June 2018, Vol. 37, No. 6 Archives

If I Went Shopping For a Dad

[97 words] If I went shopping for a dad,Here is what I’d buy:One who would always stopTo answer a little child’s “Why?” One who would always speak kindlyTo a little girl or boy.One who would give to othersA bit of sunshine and joy. I’d pick a dad that followedThe Bible’s Golden Rule,And one who went…

A Father’s Toolbox

[356 words] Back on the farm, I remember that when something broke down, my father would get out his toolbox and make the repairs. As a child, I was always fascinated by his toolbox and its contents. It seemed my father could fix almost anything with the tools inside. From the very beginning, God has…

Growing in Prayer

[325 words] Most of us would like to be “better” at prayer. We’d like to do it more often and with more power. Just like the disciples of Jesus who came to Him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1), we long for divine guidance in this area. One of the great pertinent…

True Value

[156 words] There are some things you can’t buy on eBay! Some things even Amazon doesn’t stock. One of the proverbs says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches and respect is better than silver or gold.” When is the last time you thought about your honor? There was a time when people…

‘Get a Ph.D. in Knowing Me’

[124 words] It’s hard to believe, but there was a time other than today when higher education abounded yet so many remained ignorant of the simple principles of life – to be brutally honest, many such times have existed throughout history. Such a time even existed during the days of Jeremiah the prophet. Jeremiah preached…

Breaking the Fall

[294 words] He had decided to attempt suicide by jumping from a bridge onto a busy Michigan freeway. The Michigan State Police weren’t going to let that happen if they could help it. In an effort to break the man’s fall, were he to go ahead and jump, troopers directed 13 semis to park close…

Worthless No More

[258 words] I read a story recently about an amazing dog. He’s been trained to sniff out the unique chemical compounds found in electronic items like memory cards, flash drives, and other storage media that might have criminal evidence on them. He’s only 18 months old, but this was the second time he’d been adopted…

What If’s

[155 words] Ever had one of those “what if l’d” moments? We can fantasize on those “what if’s” if we want to, but the time wasted on those fantasies could have been used more wisely so we won’t need to “what if” about that wasted fantasy time later. I would imagine all of us have…

In the World, But Not of It!

[278 words] John 17 records one of the prayers of Jesus. In John 17:15, Jesus says, “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world but to keep them from the evil one.” He goes on to say in John 17:16, “They are not of the world, even as l am not…

Weakest Link

[107 words] There is an old saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. How true it is. And how true also is the saying when it is applied to the Lord’s church. The church is just as strong as its Weakest members. It’s as Well attended as the most unfaithful.…

The Time is Now

[313 words] Most of us “know” better than we “do.” And most of us intend better than we perform. But we feel as if time is on our side. We’ll get to it eventually. We’ll begin tomorrow. Sadly, many of us never “get to it” and tomorrow never comes. Procrastination is still the thief of…

Advice for Worship from Hebrews 10:22

[48 words] “let us draw near” — The obligation of worship. “ with a true heart” — The sincerity of worship. “in full assurance of faith” — The respect of worship. “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience” — The humility of worship. “and our bodies washed with pure water” — The purity of…

We Can Win The Battle

[332 words] As I type, Monday is knocking at the door! Challenges lay ahead, temptation is on both sides of the road, and Satan is waiting for me to step off the path I walk with Jesus. You and I will battle sin every hour and every day this week. The Good News is Jesus…

The ABC’s of the Church

[398 words] It is good from time to time to do some introspection and see where we are in life. Sometimes we do not like what we find and then make efforts to get “back to the basics.” This is something that we should do periodically as a church, as well. A congregation can get…

Daily Plodding

[288 words] William James, psychologist and author, believed in “moral muscles.” He encouraged his patients to do at least one good deed every day, just to stay “morally ﬁt.” He believed that a person becomes strong psychologically by resisting life’s small temptations and by doing deeds that an average person might otherwise find tedious, inconsequential,…

Procrastination

[391 words] We all have a problem with procrastination from time to time. Have you ever put off writing a term paper, paying a bill, purchasing Christmas gifts, mowing your yard, completing a house project, cleaning your house, doing the laundry, or filing your tax return? While procrastination in these and other areas will not…

Fulfilling the Law

[259 words] “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ”You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, ” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love…

Come and See

[278 words] “Look!” I can remember hearing that so many times when our kids were small. Sometimes they had discovered something new. Sometimes they had done something they thought was amazing. Sometimes they just needed to know I was interested and paying attention. They might have been diving into the pool for the first time…

On the Lighter Side (June 2018)

[96 words] Dad JokesQ: How many apples grow on a tree?A: All of them. Q: What do you call a fake noodle?A: An impasta. Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? Great food, not atmosphere. Lack of KnowledgeYears ago, my dad started first grade in a one-room country school. When he returned home…