200-299 words

Proving the Will of God

[278 words] When you were in school, didn’t you just love it when your math teacher would give you a problem to solve and say, “Show your work?” That meant she wanted you to not just give the correct answer, but to demonstrate the process by which you came to that answer. Christians are commanded…

Try + Umph = Triumph

[226 words] Dad always used to say “Can’t never could do nothing.” I know that isn’t grammatically correct but it is correct when it comes to life. If we think it can’t be done, we prove it to be so, even if it wasn’t true to begin with. However, it isn’t just can’t that will…

J. Edgar Hoover and the Church of Christ

[276 words] In a recent gospel meeting, this writer was privileged to meet a dentist and his wife who informed him of an inquiry they had made of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation several decades ago. This couple was very active in a mainline denominational church when they began to notice the…

The ‘One Another’s’

[257 words] Take your Bible app and search the New Testament for “one another,” mine returned 89 results. The first passage to note is John 13:34 where Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” As you begin…

What You Missed

[203 words] It is sad but true that a large percentage of the people who come to worship on Sunday morning do not come back on Sunday night or Wednesday night. Also, many wait until after Bible class is over Sunday morning before gathering together. We could talk about the sin of forsaking the assembling…

A Tale of Two Women

[214 words] On July 24, 2019, Police in Chattanooga, Tennessee, charged a woman with murder. This 29-year-old was abusing illegal drugs which resulted in the premature delivery and death of her twin daughters. According to the police, this mother was being charged with murder, aggravated child abuse or neglect and viable fetus as a victim.…

What Nebuchadnezzar Teaches Us About God

[243 words] Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most influential foreign kings in the biblical record. In world history, he was known as one of the greatest kings to ever live. Holy Scripture speaks of him in human terms as the “king of kings” (Dan. 2:37; 4:1; Ezek. 26:7). He is known to us as a…

America Still Needs God

[281 words] You are no doubt all too aware of America’s continuing moral decline. The evidence is both overwhelming and indisputable. You may be unaware, though, just how far and how swiftly we have slipped. William Bennett has recently released, through the auspices of the Heritage Foundation, “The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators,” a statistical…

Stop Worrying and Hurrying

[265 words] In Lewis Carrol’s classic Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland we see Alice confronting the white rabbit. The rabbit scurries quickly by proclaiming, “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” In this statement we have two of the greatest problems of people today: worry and hurry. We live in a world of uncertainty…

There is Space for You

[261 words] Ever try to check in only to find out the hotel is full up? Ever stay at a friend’s house only to find out there isn’t a bed or even a couch to crash on? Ever get invited to come along but there isn’t a seat in the car or a spot at…

How Shall We Enter the New Year?

[271 words] The year 2023 is upon us. How shall we approach it? No two people enter into the new year with exactly the same emotions. Some enter with fear and reluctance while others enter with optimism and enthusiasm. None of us can look into the future, for God in his great mercy and wisdom…

A Spiritually Productive New Year

[213 words] The following is a biblical formula for having a spiritually productive New Year in 2023: “H”old fast to the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13; cf. 2 Timothy 1:13; Titus 1:9) “A”ssemble for worship (Hebrews 10:25; cf. Acts 2:42) “P”ray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17; cf. Acts 12:5 KJV; Romans 1:9) “P”urify our heart (James…

Things We Can All Do

[294 words] As followers of Christ, we are made perfect by the blood of Christ (Matthew 5:48 and 1 Peter 1:18-19). As Christians we must be willing to work good works (Ephesians 2:10). It may be the case that you are looking for things to do for the cause of Christ. If this is the…

The Greatest Treasure

[280 words] The famous newspaper publisher, William Randolph Hearst, invested a literal fortune collecting art treasures from around the world. One day Mr. Hearst found a description of a painting that he was interested in. So he sent an agent to trace the history of the painting and contact its current owner so that he…

When a Family Member Acts Up

[271 words] When I was a young youth minister, a fellow with which I served had a young wife. It was disappointing to the congregation and devastating to the preacher when he returned home from a long day at work to discover that his wife had packed up nearly everything of value in the house,…

What I Love About Being a Christian

[274 words] I love being a child of the King! Why? First, Christians have a family. God designed the physical family in the paradise of Eden (cf. Genesis 2:7; 18). Most of us enjoy that blessing from God. In the New Testament, God gave us a second family—relationships with other church members. If our physical…

God Hears My Cry for Mercy

[232 words] “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” (Psalms 28:6-7). In this psalm, David, inspired by the Holy Spirit,…

Follow the Instructions!

[239 words] Recently, I was putting together a futon that I purchased. It wasn’t particularly difficult, but was definitely time consuming. I was carefully following the instructions, when I got to a point where I was to use a very long bolt to fasten together two pieces of the frame. In my opinion, the bolt…

The Not-So-Encouraging Words

[238 words] Richard Nixon had already had one nominee for the Supreme Court shot down by the Senate and it was looking like his second choice Harold Carswell was about to go down as well. Since he was attacked as a mediocre choice, Republicans were asked to help bolster the candidate. Nebraska Senator Roman Hruska…

The Bible, Short and Sweet

[292 words] The Bible is divided into two main parts. The Old Testament was God’s will primarily to the Jewish nation. Its requirements were binding until the covenant of Christ became effective (Colossians 2:14). The New Testament is God’s will through Christ to all men living today. The Old and the New Testament were written…

Filled to Overflowing

[203 words] You have probably had the unfortunate experience of overfilling a glass or a cup. You got distracted and looked away only to realize in a moment that the glass you were filling had run over! It makes for an unpleasant clean up to be done. However, to be overflowing spiritually does not create…

Grand Theft Thunder

[248 words] We know what it means when we say someone “stole our thunder.” It is a euphemism for when someone takes your praise, credit, or attention before you have a chance to. But it doesn’t make a lot of literal sense. You don’t own any thunder for anybody to steal. Unless you are John…

It’s Just How You Look at It

[224 words] When I look at a cluster of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard. Children see flowers for the elderly neighbor lady or little white balloons that float in the wind as you blow on them.  When I feel wind on my face, I brace…

A Great Weapon

[256 words] We all face temptation, Satan is going to make sure that none of us are exempt. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that it is a common challenge for all people but those who are in God’s family will be provided ways to resist and eliminate temptation. One great weapon we can use…

Was It That Great?

[244 words] We’ve all heard the phrase before, “the greatest thing since sliced bread,” but as it turns out this greatest thing didn’t start out so great. Otto Rohwedder invented the first bread slicing machine, built to slice bread by the loaf. His prototype and blueprints went up in smoke in a fire in 1917.…

The Lesson of the Gloves

[256 words] I once read a story about a young preacher. Hershel and his wife were two young adults who were new to the ministry and to the town where they served. As many young adults, they had more bills than money. But there was hope. You see, Hershel was asked to preach a wedding.…

Simply Read

[254 words] Have you not read? This phrase is used several times by Jesus when someone was asking him a doctrinal question (Matthew 12:3, 19:4, 21:16, 21:42 Mark 12:26). Many times these questions were asked as traps to try to force him into offending a particular audience or to make him look bad. Yet Jesus…

A Religion of Relationships

[258 words] Too many people claim or act like Christianity is simply a religion of beliefs. And while belief is a crucial part of Christianity, it is much more than that. I contend that Christianity, in reality, is a religion of relationships. Take a look at John 15, for example. In verses 1-11 we can…

The Power of Our Silent Influence

[226 words] On a recent beautiful warm Saturday morning, a Christian friend and I were having breakfast at a local restaurant. At a nearby table, we noticed a young woman sitting quietly reading her Bible. She was absorbed in the text, occasionally looking up to consider what she had read. She never said a word,…

I Give Up!

[280 words] “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8). For Christians to have a right relationship with God they may have to get to the point in life where they say, “I give up!” This is…

Solving All the World’s Problems

[216 words] Just take a look at the news headlines and you will see problem after problem that humanity has created: wars, violence, murders, theft, scandals, abuse of power, the misuse of resources, immorality – the list goes on and on. What a mess we have made of this world! And with all of these…

What Will Your Checkbook Tell About You?

[232 words] Some time ago I read about a man who had written many biographies. He noted that it was easy to find out what a man said and what he had done, but when it came to finding out what kind of man he really was, the biographer was up a stump. Then he…

Flying Above the Storms

[216 words] Did you know that an eagle knows when the storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm.…

If It Smells Like a Skunk…

[230 words] Last week when entering the church building we were met with an all-too-familiar odor. Unfortunately, some of us know firsthand just how bad a skunk can really smell. Whether you’ve encountered a skunk one-on-one or not, when you smell the distinctive odor produced by these little varmints, you can immediately identify it. If…

God, Make Us the Men You Want Us to Be

[267 words] Where can we find strong men to standWith us and You, against all odds?The time we live in now demandsStrong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready handsThat will not yield to others what is God’s. Give us men of honor and good willWhom spoils of office cannot buy.Men with great insight, strength…

Don’t Sell the Farm!

[279 words] There was a man that owned a wonderful farm, but over the years he began to take it for granted, and reached the point where he was tired of it. He decided that he would put it up for sale and find a better one. He called a realtor who came out and…

Hearing Your Name

[286 words] There is just something about hearing your name. On some occasions, it is scary. If your mom or dad ever calls you by your whole name—first, middle, and last—you are likely in pretty big trouble. On other occasions, it is a special honor. Graduation ceremonies are a great example of this. Why in…

It’s Okay to Wonder Why, But Don’t Forget Who

[201 words] “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ and You will not save…For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous…” Twenty-six hundred…

Teaching the Important Things 

[209 words] A mother-mouse was taking her two little mice-kids for a walk. Suddenly, a big ol’ cat jumped out of the bushes. However, the older mouse shouted “Bark!” At that, the cat ran away. Then, the mother-mouse told her youngsters, “See, children, that’s why it’s important to learn a foreign language.” Tongue-in-cheek example aside,…

Absence And Alarm!

[299 words] There is a correlation, you know. When a Christian is absent from the worshiping assembly, there is cause for alarm. “Why? Whose business is it?” says the absentee, “If I want to miss, let me be — what does it hurt anyway?” Glad you asked the question. It hurts a lot! It hurts…
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