extremely invigorating about walking up to the edge. It’s almost as if we get to…
Funny Jokes for Church Bulletin

On the Lighter Side (November 2016)

First Job Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Officer asks a young engineer fresh out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “And what starting salary are you looking for?” The engineer replies, “In the region of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.” The interviewer inquires, “Well, what would you…

Loving Good Works

  [328 words] “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Jesus was teaching during His sermon on the mount that we as Christians need to be seen by others of the world.…

What is Flowing from Your Heart?

  [229 words] “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). God is the “God of hope” and fills us with joy and peace, but something is required of us. …

The Real Danger

  [223 words] We live in a dangerous world. It is beyond heartbreaking and sad to see and read about what has happened in Paris at the hands of terrorists. At the time of this writing, we are told that there are 129 dead. The Islamic terrorist group, ISIS, is taking credit. Their holy book,…

Do You Have a Moses on Your Hands?

  [435 words] “What do you know about Moses?” the Bible class teacher asked her eager 5th graders. “He was saved from death because his mother put him in a little boat on the river.” “He was found by Pharaoh’s daughter.” “He led the people out of bondage.” “He gave the Ten Commandments.” “He led…

How to Bring up Children

  [286 words] The rearing of children is probably the most difficult task on the face of this earth. All of us desperately want our children to turn out right. I certainly do not claim to have all the answers. As a matter of fact, the older I get the less I know. However, I…

Come into His Presence with Singing

  [202 words] “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his pres-ence with singing. Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving,…

Parents, Please Read: There’s Trouble in the Land

  [328 words] There’s trouble in the land. No wide-awake person will deny that! These upheavals have caused many parents to express apprehension concerning the future of their children. That’s understandable. When our children graduate from high school and leave home, many of them also leave the church. Suddenly they are exposed to an environment…

A Short ‘Christmas’ Quiz

    [521 words] At this time of the year, more will be said about the birth of Jesus than at any other time of the year.  Yet, each year I can’t help but be a bit disturbed by all the biblical ignorance and inaccuracies associated with the birth of our Savior.  When it comes…

Be Angry, And Yet Do Not Sin

  [158 words] It was close to the end of the Broncos/Colts game. Denver’s Von Miller and Colt’s Dwayne Allen were in a discussion when Bronco’s Aquib Talib ran over and jabbed his fingers into Allen’s eye. This action cost the Broncos the game, Peyton Manning was cheated out of the NFL career yardage and…

The Three M’s

  [359 words] In 1 Peter 4:11 the apostle Peter wrote, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion…

‘The Bible Means Exactly What It Says,’ Sort Of

  [243 words] You might hear the above phrase from time to time, and it is a fair phrase. But we must be cautious; sometimes, the Bible doesn’t mean exactly what it says. Sometimes, God says one thing, but means something else. For example, Jesus said, “If thy hand offend thee [causes you to sin,…

The Man Who Hasn’t Showered in Twelve Years

  [395 words] One man is trying to change everything we think about being clean, and he’s doing it by going a really, really long time without showering or bathing. The last time chemical engineer David Whitlock showered was 2003, a meager 12 years ago! His goal is to prove that a person can remain…

Edification Checklist and Other February Graphics Added

Three new graphics were added. One is the “Edification Checklist” created by Steve Higginbotham. The other is “The Ultimate Valentine” from Edd Sterchi. There is also a graphic entitled “Hear Him.” The files can be accessed by Premium Members on their home page under the “Graphics” button.…

‘For Christ’s Sake’

  [264 words] One of the basic attitudes of this generation seems to be “What’s in it for me?” The entire premise of the life of Christ, however, was living for the sake of others. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 8:9, reminds us that for our sakes Christ left the riches of Heaven for the poverty…

Are You Open?

  [273 words] Sometimes I forget that it is a holiday and drive to the bank to deposit a needed check, only to see a sign on the door that reads “Closed.” Frustrating. On one summer night a few years ago, my wife and I were craving some Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream. We made the…

Don’t Let Shortcuts Cut You Short of Salvation

  [307 words] Sometimes when traveling, drivers will take “shortcuts” that actually result in much longer trips. Even when doing school work or being on the job, we sometimes think taking a shortcut will make our load easier, only to find out that, when all is said and done, we end up exerting more energy…

This is Just the Elevator

  [305 words] The story is told of a farmer who called into a radio station during a contest, and being the fifth caller, he was given an all expense trip paid to New York City.  The farmer was absolutely overwhelmed by his trip and the new experiences.  A stretch limo picked him up and…

‘Where Has Brother and Sister So-and-So Been?’

  [276 words] One of the most frequently asked questions to a preacher is, “Where has brother and sister so-and-so been lately?” This question is generally asked by a member who has noticed that another member has been missing services. It’s good that folks recognize when others are missing. It tells me they miss them.…

Momentous Decisions

  [226 words] Not every decision you make will be a major one. It matters not which type of car you buy, as long as it is not a lemon! It does not matter whether you wear a suit and tie or some other modest outfit to worship. But some decisions are life changing. Some…

Being ‘Other’-Oriented is Not Just for Christmas!

  [207 words] A common reference people use when referring to our society today is “the ME generation.” The accusation refers to the perceived attitude of selfishness portrayed by many in modern-day America. Is this harsh judgement fair? I certainly think so! All one must do is to engage in some minor investigation into the…

‘But I Don’t Want to Do It!’

I read about a chef that was fired. He was a good chef. Trained at the best cooking school. Had a flair for bringing out the best taste in food. His work ethic was beyond reproach. So, why was he fired? Because he wouldn’t wash his hands. Customers had noticed in the restaurant’s restroom and…

The Source Matters

How much would you pay for a baseball? Not a baseball made of gold—one made of leather with red stitching just like any other baseball. You can get a whole bag of baseballs from a place like Wal-Mart for about $20. So what is the maximum you would pay for a baseball? What if I…

God’s Minorities

During the time NOAH was building an ark, he was very much in the minority – but he won in the end. When JOSEPH was sold into Egypt by his brothers, he was a decided minority – but he won in the end. When GIDEON and his 300 followers, with their broken pitchers and lamps,…

Stoke the Folk!

Have you ever just sat around a fire? It is incredibly therapeutic. A fire seems to bring out wonderful moments of reflection and conversation. Fires are beneficial in many ways with the heat, light, and mood it produces. God’s word is compared to a fire in Jeremiah 23:39. Like a fire it enlightens and penetrates.…

Watch and Pray

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Mark 14:38). In the midst of His own storm, our Savior prayed in the preparation He had made for Himself.  He had brought three of his followers farther into the garden for the fellowship and…

At Your House

Will priorities be established in your children when… • You are early for their ballgame, but late for worship? • You check on their homework regularly, but never check on their Bible class lessons? • You won’t let them miss school even though they don’t want to go, but let them miss church worship services?…
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