UNUSED 0 [134 words] A soldier who was a Christian made it his practice to conclude every day with Bible reading and prayer. As his fellow soldiers gathered in the barrack and retired for the night, he would kneel by his bunk and offer prayers to the Lord. The other soldiers saw this and began...
UNUSED 0 [161 words] Those unfortunate souls who meander through life caring about nothing are at least consistently predictable: they do nothing, accomplish nothing, receive nothing, and – saddest of all – amount to nothing. They are the dead weight dragging down any church, business, or society. And worse still, their complacency is contagious. Even...
UNUSED 0 [192 words] Dr. Paul Faulkner once said, “Sometimes you have to grab your ‘wanter’ by your ‘willer’ and just get busy.” In other words you must simply get up and do what needs to be done. Everything in life isn’t fun, or easy, or pleasant. Who really likes to clean a commode? Confront...
UNUSED 0 [181 words] Our Father, let me be a pillar of strength to them, not a thorn to sap their strength, nor a burden on their back to pull them down. Let me support them without striving to possess them; lift up their hands without placing shackles on them. Let me give them my...
UNUSED 0 [175 words] Peter wrote, “Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way...
UNUSED 0 [100 words] Sadly, some people will decline the precious invitation,To follow Jesus Christ and obtain the gift of salvation.Few chances may be left for the Gospel to be heard,Or opportunities to repent and to obey God’s Word.There may be some that will walk out the church door,That won’t get to hear the Gospel...
UNUSED 1 [179 words] You know that feeling when you get something in the mail? It’s so exciting! I can remember getting things in the mail when I was growing up and not even being able to wait until I got inside to open it because I was so excited! My mom is probably the...
UNUSED 0 [129 words] Years ago, King Charles V was loaned a large sum of money by a merchant. The note came due, but the King was bankrupt and unable to pay. The merchant gave a great banquet for the King. When all the guests were seated and before the food was brought in, the...
UNUSED 0 [191 words] A minister was known for always thanking God in his public prayers. One Sunday morning was particularly terrible and gloomy. A church member thought to himself, “Certainly the preacher won’t thank God for such a terrible day.” When the preacher got up and began to pray, he said, “We thank Thee,...
UNUSED 0 [129 words] I was asked this question at one time. How would you answer it? Of course there are a variety of reasons to love the Word of God, but what would be on your list? Here are a few reasons that I love the Bible: 1. It teaches me how to be...
UNUSED 0 [160 words] So many misunderstandings abound concerning the church Jesus built (Mat. 16:18). A few mistakes people make in thinking about the church are: The church is a building. It is not, it is a body of saved people (Acts 2:47; Eph. 5:23). The church is an after-thought, or second plan of Jesus,...
UNUSED 0 [174 words] Oh, Lord, I like to read the Bible;Its teachings fill me with delight.But now I’m watching television;My favorite program’s on tonight! I read it for my own up-building;I need it to lead my steps aright.Tomorrow night I’ll read a chapter,But television’s good tonight! No other book is like the Bible,So free...
UNUSED 0 [168 words] If you went out to eat and ordered pancakes, how would you react if they were done on one side, but were uncooked on the other side? Doesn’t sound too tasty, does it? This is how God described Israel in the days of Hosea the prophet. In Hosea 7:8, the prophet...
UNUSED 0 [148 words] Children of God should know what they believe and why they believe it. Further more, they should be able to relate their convictions to others. In Colossians 4:6 are these thought provoking words from Paul, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye...
UNUSED 0 [112 words] Read Exodus 14. Now, did the use of water earn the children of Israel their freedom from Egyptian slavery? Read Exodus 30:17-21. Now, did the use of water earn the priests the right to serve within the Tabernacle? Read 2 Kings 5:1-14. Now, did the use of water earn Naaman his...
UNUSED 0 [187 words] God wants you to have joy in your life. This truth is lost on some preachers and other church-goers. Oliver Wendell Holmes was a member of the U.S. Supreme Court for 30 years. His mind, wit and work earned him the unofficial title of “the greatest justice since John Marshall.” At...
UNUSED 0 [170 words] A college student asked his preacher, “Do you think there is life on other planets?” The preacher said, “No, I don’t think so.” The student replied, “You mean, all those billions and billions and billions of planets out there–and you don’t think there’s life out there?” He said, “No, I really...
UNUSED 0 [187 words] I must have been sick on the day they taught phonics in school. If I don’t recognize a word by sight, I can find some amazing ways to mispronounce it. I cringe when I have to use certain words because no matter how much I practice, I’m not sure how it...
UNUSED 1 [155 words] Do good to all people no matter what they do to you (Galatians 6:10). Christ is our example of doing good (Acts 10:38). We must follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). * Bless and love your enemies (Matthew 5:44). Christ was hated, mocked, spat upon, beaten…yet He prayed, “Father, forgive...
UNUSED 0 [174 words] The gospel is the good news that Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-5). It is the total message of God’s power to save all who will hear, believe, and obey it (Romans 1:16). The gospel is contained in the second law God gave. “If the first covenant had been...
UNUSED 0 [197 words] Many have tried to destroy the Bible. In a.d. 303, the Roman emperor Diocletian issued an edict to destroy Christians and their Bibles. Over a burned Bible, he built a monument on which he wrote the words, “Extincto momene Christianorum” (the name Christian is extinguished). Twenty years later, Diocletian was dead...
UNUSED 0 [172 words] I’m enjoying watching Ninja Warriors on TV. Both men and women of all ages compete on a very difficult obstacle course that requires strength, agility and determination. The show gets you so involved that you begin to move and squirm in your chair trying to help the contestant succeed. And the...
UNUSED 0 [164 words] “All flesh is as grass, and the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24). God’s Word will endure forever. Many ignore God’s Word, but Peter quotes the prophet Isaiah who said...
UNUSED 1 [192 words] Do you ever get upset with potholes? You know, life is often referred to as a journey with potholes. We begin our journey at birth. But much of our early life is dictated by someone else. Babies do not have to worry about potholes, a wrong turn, or any bumps in...
UNUSED 0 [185 words] Often times, I find myself lost in thought as to how I can improve as a worker in the kingdom of God. My thoughts most recently have been focused around the idea of the goal we pursue. So many aspects of Christianity seem to exist and all seem worthy of pursuit,...
UNUSED 0 [140 words] Experience is a trait that is very valuable for any organization. A person with experience in an area can usually do a job faster, easier and better than those without. However the Preacher tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:13 of a time when experience is wasted. He says, “A poor yet wise...
UNUSED 0 [176 words] “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but will not be enslaved by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). ESV and other translations put quotation marks around “All things are lawful for me,” signifying that the translators believe–and l agree–that Paul is quoting those to whom he is writing. When he does that, he...
UNUSED 0 [138 words] Palestine in the first century was less prosperous than some other regions, but Josephus tries to present the country as quite prosperous. He accurately depicts the Jewish population there as primarily engaged in agriculture: “Ours is not a maritime country, neither commerce nor the intercourse with the outside world has any...
UNUSED 0 [183 words] The first sermon preached each Sunday is not by the minister, but by you. You preach a message about the importance of the Scriptures when you bring your Bible. You preach a message of good cheer when you say “Good morning!” to those you meet when you park your car and...
UNUSED 0 [178 words] Israel was in a covenant relationship with God, but as prophesied by Jeremiah 31:31, it was to be replaced (Heb. 8:8). It was replaced by the covenant Jesus initiated at His death and resurrection. He shared the fruit of the vine with the apostles and said, “For this is My blood...
UNUSED 0 [144 words] God made a beautiful, perfect world and made people to dwell in it. Everything was good and God was pleased with them. He would walk and talk with these people in the cool of the evening. Sin (the Devil) found his way into the people. God could no longer stand to...
UNUSED 0 [152 words] Everything that can biblically be said about Matthias is basically found in Acts 1:20-26, that being: Matthias had a great interest in spiritual matters, since, although not mentioned by name, he was present all throughout the various situations we read about in the gospels, and if not anything else, that alone...
UNUSED 0 [104 words] Amateur, haphazard, slipshod, hit-and-miss, inattentive, incomplete, mediocre, shallow, skill-less, unskillful, wanting. All these adjectives are ones we use to describe things that are done but not done well. It’s an attitude that is far too common today. We settle for what is easy, normal, the status quo. But was this the...
UNUSED 0 [140 words] Someone asked John D. Rockefeller, the richest man of his time, how much money is enough? He replied, “Just a little bit more.” Lots of people have that problem. We think if could just make a little more, we would be set. But when we get that little more, it isn’t...
UNUSED 0[157 words] As Christians, we all have regrets in our lives — things we should have done but didn’t do, and things we shouldn’t have done, but did them anyway. However, there are five things which no one will regret on the day of judgment. If we abide by these principles, we can have...
UNUSED 0 [152 words] “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). A young man who had been blind since he...
UNUSED 1 [117 words] If Noah had lived by today’s religious standard, he would have said, “Lord I believe you but you are asking too much, I don’t really need an ark.” Abraham would have said, “Lord, I have great faith in you, but I can do just as much good by staying here in...
UNUSED 0 [168 words] “…And so we went toward Rome. And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.” (Acts 28:14-15) When’s the last you “traveled” to “Appii Forum” and “The Three...
UNUSED 0 [171 words] • Exodus 32:36 – “Who is on the LORD’S side?” • Psalm 113:5 – “Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high…?” • Isaiah 6:8 – “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” • Mark 8:37 – “…what shall a man give in exchange...
UNUSED 0 [154 words] When the apostle Paul was in Athens he made an interesting observation. He said “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN...
