September 2026

When Christians Help Christians

[300 words] One of the great blessings of being part of the Lord’s church is knowing that we do not have to face life alone. God has placed Christians together so that we can strengthen, encourage, comfort, and help one another. Paul wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians…

Your Words Matter

[496 words] They had been married for almost 38 years. He was a strong, active man in his younger days, but age had taken a toll on his mortal frame. As he lay on his dying bed, his children and wife kneeled at his bedside. His name was Alexander Campbell. He is best known for…

Is Your Heart Big Enough?

[488 words] So much of what it means to live for Jesus is summed up in the word love. Among other things, love is an essential ingredient in the recipe for unity among believers. The body of Christ builds itself up “in love” (Ephesians 4:16). Love is “the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14). The love…

Love Your Enemies

[364 words] When we hear the word “enemy,” we tend to think of somebody extreme, like a terrorist, a criminal, or someone actively trying to destroy us. But most of us have enemies in a much more ordinary sense. An enemy might be someone who embarrassed you, lied about you, betrayed your trust, or hurt…

Rich without Money

[198 words] Some of world’s wealthiest people had little money (Mark 12:41–44; 2 Corinthians 8:1–5, 9; Philippians 2:5–11). If you have a good name, then you are rich without money (Proverbs 22:1). If you have good health, then you are rich without money (Acts 3:1–10; 3 John 1:2). If you have friends, then you are…

Using Her Own Judgment Now

[46 words] A little boy is walking down the street crying bitterly when a man walks up to him and says: “What’s the trouble, son? Is something wrong?” Amidst the sobs, the little boy replies: “My mother lost her psychology book, so she’s using her own judgment now!”…

A Man Who Boozes

[83 words] It was late in November,The date I don’t remember,When I was leading home a manly jag with pride. When my feet began to stutterAnd I fell down in the gutterAnd a pig came up and layed down by my side. Now its always fair weatherWhen good fellows get togetherAnd a lady passing by…

Maintain Your Faith

[418 words] The date was November 12, 2005. The event was a football game between the Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers. The teams were playing their game in Chicago. It is important to note that Chicago is called “the windy city” for a reason.  The teams had played almost one full quarter. The…

Follow Your Heart?

[454 words] God gave us emotions. We are not robots or computers. AI may do a lot, but it cannot feel or will. Can you imagine life without feelings? Choices might be easier—maybe too easy. Life would be predictable yet dull. But we have strong feelings that make life what it is. At times they…

Sinners are Welcome

[409 words] What if the marquee on the church sign read, “Sinners are Welcome.” What type of response would that bring? There is no doubt that there would be some who would criticize such an invitation. The church that offered such a summons would undoubtedly come under scrutiny by those who think our church houses…

Living at the Foot of the Cross

[499 words] A friend of mine used this phrase as I departed his place of business. The first time I heard it, I reflected on my life in relation to the cross. To think about the cross or mentioning our living at its foot is not saying anything about the cross itself. The two wooden…

A Perfect Man

[322 words] If you are looking for a perfect or sinless man today, your search will be in vain. Jesus is the only perfect man that ever lived. “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor…

Bad Language is Worthless

[73 words] Swearing is neither smart, sensible nor worthwhile. A traveling salesman was once asked, “Are you paid anything for swearing?” “No,” he replied. “Well,” came the answer, “you certainly work cheap. You lay aside your character as a gentleman, inflict pain on your friends, break a commandment, and lose your own soul—for nothing!” The…

Thank God for Dirty Dishes

[41 words] Thank God for dirty dishesThey have a tale to tell,While others may go hungryWe’re eating very well. With Home, Health, and HappinessI shouldn’t want to fuss,By the stack of evidence,God’s been very good to us. Mary Arlis Stuber…
vintage typewriter

My Mentor’s Typewriter

[397 words] On my desk sits one of the most important pieces of technology in my education: a 1963 Remington Standard typewriter. It is the same one my mentor had through his 60 years of ministry, and its keys produced every sermon he preached. Each sermon was carefully typed onto four-by-six notecards, front and back,…

That Settles It!

[187 words] I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying or read the bumper sticker that declares, “God Said It, I Believe It, and That Settles It!” In actuality, this concept was recorded in Scripture 1,000 years before Jesus was born – except it is given in a different (and more correct) order. In Ecclesiastes 3:14…

Your Daily Influence

[377 words] Every Christian has influence. The question is not whether we influence others, but what kind of influence we are having. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Our influence for Christ is often found in the…

True Eternal Value

[294 words] “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 16:8). When Kerry and I got married, I recognized an incredible responsibility of someone beside myself that I was now responsible to…

The Two-Minute Warning

[164 words] It is hard to believe, but football season is here, and few moments in a game are more exciting than the final two minutes of a close game. The two-minute warning signals that time is short. The pace quickens, offensive and defensive plays shift, and teams often win or lose in these final…

The Measure of a Home

[40 words] You can no more measure a home by inches, or weigh it by ounces, than you can set up the boundaries of a summer breeze, or calculate the fragrance of a rose. Home is the love which is in it. Hal Cochrane…

Every Home an Altar

[44 words] If every home were an altarWhere hearts weighted down with care,Could find sustaining strength and graceIn sweet uplift of prayer; Then solved would be earth’s problems,Banished sin’s curse and blight,For God’s own love would radiateFrom every altar light. Author Unknown…

Bible Quiz: Acts 1:21-26

[90 words] The man chosen to replace Judas needed to have accompanied the apostles during the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among them, beginning from the baptism of __________. The new apostle was to become a __________ with the others of Jesus’ resurrection. The two men proposed were Joseph called Barsabas,…

Bible Quiz: Acts 1:15-20

[67 words] The number of names together was about __________. Peter said the Scripture had to be fulfilled concerning __________, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. Judas “was numbered with us and obtained a part in this __________.” “Let his dwelling place be __________, and let no one live in it.” True…

Bible Quiz: Acts 1:9-14

[62 words] As the apostles watched, Jesus was taken up, and a __________ received Him out of their sight. Two men stood by the apostles in __________ apparel. The angels said Jesus would come in __________ manner as the apostles saw Him go into heaven. The apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called __________.…

Bible Quiz: Acts 1:1-8

[82 words] “The former account I made, O __________, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.” Jesus presented Himself alive after His suffering “by many __________ proofs. Jesus commanded the apostles not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the __________ of the Father. “But you shall receive __________ when the…

Quotes and Sayings (September 2026)

Editor’s Note: Inclusion of quotes does not constitute an endorsement of everything the quote author teaches or believes.  “There is a harmony in autumn, and a lustre in its sky.”— Percy Bysshe Shelley “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” — Albert Camus “Life starts all over again when it gets…

On the Lighter Side (September 2026)

When I was a kid toilet paper was so cheap we could just throw it in trees. — Things that used to hurt my back:Jumping off garagesCrashing my bikeFalling out of treesDiving into the shallow endContact sports Things that hurt my back now:SneezingMopping the floorWashing dishesBrushing my teethTying my shoesGetting out of bed…