September 2021, Vol. 40, No. 9

Concealed Carrier

[488 words] To get your concealed carry permit for a firearm in Kentucky, you can expect to undergo a background check, complete gun safety training, and pay a fee. There is a minimum age requirement, and there are other conditions to meet while holding a permit (which can be revoked or suspended). Did you know…

Unemployed Christians?

[360 words] We continue to see unprecedented job opportunities in our nation and locally. It almost seems employers are literally begging people to work. We can find work if we are seeking. This is especially true in the work of the church. Someone once told me, “there should never be any unemployed Christians.” Much…

Criticism and the Beehive

[249 words] It is said that someone reported to Abraham Lincoln that Edwin Stanton, one of the President’s cabinet members, had referred to him as a fool. Mr. Lincoln replied, “Well, I must check into that, for I have found that he is usually correct in his judgments.” This indicated President Lincoln’s great capacity to…

‘I Am’ Able to Help You

[316 words] Each of the “I am” statements of Jesus in the book of John displays an important aspect of how He can meet our true needs. When Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), He stated that He can sustain our souls forevermore. He is that which nourishes and satisfies. When…

Forgetfulness

[277 words] Ever forget something? Sure you have. If it is any consolation, you are not alone. All of us can forget and often do. Some years ago, a researcher from Johns Hopkins University compiled a list of what we forget most often. At the top of the list was names (83 percent), followed by…

Delight

[127 words] To “delight” in something is to experience great pleasure. It is to be pleased by someone or something. Scripture tells us that God delights in His Son (cf. Isa. 42:1; Matt. 3:17). In like fashion, we should too! Knowing and following the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, should delight those of us…

Are We That Helpless?

[548 words] I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Of course, we say that about a lot of what we hear these days. This time I was in a waiting room where health tips were given on a screen—how to lower blood sugar, getting better sleep and dealing with other common problems. Then a lady…

What Works Best for You?

[192 words] Let me share an interesting way to get out of conflict. You could look the other person in the eye and ask, “What works best for you?” Okay, I get this isn’t the most popular option – and that you might rather walk on hot coals than concede anything to someone who is…

What Would You Take For It?

[363 words] When my dad bought me something or gave me something he knew I really wanted, after a period of time, he would grin and say, “What would you take for it?” Knowing I wouldn’t part with whatever gift he had bestowed upon me, he liked to test me and reassure himself he had…

Please Pass the Bread

[85 words] According to the Bible: • Consuming bread is for nourishment (2 Cor. 9:10) • Receiving bread with the right attitude brings satisfaction (Pro. 20:13) • Enjoying bread lifts one’s spirit (Psa. 104:15) • Dealing with bread is a daily endeavor (Matt. 6:11) • Breaking bread indicates fellowship (Acts 2:42, 46) • Sharing bread…

Abraham’s Early Mornings

[363 words] I am not really a morning person. I loathe early alarms. Most days, it takes me a while to really get going. If, however, the day promises something out of the ordinary and pleasant, like the beginning of a vacation, I’ve been known to wake up before the alarm clock goes off. But…

Five Wise Sayings for Life

[381 words] I love sitting and listening to older, wiser folks than myself. I love history and learning it from people who loved it. There is something about sitting on a porch swing with someone old in days who has seen so much change and endured so much through their walk in life. The proverbial…

Spurt and Sputter Religion

[219 words] Did you ever have a car that would run well for a short spurt and then the motor would sputter? It appears that some folks have a spurt and sputter religion. Something will stimulate their interest and they will have a spurt of enthusiasm. For a while they will be seen at all…

Without

[121 words] Without Jesus as the FOUNDATION, the structure of righteousness is built on sand. Without the TEACHINGS of the NEW TESTAMENT, the body of Christ has no guide to direct in a dark world. Without BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP properly in place, the body of Christ is no longer, each member going his own way, doing…

The God of the Impossible

[291 words] Amy Brockman worked as a ski instructor for the more prestigious ski areas in the world. This allowed her to train for the U.S. Olympic Ski Team while earning a living. One day a beginning skier accidentally skied into Amy, knocking her into the path of the lift chair. The operator didn’t see…

I Am the Only One!

[346 words] Have you ever felt like you were alone? Maybe at work you felt like you were the only one who does any real work. We can feel isolated like we are the only one going through struggles. The devil uses these feelings to break us down and attack us. We start to feel…

Shelter in the Storm

[391 words] A young man named Gus was taking a walk through the English countryside one day in 1753 when a sudden storm swept across the landscape. Running for cover, he spotted a wide rock formation with an opening where he sought shelter until the storm passed. He had been fortunate to find this hiding…

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

[398 words] Robert Lowry composed both the words and music of the beautiful hymn, “Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus.” In the hymn we are asked, “What can wash away my sins?” and “What can make me whole again?” Each time we respond, “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” In Lowry’s hymn we sing of…

Worship God

[335 words] Fact One: We are worshiping God! Fact Two: God sees our worship! Fact Three: Being conscious of these facts should greatly impact our worship! Fact One: We are worshiping God! When we sing, we sing “to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). When the lesson is taught, we are studying to present ourselves “approved to…

Inconvenient

[368 words] Power was off at the house and church building (and other places) Sunday night until about eleven o’clock Monday morning. Inconvenient! I came into work Tuesday morning ready for a day of working on sermon and class notes and found that the power had knocked out the church internet and phone lines. Inconvenient!…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 3:1-3

[76 words] “Behold what __ of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called __ of God!”Does the world know Christians?Is it possible to know that we are children of God?“…and it has not yet been __ what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 3:4-9

[81 words] What word does John use to define sin?“And you know that He was __ to take away our __, and in Him there is no sin.”“Little children, let no one __ you. He who __ righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”True or False: A person who makes a habit of practicing…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 3:10-15

[75 words] True or False: If you do not love your brother, you are of God.The message that John says they heard from the beginning was to __ one another.“Do not __, my brethren, if the world __ you.”“We know that we have __ from death to life, because we love the __. He who…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 3:16-20

[83 words] True or False: John says we know love because Jesus laid down His life for us.“But whoever has this world’s __, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his __ from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”“My little children, let us not love in __ or in…

Quotes and Sayings (September 2021)

“Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did.” — C.S. Lewis “To love someone means to see him as God intended him.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky “I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” — Henry David Thoreau…

On the Lighter Side (September 2021)

Mental Age Test This test was developed as a mental age assessment by the School of Psychiatry at Harvard University. Take your time and see if you can read each line aloud without making a mistake. The average person over 50 years of age cannot do it. 1. This is this cat.2. This is is cat.3. This is how…