Elementary School Rules

[181 words] We gave our son three key rules to help him get through primary school without causing too many incidences. They worked, and he came close to admitting they continue to help make him successful now. In light of all the misconduct and abuse being recently revealed about some powerful people, I thought I…

Rejoicing Angels

[372 words] Ever wonder what causes the angels in heaven to shout for joy? There are several instances of angels proclaiming joy, and they all seem to have a common thread. The first instance of the heavenly host expressing joy is during the creation of the heavens and the earth. Recounting the incident, God tells…

What Christ Is To Me

[87 words] The Shield from every dart; The Balm for every smart; The Sharer of each load; Companion on the road. The Door into the fold; The Anchor that will hold; The Shepherd of the sheep; The Guardian of my sleep. The Friend with Whom I talk; The Way by which I walk; The Light…

The Gospel is for All!

[344 words] One thing that impresses me every time I read the book of Acts is the fact that the gospel is for all. Before leaving for heaven, Jesus told His apostles “and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Fulfilling…

You Can Be a Teachers’ Aid

  [375 words] Several of our classes have assistants to the Bible class teacher. She (or perhaps in select cases “he”) serves in a support role, helping students do handwork, find Bible verses, or occasionally keep order. These are vital roles, and often a teacher’s aid later actually becomes a teacher. Teachers’ aids are part…

Satan Met a Brick Wall

[402 words] “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Temptations to forsake good works have ever plagued mankind. Satan has always known that the quickest and surest way to bring a good work to a halt is simply by discouraging…

Depending Upon God’s Grace

[281 words] “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). After these forty-two years of ministry, I have learned two important things. First, God’s servants are totally dependent upon the grace…

Putting God First, Not Second

[307 words] God and Christ must be first in our lives, and not second. Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Our number one priority in this short life must be to go to Heaven or otherwise we most…

Relationships Are Like Old Barns

[306 words] Not too long ago I read the story of a farmer who was just devastated over the fact that his barn’s roof fell in. Someone asked the farmer, “what happened?” The farmer told the one asking the question that the roof had been leaking so long that the timbers just rotted through. Of…

Why Hidest Thou?

[156 words] Why do We sometimes feel that God is far away? There are times we need to feel He is nearby. Psalm 10:1 says “Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” David dared to ask the question. It is okay to ask questions of God. All the great people of the Bible had…

Learning To Do God’s Will

[211 words] In school we would learn about different Bible scholars’ theories concerning different topics or verses and it really was a shock to know how many bible scholars there are who do not believe in God, or do not believe in the claims Christ made. First of all, how do you know this book…
Funny Jokes for Church Bulletin

On The Lighter Side (December 2017)

[199 words] Cookie Knowledge As we were putting out cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve, I accidentally dropped one. “No problem,” I said, picking it up and dusting it off before placing it back on the plate. “You can’t do that,” argued my four-year-old. “Don’t worry. Santa will never know.” He shot me a look.…

Think-fulness Leads to Thankfulness

[195 words] Did you know that our English words “think” and “thank” come from the same root? I believe that brings forth an important concept. Our thankfulness is based upon our “think”fullness. In other words, we can always give thanks if we just give it some thought. That’s what David seems to be doing in…

Some Unusual Things for Which to Be Thankful

[325 words] Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire…it means you have something to look forward to. Be thankful when you don’t know…it gives you opportunity to learn. Be thankful for difficult times…it is during those times you grow. Be thankful for limitations…they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for a…

Expecting Unexpected Turbulence

[276 words] On a recent overseas flight, first the flight attendant and then the captain announced over the intercom that the seatbelt signs had been turned on because they were “expecting unexpected turbulence.” There’s nothing like a good oxymoron to entertain exhausted airplane passengers. However, the long flight gave me ample time to contemplate the…

You Can’t Fool God

[88 words] You can fool the hapless public, You can be a subtle fraud, You can hide your little meanness, But you can’t fool God! You can advertise your virtues, You can self achievement laud, You can load yourself with riches, But you can’t fool God! You can criticize the Bible You can be a…

I Can’t Go To Church Today

[257 words] “I cannot go to church today,” Said little Peggy Ann Mckay. “I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash and purple bumps. My mouth is wet, my throat is dry, I’m going blind in my right eye. My tonsils are as big as rocks, I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox And…

Who Is God?

  [116 words] He is the Creator of all that exists (Gen. 1:1). He is a Spirit (John 4:23-24). He is all-powerful (Psalms 89:8), all-knowing (Rom. 8:27), present everywhere (Psalms 139:7-10), and does not change (Malachi 3:6; James 1:7). He is great (Duet. 5:24) and He is good (Psalm 33:5). He is loving (John 3:16),…

The Colors of Love

[142 words] Purple was the robe, the beaten Jesus wore (Matt. 27:28) Brown, the thorny crown which in much pain He bore (Matt. 27:19) White, the sinlessness from which He didn’t shrink (Heb. 4:15) Yellow, the bitter gall that He’d refuse to drink (Matt. 27:34) Green, the lovely plants nearby Calvary’s hill (John 19:41) Red,…

Ten Things to Avoid

[52 words] 1. Remorse over yesterday’s failure. 2. Anxiety over today’s problems. 3. Worry over tomorrow’s uncertainty. 4. Procrastination with one’s duty. 5. Resentment of someone’s success. 6. Criticism of a neighbor’s imperfections. 7. Hatred of another’s differences. 8. Impatience with youth’s inexperience. 9. Skepticism of the church’s future. 10. Unbelief in God’s providence…. This…

Thanks

[390 words] We have so much for which to be thankful! Every single day our Might God blesses us with numerous good things. As those who have been blessed, we have a responsibility to Our Lord to show Him gratitude. In fact, Jesus actually expects us to say “thanks” when He blesses (Luke 17:17). With…

Be All You Can Be

[297 words] As Christians are we being ALL WE CAN BE? We all have talent that allows us to make contributions to the expansion of God’s Kingdom. When we don’t utilize our talents we have a tendency to utilize excuses. Moses struggled with this as well. We know Moses as a Leader but he also…

Don’t ‘Just Say No!’

[331 words] During the 1980’s when the War On Drugs began, one of the phrases developed to deter teens and young adults to stay away from drugs was called, “Just Say No!” Of course the idea was if you were approached to partake in drug use, everyone was encouraged to “Just Say No!” If you…

Lest We Think God Doesn’t Care About How We Worship

[531 words] Worship is vital to the church. Reading the New Testament, we find the church coming together for worship each Lord’s day (Acts 20:7) and Christians being encouraged not to fall into a habit of being absent (Hebrews 10:25). We find that worship was regulated and that God, through the inspired writers, gave five…

Singing Brings Us into God’s Presence

[232 words] Psalms 100 was intended to be a song of praise in the Old Testament worship. There is evidence that this psalm (among others) was part of New Testament worship, as well.* The psalm, in its entirety, is quoted here. “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Serve the Lord with…

Jesus Never Had an Obituary

[583 words] Many of us often make it a habit of reading the obituaries to see which one of our classmates, co-workers, friends, and family have gone on to meet their reward.   Obituaries tell us about where a person was born, lived, one’s immediate family history, one’s occupation, hobbies, and many other things, as well…

A Solid Foundation

[237 words] Earthquakes capture the interest of the world. The tragedy is indescribable. Homes, office buildings, and highways were built and people were assured they were safe. Yet the buildings and roadways have proven to be extremely unsafe. Great damage was done and lives were lost as a result. Almost 2,000 years ago Jesus said…
Funny Jokes for Church Bulletin

On The Lighter Side (November 2017)

[205 words] Heavy Holidays The checkout clerk at the supermarket was unusually cheerful even though it was near closing time. “You must have picked up a ton of groceries today,” a customer said to the checker. “How can you stay so pleasant?” “We can all count our blessings,” the clerk replied. “The hardest part of…

Christianity Vs. Patriotism

[421 words] Racism. Patriotism. Football. Protests. Christianity. Maybe by now, you’re all tired of the rhetoric. Some of it has been unkind, some unreasonable, and some just coarse (as heard from our President). But I hope that you will find the brief thoughts below to be none of those things, and actually helpful. Please consider:…

Truth Makes No Retreat

[48 words] When right is wrong and wrong is right, With truth turned upside down; When night is day and day is night, And candor can’t be found; Has come the time to turn and run? Should saints admit defeat? Remember, friend, we’ve just begun, And truth makes no retreat! Dalton Key Broken Arrow, OK……

The Need for Mercy

[153 words] A mother of one of Napoleon’s men was pleading for the life of her son who had deserted his post. It was a heartfelt plea. “Please spare my son,” she begged. Napoleon replied, “If justice is to be met, he must hang!” “But sir,” she pleaded, “I’m not asking for justice, I’m begging…

GPS Signal Lost!

[316 words] This is all I heard when I had Laura’s broken cell phone thinking I had just cured what was ailing it. Thankfully, though, I was made aware of the recurring problem. How do we know when we’ve lost our ‘signal’ with God? When our relationship is not in-sync with His will? First things…

Have You Heard The Good News?

[239 words] The “Good News” is the saving Gospel message of Jesus Christ. We must understand and share the story of our Lord and Savior. Acts 2 teaches us the confidence we have in the One who saves us. Acts 2:22 – He was a man. Acts 2:22 – God showed us who He was…

Whosoever Will

[135 words] In Matthew 8:2, a leper knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” Jesus responded by saying, “I will; be clean” (Matt. 8:3). Indeed, Jesus was willing to do a great deal. He was willing to leave the glory of Heaven (Phil. 2:6-8). He was willing to…

Because God is Light

[232 words] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” 1 John 1:7. Because God is light, we cannot have fellowship with Him if there is any darkness in us at all.…

Being Secure in an Unsafe World – A Study of Psalms 46

[408 words] How can we be secure living in an unsafe world? The Psalmists tells us through their own experiences: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalms 46). That’s where we can find true security and peace. In Psalms 46, we are reminded of three things: Our Security is in…

The Anatomy of Proverbs

[218 words] Recently, as I was reading in the book of Proverbs, I noticed several references to parts of the body. Here are just a few: Hair. Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life (Proverbs 16:31). Head. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth…

How Long Do You Want This Church To Be Here?

[219 words] When we build our church buildings how long do we want them to last?  Would we be OK with a contractor that only made a structure good for fifteen years? Would we be satisfied if need to do it all over again in thirty years? If the place is crumbling a few years…

There’s No Comparison!

[123 words] Man-made Religion Says: “One way is as good as another.” The New Testament Says: “There is only one way.” (John 14:6) Man-made Religion Says: “One faith is as good as another.” The New Testament Says: “There is only one faith.” (Eph. 4:5) Man-made Religion Says: “One church is as good as another.” The…

Peace from Pain

[55 words] When days are rough, and times seem tough, And we’re ‘neath much stress and strain; Just trust the Lord, and heed His Word And He will bring peace from the pain. Peace from pain we will gain, He has promised, and He will bring; He will employ eternal joy And peace from pain…
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