August 2020, Vol. 39, No. 8

All church bulletin resources from the August 2020 edition of Bulletin Digest.

Henry Ford and Idle Words

[271 words] Ever say something you wish you hadn’t? Henry Ford did. In a 1916 interview with the Chicago Tribune, the American motor vehicle pioneer said, “What do we care about what they did 500 or 1,000 years ago? I don’t know whether Napoleon did or did not try to get across and I don’t…

The Danger of Desensitization

[117 words] It’s a real danger for Christians to become so desensitized by the entertainment we consume or the causes we support that we revert back to talking as if we never were born again. Maybe some rationalize their crude language, saying, “I only say these words when I’m really upset;” “But the cause is…

Age and Emotion

[225 words] Growing older brings emotions closer to the surface, for some of us anyway. Using a sentimental illustration in a sermon or singing a song that touches our hearts becomes difficult. While I do not fear death, I dread the prolonged pain or loss of mental faculties that often precede death. A frequent prayer…

The Haste of the Hermandads

[438 words] In the 1100s, in an effort to protect travelers going from northern Spain over the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (Dogs of God, Reston, 50), a military force known as the hermandads (“the brotherhood”) was organized. Soon, these vigilantes spread across Spain and offered themselves as protectors of roads and merchants.…

Being a Good Neighbor in Difficult Times

[371 words] In recent days I have seen some concerning trends. With the increase in mask wearing and the need for social distancing, people are becoming more isolated than ever before in our society. People are not talking to each other in public places like they once did. We have real challenges when it comes…

Cutting Each Other Off

[419 words] Talk about going to extremes! A man in Maine took a Sawzall and cut his neighbor’s garage in half. Since part of the structure was on his property, Gabriel Brawn had a legal right to do it. The overlapping garage hadn’t been a problem for years, as his relationship with the previous neighbor…

How To Destroy A Country

[362 words] “One university after another is bowing before the violent demands of a small minority of radicals who intend to overthrow the existing government…The radicals fully intend to overthrow the national government and replace it according to their own fuzzy, undefined lines which they cannot explain. They have decided to seek as many confrontations…

Moving Past It

[229 words] Do you have one experience in life that you can’t shake from your memory? Try as you might to put it behind you, it won’t go! Perhaps you have more than one. In the long ago, there was a man name Esau who thought so little of his “birthright” that for an occasion…

Into His Marvelous Light

[444 words] “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). I was reading this passage the other day, and a word struck me that I had…

Singular or Plural?

[96 words] We often sing about “the golden streets” in heaven, but the Bible only mentions one street, “The street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass” (Rev. 21:21). The last book of the Bible is not “Revelations.” There is one “Revelation,” “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:1). The Bible says, “But…

It’s Not All Summer

[145 words] At the time of the hottest, most humid part of the summer months, the ancient Greeks and Romans saw the appearance of the “Dog Star” Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Thus, they called them the “Dog Days of Summer” and knew that summer’s time was limited and…

What to Do with Evil

[52 words] • Hate evil (Rom. 12:9) • Pray that evil not overtake you (Matt. 6:13) • Keep your heart from evil (Heb. 3:12) • Resist evil (1 Thess. 5:22) • Do not walk in the way of evil (Pro . 4:14) • Depart from evil (Psa. 34:14) • Overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21)…

Getting to Know Jesus Through Preparation

[280 words] A few months ago, I began working with a cousin of mine in the area of genealogy. I have always enjoyed studying history, but I have never spent a lot of time documenting my family’s history. My cousin’s grandfather was a brother to my grandfather. As we began our journey last spring, we…

God, Time, and Promises

[136 words] God dwells in eternity and time means nothing to Him (2 Peter 3:8). However, His word and His promises mean everything to Him. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to…

Read It, Believe It!

[286 words] How often do you read the Bible? A survey by the American Bible Association found that 57 percent of the people read their Bible four times or less per year. Another survey found that only 19 percent of the people read the Bible on a daily basis. The ABA survey also showed that…

Condescend to Men of Low Estate

[322 words] In chapter seven of his book Balance: A Tried and Tested Formula for Church Growth, Ira North points us to the importance of helping the poor, the downtrodden, and the “lowly.” Brother North quotes Romans 12:16 (KJV) which says, “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things but condescend…

Building a Better World

[553 words] Building a better world begins with me. I must be willing to give my time, talents, money and energies to make the world in which I live a better place. I truly believe that the only real way to make this world better is for me to be a faithful and dedicated child…

Stewards of God

[209 words] According to Webster’s dictionary a steward is “one who manages another’s property, finances, or other affairs.” Many parables of Jesus relate to stewardship (Luke 12:42-46; 16:1-13; 19:12-27; etc.). The idea of stewardship carries with it the idea of accountability. If I am your steward you will expect me to handle your affairs, your…

Everybody Needs a Barnabas

[330 words] Saul, later known as Paul, and John Mark were well-known in the early church. But they might not have achieved their positions of leadership if it had not been for the unique ministry of a lesser known personality, Barnabas. Almost every time Barnabas is mentioned in the Bible he is encouraging someone. This…

Joy to the World Because the Lord Has Come

[220 words] What was it the angel said when he announced the birth of our Lord? “I bring you good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10). So why is it that so many Christians—including some preachers—live and worship as if they were baptized in jalapeno juice? Have we forgotten the words of the Apostle Paul?…

Does God Hear Prayers?

[253 words] Most of us have prayed and asked God for help with some burden or problem, but it seemed there was no answer. Have you ever wondered if God really hears your prayers? Does an unanswered prayer mean that God doesn’t listen to us? God’s word assures us that He does hear the prayers…

Bible Quiz: James 2:10-13

[49 words] “For whoever shall keep the __ law, and yet stumble in one point, he is __ of all.”“For He who said, ‘Do not commit __,’ also said, ‘Do not __.”By what law will we be judged?Will you be shown mercy if you do not show mercy yourself?“__ triumphs over judgment.” Solution: whole, guilty;…

Bible Quiz: James 2:14-19

[54 words] Is there any profit in saying you have faith if you don’t show it by works?Is failing to provide a fellow Christian with things they need an indicator of faith?“Thus also __ by itself, if it does not have __, is __.”Is it possible to show your faith without works?“Even the __ believe—and…

Bible Quiz: James 2:20-26

[61 words] Faith without works is __.“Was not __ our father justified by works when he offered __ his son on the altar?”“Do you see that faith was working __ with his works, and by works faith was made __?”James says a man is justified by __ and not by faith only.“For as the __…

Bible Quiz: James 3:1-5

[50 words] “My brethren, let not many of you become __, knowing that we shall receive a stricter __.”True or False: James says we all speak perfectly.“Indeed, we put __ in horses’ mouths that they may __ us…”James says entire ships are turned by small __.”See how great a forest a little __ kindles!” Solution:…

Quotes and Sayings (August 2020)

[184 words] “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.” ― John Muir “Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that.” ― Benjamin Franklin “It’s not the…

On the Lighter Side (August 2020)

[116 words] Back to SchoolMy teachers told me I’d never amount to much because I procrastinate so much.I told them, “Just you wait!” What is the difference between a school teacher and a train?The teacher says spit your gum out and the train says “chew chew chew.” Math Teacher: “If I have 5 bottles in…