March 2016, Vol. 35, No. 3 Archives

Sin Is Poison!

Wilbur Chapman tells of a distinguished minister who preached on sin. One of his leading members came to him and said, “Please don’t talk so plainly about sin. It will give our young ones the wrong idea. Call it a ‘mistake’ if you will.” The parson took a bottle of strychnine that was marked “poison”…

Do You Believe and Obey?

“I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel” (Romans 9:2-4). Anyone who has ever known a loved one to slip away from this life…

Are You Ready?

One of the questions that is asked frequently in my house is, “Are You Ready?” It is a question of preparation that always comes before something that is about to happen. This question is asked before we do a number of physical things: before leaving the house, before bedtime, before meals, before school, before sports,…

Twelve Simple Rules for Marital Satisfaction

1. Never both be angry at once. 2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire. 3. Yield to the wishes of the other as an exercise in self-discipline if you can’t think of a better reason. 4. If you have a choice between looking good or making your mate look good,…

No Pain

July 16, this year, I was suddenly afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis. My hands hurt and were swollen grotesquely. It was hard to walk. For a time I was disoriented and afraid my career and usefulness were over. It still hurts to walk, but the pain is tolerable. Thanks to a good Lord, good doctors and…

Looking Like A Christian

A little old Jewish lady is flying out of New York City on her way to Miami Beach. She looks at the businessman sitting next to her and asks him, “Excuse me sir, but are you Jewish?” The man responds politely, “No, ma’am, I’m not Jewish.” After a little while, she again asks him. “You’re…

Are You A Buzzard?

“Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly ove r our nation’s deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what was.…

Responsibility

In one of the many Biblical dictionaries it states, “God has entrusted humankind both individually and collectively with responsibility.” Jesus told several parables with responsibility or accountability at the center. One example is the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27). Two of the servants were responsible with the money—invested it and returned it…

Be Patient

[283 words] This writer’s taste buds can almost nearly always generally distinguish instant potatoes from real mashed potatoes. The imposter can be tolerated, but the real is preferred. However, time constraints may make the real a less-real possibility for some meals. There is peeling, cutting, rinsing, boiling, mashing, adding milk, butter, salt and pepper, then…

How Valuable ls One Soul?

How valuable is one soul? The Master said, “For what proﬁt is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). One soul is worth more than “the whole world.” Every soul is valuable because it…

The Role of Knowledge

The Christian religion is a religion of learning. One’s participation in the blessings of God as manifested and made available through Christ and his gospel is proportionate to his knowledge of the things that God wants him to know. When the law of Moses was in effect, God’s people were often in distress because of…

Map, Compass, and Blueprint

A traveler was packing his suitcase in preparation for a long journey. He said to his friend, “In this small corner of my suitcase, I am going to put a lamp, a mirror, a telescope, a sharp sword and a small library.” His friend inquired, “How are you going to manage that?” “Easily enough,” came…

Instruments of Praise in the Church

One of the first questions about the church of Christ is, “Why don’t you have instruments?” Even though our worship does not involve instruments that can be seen, we do have instruments of praise. It all revolves around faith! Faith is a strong conviction of religious truth based on what God has revealed (Heb. 11:1-6).…

He is Our Only Hope

When I was about 8 years old, I was asked by a neighborhood friend to attend an afternoon of swimming. I could not swim but I thought, “Just getting to tag along would be fun.” Within a few minutes of arriving at our destination, I was easily talked into getting in the water while holding…

On The Lighter Side (March 2016)

Confusing Password I was in a couple’s home trying to fix their Internet connection. The husband called out to his wife in the other room for the computer password. “Start with a capital S, then 123,” she shouted back. We tried S123 several times, but it didn’t work. So we called the wife in. As…

A Kindness Tracker

[474 words] You have probably seen one. It looks like a watch, yet sleeker. I believe it does keep time, though. It can come in a variety of colors. It keeps track of the steps you take and monitors your pulse and sleep patterns. It is very popular and was one of the most purchased…

Cityslickers and Rednecks In the Same Pew

The church is made up of people who are different. In the New Testament people from all kinds of backgrounds were converted and became members of the same congregation. Paul said what mattered is that they were Christians. In Christ he said there is “neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor…

Abuse

Abuse in any form is deplorable and terrible. We need advocates who will stand up for the abused. However, in some cases, we seem to have lost touch with what abuse really is. Recently, in Italy, a 40-year-old woman was brought up on charges and sent to trial after her husband claimed she neglected him…

Our Most Excellent Call

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence…” (2 Peter 1:3). When a person becomes a Christian he receives a calling that is higher than anything else in this world. Our calling is the…

Gossips: Worse Than Thieves!

[312 words] Our words can be extremely powerful, either for good (Eph. 4:29) or ill (James 3:6). One form of evil use of the tongue is gossip. The following illustration by an unknown author drives this point home: Once upon a time, an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief, As a…

The Cure for Loneliness

David found the cure for his loneliness in Psalms 25 beginning with verse 15. Here is David’s prayer: “My eyes are ever on the LORD … Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my…

Character

John said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 1:4). Holy conduct will bring genuine joy. John rejoiced that many of his converts were walking a holy life and his rejoicing gives us two good lessons. First, the source of joy. Every parent who has sent…

Now, That’s Science!

Our local paper carried accounts of two science workshops in local schools, and in reading the accounts, we could see that science was truly at work. In one case, the earth’s revolving around the sun was demonstrated by drawings and showing them in rapid sequence. That illustrated a point of science! In the other case,…

Encouraging Words!

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up…

Trust the Lord

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding” (Prov. 3:5). Applying this verse is sometimes extremely difficult. The pressures and anxieties of life can lead us to trust in worldly wisdom rather than in our all-knowing God. However, real peace and strength are only found when we place…

JESUS CHRIST

Just (Revelation 15:3) Elect (1 Peter 2:6) Sinless (1 Peter 2:22) Understanding (Hebrews 4:15) Shepherd (John 10:14) Compassionate (Matthew 9:36) Helping (Hebrews 13:6) Righteous (1 John 3:7) Immortal (Hebrews 13:8) Savior (2 Pet. 1:11) Teacher (Matthew 11:29) Edd Sterchi Broadway church of Christ Campbellsville, KY… This content is for Annual and Lifetime Members only! Please…

We Do What We Decide to Do

We can’t control circumstances. We can’t control the weather, traffic, prices etc. We also can’t control other people’s actions, words, and thoughts. It appears that we have no control over anything. If you have good actions, words, and thoughts, who makes you do these things? It is not true that we have no control. You…

Am I Glad To Be In God’s House?

Recently in our worship on Sunday evening, I listened to a prayer of a senior saint asking God to help us come to a time when our attendance was equal at all services. It’s been a while since I heard such a prayer and desire expressed before the Father. Why is there such a disparity?…

Good News and Bad News

There is a lot of bad news out there, as mirrored on TV and the Internet. The stock market is in trouble, thousands of Americans jobs are on the line, and threats of terrorism are shadows in the background. And then there are our own personal pain and problems to contend with. Financial, physical, medical…