200-299 words

Full House

[225 words] The follow-up question I always get when people hear I am a minster is the “how big” question. “How big is your congregation,” and, “How many kids are in your youth group?”  I guess that is the way they measure success. The assumption is that the more folks, the better things are going.…

Living Hope

[236 words] John Maxwell tells about a small town in Maine that was proposed for the site of a great hydroelectric plant. A dam would be built across the river and the town submerged. When the project was announced, the people were given many months to arrange their affairs and relocate. During those months, a…

The Excellent Ones

[280 words] “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight” (Psalm 16:3, ESV). In the passage above, David revealed his love for his kinsmen. They were God’s people, which made them majestic and noble. That’s high praise for people who weren’t perfect. David’s fellow-Israelites made…

Wait, Who Did Shoot J.R.?

[242 words] In the summer of 1980, everyone was asking the question, “Who shot J.R.?” For those of you not around then, J.R. Ewing was the villainous character on the hit series Dallas.  That year’s season ended on a cliffhanger where J.R. is shot by an unseen assailant outside his office. The mystery became a…

Thoughts About Drought

[226 words] I hate times of drought. The grass is brown. Trees begin to wilt. Often, the excessive heat of summer is a constant companion. Our prayers always include the constant plea with God: “We need rain.” Thursday evening, parts of Abilene and the surrounding area got rain. It was good to feel a slightly…

The High Cost of Health Care

[258 words] It is reported that our country has one of the highest costs of healthcare in the world. In 2021, U.S. healthcare spending reached $4.3 trillion, which averages to about $12,900 per person. Without health insurance, it is likely that most of us could not afford to be cared for and treated if we…

What True Fellowship Involves

[251 words] “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16a, NKJV). Even…

Fight, Finish, Fulfill

[271 words] Second Timothy 4:7 has often been referred to as Paul’s valedictory: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” It has also been observed that this statement had something for every group of people in the first century. The idea of fighting the fight appealed…

Supper with the King

[208 words] I want you to imagine a scene with me, a scene of beauty and wonder and grace. The King of heaven and earth has prepared a feast in honor of His Son. The table has been prepared, the Son has taken His place at the head, and we are the ones who have…

The Demise of the Sunday Night Service

[282 words] Traditions come and go. One such tradition in American churches is the Sunday evening service. It’s unclear when the tradition started, but records would indicate that churches have been holding evening services for well over 100 years. In recent history, there has been a sharp decline in those who attend Sunday evening services.…

Assumptions: Some Do’s and Don’ts

[295 words] You can safely assume: • That God loves you (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). • That the price of your sins was paid by Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). • That your past sins were washed away— forgiven—at your baptism (Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). • That you can be faithful to God (Revelation 2:10).…

If I Recall

[200 words] The Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from dangerous products. They might fine companies for bad practices or force them to recall products that are too dangerous. To facilitate that mission, they made 80,000 lapel buttons, but they had to be recalled since the edges were too sharp. And the paint had…

Plenty of Proof

[272 words] There are more than 300 predictive prophecies in the Old Testament Scriptures concerning Jesus that were recorded centuries before He was born. Each was accurately fulfilled. Unlike modern predictions, note one of the predictions concerning Jesus missed the mark. Have you ever seriously analyzed the implications of those signs? Peter Stoner, a renowned…

Showing Our Christianity

[240 words] “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human…

Signs of Spiritual Maturity 

[217 words] How can we tell a spiritual person from a worldly person? The Bible tells us in several places. In James 3, the terms used are “Godly wise” implying a contrast with foolish. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy…

There’s a Great Day Coming

[291 words] Excuses that won’t work at the Judgment: Lord, I didn’t know enough. “Thy word is a…light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Lord, I didn’t know which church to join. “And I say…I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). “Search, and look” (John 7:52). Lord, I didn’t believe I could hold out. “I can…

How to Be Happy

[252 words] If you ask a millionaire to define happiness, he might say that to be happy is to have two million dollars. If you ask a nine-year-old boy, he might answer happiness is being ten years old. If you ask a candidate, he might say winning an upcoming election. To the athlete, it might…

Honoring Dad

[257 words] If you’re a father, today you might get another “interesting” tie or a wild t-shirt. Or your kids might do something for you to help you feel like something special. Soak it all in, because you deserve it and it’s good for your children to honor you.  But as you’re celebrating, don’t forget…

Paul’s Importance to the Early Church

[215 words] It is almost impossible to grasp just how much Paul meant to the early years of the church. We can, however, get a glimpse of this great man of faith through the letter he wrote to the church at Philippi. Look a little closer into the man as he mentions his past, present,…

Regret for Our Past Decisions

[263 words] In the book of Genesis, we read the story of Lot, the nephew of Abraham. God commanded Abraham to take his family and move away from his home country to a new land. Abraham and his family and all their flocks made the migration to a land that was over-flowing with physical blessings.…

Pay Attention to the Adjectives

[267 words] It’s been a long time since I have been in English class. I sure do wish I had paid better attention then – I honestly believe that it would have greatly improved my Bible reading and study today. One aspect of grammar I do not remember studying much is the adjective (I must…

Bounce Back

[209 words] What is the difference between people who thrive and people who decline over a long period of time? It is not that they do not get knocked down; it is that they bounce back up. Every successful person I can think of has had to come back from discouraging circumstances. That is true…

I Want to Know Real Bad

[217 words] A young man came to Socrates and said, “Mr. Socrates, I want knowledge. Show me how I can have knowledge.” “Son, how badly do you want knowledge?” asked the philosopher. “Oh, Mr. Socrates, I want knowledge more than anything else in the world,” he said. “I repeat,” Socrates said, “How much do you…

Mothers in the Bible

[223 words] The role that mothers played in the biblical story is undeniable. From the beginning pages of Genesis to the latter letters of Timothy, the influence of mothers (both good and bad) is seen time and time again. The impact that the mother has on the child can and will have everlasting consequences (2…

Running Marathons

[201 words] Have you even ran a marathon? If you have I admire you because just thinking about the great strength, stamina, and length of a marathon wears me out. The amount of training and time involved really just makes you become devoted to the cause of finishing your race. I do not know anyone…

When Times Are Tough

[263 words] I once read a story about an affluent man who lost his job. This led to him losing his life savings. Then, he lost his house and car. Last of all, the wife, who promised to love him “for richer, for poorer … until death parted them,” divorced him and took up with…

My Mother

[274 words] Who fed me from her gentle breast,And hush’d me in her arms to rest,And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?My Mother. When sleep forsook my open eye,Who was it sung sweet hushaby,And rock’d me that I should not cry?My Mother. Who sat and watched my infant head,When sleeping in my cradle bed,And tears…

It’s Bean a Problem

[286 words] If you struggled in geometry, you may not like the name Pythagoras. However, he is an interesting fellow. Now it is hard to separate the myths from the facts when it comes to the ancient Greek philosopher, but his influence, not only in math, but in science, music, ethics, and religion are remarkable.…

Why Do Some People Take So Long?

[286 words] “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.” — Blaise Pascal Physicist Pascal hit the nail on the head with this quote. Anyone who has taught and prayed for a loved one to obey the gospel – only to hear excuse after…

Finding It Hard to Accept

[212 words] A college student in a philosophy class was taking his first examination. On the paper there was a single line which simply said: “Is this a question? —Discuss.” After a short time he wrote: “If that is a question, then this is an answer.” The student received an “A” on the exam.  God…

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…
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