200-299 words Archives - Page 7 of 7

It’s Hard to Convince Your Children

[271 words] It’s hard to convince your children that the church is the most important thing in the world when you are negligent about attending its services and supporting its work. It’s hard to convince your children that the church is the greatest institution in the world when you permit them to miss services to…

Are You Prepared–or Confused?

[201 words] Some years ago I knew a man who was always critical of preachers, the church and Christians. He was a man who had been what was once called a “rounder.” He had delved in the pleasures of the world most, if not all, of his life. But, alas, in his old age he…

Church Names

[224 words] Have you ever paid much attention to the names on church signs that you drive past? Church names can be very interesting. Here are a few that I’ve heard about: First Church of the Last Chance World on Fire Revival and Military Academy (in Florida), Hell Hole Swamp Baptist Church (in South Carolina),…

All Things Work Together For Good

[265 words] We’ve heard it said or maybe even said it ourselves, “Nothing good ever happens to me.” We get some bad news, things don’t go as planned, etc., and we immediately respond negatively. I recognize that some folks experience more misfortune than others, and maybe you’re one who has dealt with an overwhelming amount…

Teaching Kids Sexual Purity

[254 words] Our culture is in a sexual free fall. The average age for first-time sexual intercourse for boys is 15.9 (girls 16.2). The vast majority of students are sexual by the time they are high school seniors. By the way, the percentage of “Christian” kids is no different. Parents don’t know what to do.…

Paul or Peale?

[220 words] The name of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale is not the household name it once was. However, he was one of the most widely read preachers and authors of the 20th century. The great problem is that there are so many today who would rather follow preachers like Norman Vincent Peale than listen to…

Confidence!

[234 words] “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” Psalm 16:11. Looking back on it, I realize, of course, that the compost pile was really just at the end of a long backyard on the edge…

Where Were You When God Wanted to Bless You?

[244 words] “Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 1:3). When a storm devastates a neighborhood, a drunk driver destroys an entire family, or a gunman kills unsuspecting children, someone…

Hesitation Will Keep Many Out of Heaven

[220 words] “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28). Far too many find themselves in the position of Agrippa. They know what they should do, but they hesitate. Hesitation will keep many out of heaven. Paul’s response to the king was reasonable and passionate, “I would to…

Lack of Knowledge

[250 words] Benjamin Franklin once said “Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.” There is no question that God places a high value on knowledge and particularly knowledge of His word. Hosea recorded the words of God when He wrote “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.…

Keep On Playing

[288 words] Many of you have seen the picture of Roxanne Chalifoux, the crying piccolo player from Villanova. Just after her team had lost a three point game to underdog North Carolina State in the NCAA basketball tourney, the cameras captured her sadness on the jumbo-tron and later on national TV. I was impressed with…

People Like To Be Asked

[298 words] Some time ago I read a story in which Tip O’Neill, former Speaker of the House, was once told by his neighbor, Mrs. Elizabeth O’Brien, “Tom, I’m going to vote for you tomorrow even though you didn’t ask me to.” This shocked Tip. He said, “I’ve lived across the street from you for…

We Can Thank God for His Great Plan

[203 words] If Joseph’s brothers never sell him to the Midianites, then Joseph never goes to Egypt. If Joseph never goes to Egypt, he never is sold to Potiphar. If he is never sold to Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife never falsely accuses him of rape. If Potiphar’s wife never falsely accuses him of rape, then he…

Rally to Us There

[273 words] “And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, ‘The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there…'” (Neh. 4:19-20). Nehemiah,…

Planting Time

[246 words] It has been a difficult winter with much snow and sub-freezing temperatures, but the warm windy days of spring are just a short time away. It will be “planting time” for farmers and those who have gardens. Some have already planted peas and lettuce seed. Onions and other vegetables will soon be going…

School Shootings: Junk In, Junk Out

[219 words] You can’t listen to the radio without hearing pornographic lyrics talking about things that should not even be named among Christians (Eph 5:3). Our kids are enthralled by singers who normalize wickedness. Look at the video games that hold the top selling and most players. Most all of them feature mass killing, violence,…

What Kind of Heart Do You Have?

[217 words] We get shots (flu, encephalitis, etc), which sometimes makes us sick. We get a little bit of the flu so it can help us to not get the real thing. That’s good in the physical sense, but disastrous in the spiritual sense. Some people get a little bit of religion, just enough !o…

Vessels of Honor

[222 words] “I’ll never attend that church again,” some people say. “There are too many hypocrites in it.” If we think about this for a moment, we may come to understand that since the church is composed of human beings, there will always be imperfection. Should we, then, condemn the church and refuse to attend…

Appreciating Grace

[237 words] “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:4, NKJV). When we take an honest look at ourselves, it is not difficult to identify with the Psalmist’s question. Weakness is a discouraging reality of our human nature. We are all abundantly aware…

Who Are These People?

[261 words] You hear about them on the news, you read about them in magazines. But who are the Kardashians? They must be someone important, perhaps like Lady Gaga. Really, who has a name Gaga? I must be out of touch, too old to be up with the newest fad. But should I really even…

I Need You and You Need Me

[293 words] Have you ever felt alone? If so, you understand how this one emotion can create a roller coaster of negative thoughts and feelings in one’s life. We hate being alone. Sure, there are times we probably prefer to be alone; after all, sometimes you just need to get away. However, at its very…

Classify Yourself

[202 words] Dead Members: Their activities for the Lord have ceased. They no longer attend services, do not worship the Lord together with the saints, do not partake of the Lord ‘s Supper. Stopped studying the word of God. Do not give to further the Lord’s cause. They are in danger of being overcome again…

Broken Toilets and Broken Souls

[254 words] It’s not an extremely rare occasion for a passenger jet to have to return to the airport due to a mechanical issue. However, when a Norwegian jet bound for Germany reversed course in late January of this year due to malfunctioning toilets, it was a backtrack filled with irony. The plane, you see,…

Your Next Home

[298 words] Financial experts tell us our homes are our largest asset. An average house in 1973 was 1,660 sq. ft., while in 2015 an average house was 2,687 sq. ft. Numerically, families continue to decrease in size compared to previous decades. Our homes are very important due to values, not needs. We are blessed…

During the Valleys of Your Faith

[291 words] The Christian life is all about peaks and valleys. When we are feeling good about our relationship with God and Jesus and something happens to re-enforce those spiritual feelings, we call that time “peak times” or “mountain top experiences.” When things don’t go right and we wonder if God is really listening to…

Second Fiddle

[257 words] It’s been said that the hardest instrument to learn to play is second fiddle! It is a difficult role. John the baptizer seemed to play it well. He denied the references to him being the Christ by saying he was not worthy to even untie Christ’s sandals (John 1:27). Instead of claiming to…

Go Into All the World and Live a Good, Moral Life?

[293 words] Why is it that some Christians seem to believe that their only responsibility in reaching the lost is to live a pure lifestyle before them? Will alien sinners become Christians by simply observing that Christians refrain from things like profanity, fornication, and drugs? Will simply being kind to others convert the lost? Certainly,…

God Wants to Tell You Something

[284 words] Saul arrived in the prophet’s city hoping to get information from Samuel. What he got was something he did not expect. Saul’s father had sent him to find some missing donkeys. The future king of Israel and his servant looked but could not find the animals. Saul’s servant thought they should go to…

Good Fruit

[261 words] “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). My brother has worked over 35 years in a produce department. He knows fresh fruit when he sees it and he easily recognizes fraudulent freshness, too. Daily, he’ll…

Is God Pleased With You?

[226 words] “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way…” (Colossians 1:10). We love because the Lord first loved us, though we were enemies to Him and separated from Him, and sent Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.…

Do You Believe the Bible is True?

[210 words] “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Jesus, the Word made flesh Himself, claims in His Word, that the Word of God is truth. Well, many worldly skeptics would argue that just because the Bible claims to be truth doesn’t make it so (even though they would accept that…

Who Do You Understand Jesus to Be?

[214 words] “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:20-21). For centuries, God’s chosen people had been expecting a Savior,…

In Giving, You Lose Nothing

[274 words] The Christian faith has always placed a great emphasis on giving. This is due in part because we serve a giving God. He is a God of abundance (John 10:10; James 1:5; Psalm 103:8; Isaiah 55:1-7; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Romans 5:20), and He loves to give. He sacrificed willingly on the cross and…

Judgment Day Excuses That Won’t Work

[287 words] We can imagine that on “the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6), there will be many excuses. Let’s consider some. “But, Lord, what about all of the good that I have done?” This sounds like Matthew 7:22, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord have we not…done many wonderful…

Proclaiming His Death

[236 words] “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). The word “proclaim” means to preach. Let us preach the Lord’s death. The proclamation of the death of Jesus is one reason for taking the Lord’s Supper. Not only should…

Your Speech

[204 words] It was said of Peter, “Your speech betrays you.” James said, “No one can tame the tongue.” And Jesus said, “Out of the heart the mouth speaks.” We talk about the things that are dearest to us. A UK fan will not keep quiet! His speech will surely tell whose side he is…

Power Outage

[260 words] One of the worst things about winter weather is the power outages that come along with ice storms. Power outages put us in a difficult position these days because so much depends on that electricity. There are so many things we cannot accomplish without it. Although the plant that generates the electricity for…

The Benefits of Serious Meditation

[261 words] Unfortunately, when one speaks of “meditation,” what often comes to mind is the transcendental meditation taught by the new age movement. However, when we discuss the topic from a biblical sense, it neither involves chanting cross-legged with one’s eyes closed, or the “getting in touch with your inner self.” No, we are discussing…

Fight, Finish, Fulfill

[268 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…

Too Much Pressure?

[243 words] The USS Thresher was a nuclear submarine that was designed to go to great depths due to its great strength. The steel bulkheads were built to withstand great pressure from tons of sea water. But, on April 9, 1963, it went too deep during routine deep-diving tests, and was subsequently crushed into little…

Titles

[211 words] We sure like titles don’t we? Regional Manager, District Supervisor, Vice President, Executive Director, Chairman of the Board, President. You never see a letterhead or an ID badge with “Flunky” on it! Even the low man on the to totem pole will be called “Management Trainee.” We want everyone to know we are…

Unconditional Love

[230 words] “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). God’s love for His children stands unmatched by anything this world has to offer. Only the love of God can: Calm the restlessness of your soul. Heal any hatred you have…

Dealing with a ‘Short Fuse’

[295 words] The apostle Paul reminds us that “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man” (1 Cor. 10:13). That certainly applies to the danger of expressing wrath and anger! Anger in itself is not sinful (Eph. 4:26), but how we express it can be! Even Jesus was angry (Mark 3:5),…

Blessings We Always Have

[291 words] As my youngest daughter (who is 4 years old) prays, she inevitably expresses thanks to God for the blessings that He provides. However, when she states it, there is a truth that she adds in which many of us adults forget. She prays, “Thank you for the blessings that we always have.” It…

Protection and Destruction in the Same Phrase

[274 words] Nahum prophesied against Nineveh over 100 years after Jonah. In the midst of words of destruction and the downfall of the superpower of that time, the prophet cannot but speak of God’s goodness as well. “The Lord is good–indeed, he is a fortress in time of distress, and he protects those who seek…

Good News: Hope!

[273 words] The apostle Paul said it this way: “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise” (Romans 1:14). Recall that he had been brought up in, and participated in the strictest Jewish tradition. As a Jew, it would have been unthinkable for Saul…

1000 Miles Per Hour

[230 words] The earth rotates on its axis at approximately 1,000 miles per hour. If that had been 100 miles per hour, our days and nights would be 10 times longer, and our planet would alternately bum and freeze. Under such circumstances vegetation could not live. If the earth were as small as the moon,…

How You Live

[203 words] I grew up with ESPN’s Sportscenter as a part of my morning routine. I always wanted to see what Michael Jordan, Tom Glavine, Cal Ripken, the Tennessee Vol football team, etc. had accomplished the night before. Stuart Scott made ESPN fun for me. At the July 16, 2014 ESPY awards, Scott remarked on…

Take a Bullet for Jesus!

[247 words] Years ago when Warren Sapp was describing his love and devotion for his coach, Tony Dungy, he said, “I would take a bullet for him–if it wouldn’t kill me.” The Bible teaches us to be so devoted to Jesus and His cause that we’d be willing to die for Him. Perhaps you’re familiar…

Awake 36 Hours Straight to Satisfy a Craving

[238 words] Some people, if you let them, will play video games to the point of exhaustion. Others practice some addiction or compulsion to their great injury . “And the people stayed up all that day, all that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail. The one who gathered the least gathered…

Blessings of Being Punctual

[206 words] Growing up I was in “that family.” You know the one. The one by which you could measure yourself. My family was the “late family.” If you pulled in the church parking lot and saw the brown 1978 Toyota Celica or silver Cavalier station wagon you knew you were late. I think now…

Nostalgia

[280 words] Nostalgia has a selective memory. When we feel this, “sentimental longing” for the past we often remember the good times fondly and forget the hardships. Many hit songs use nostalgia as a theme: “Yesterday,” “Time in a Bottle,” “Those Were the Days,” “If l Could Tum Back Time,” “Yesterday When I WasYoung,” and…

Looking Unto Jesus

[223 words] If you have ever watched a choral group or orchestra, you will note one thing each member always does – they look at the conductor from time to time. This is to insure that they are in harmony and performing in accordance with the conductor’s directive. As members of the church, we make…

Why is He Old?

[281 words] Everyone should have some interest in paleoanthropology; not necessarily that branch of science, but the word itself. Paleoanthropology is a compound word meaning “the study of ancient man.” Interestingly (at least to this preacher), the primary root words that make up our English word are found together in the Bible. For example, the…

Home

[294 words] Over the past several weeks many people have traveled because of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. During those trips many people either went home or came home. Home is an important place for many people. It is the place where either you grew up or where your parents or grandparents live now…

What Time is It?

[215 words] Ever been in a group of people and ask what time is it? How many answers did you get? You perhaps got as many answers as there were people with watches. Yet there is a place in Denver where time is correct to a split second. It is never wrong and many watches…

God’s Only Way

[276 words] Ever since the creation, man has sought to have his own way in religion. It started with Cain and continues today with people going in every direction but the right way in trying to be religious. People are being told they are saved when they “accept Jesus as your personal Savior” and say…

Habits Are First Cobwebs, Then Cables

[249 words] There is an old saying, “Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.” We have all experienced how true this proverb is. Some habits are ridiculously tough to form and others nearly impossible to break. If we continue building our habits, they can turn to addictions. This can either be wonderful or terrible. In 1…

Dees The Bible Really Mean This?

[238 words] “Do all things without complaining and disputing” (Phil. 2:14). When the children of Israel left the bondage of Egypt one of the first things they started to do was complain. If you recall God did not deal kindly with such actions, He put them to death! Do we think that the judgment of…

Unappreciated Love

[223 words] Doing the right thing is hard Harder than it seems it should be. I always think the right will bring me reward. And my good deeds the world will see. But most of the time it goes forgotten, No one notices my noble cares. The satisfaction I hope to receive rarely comes, It…

God’s Eternal Plan

[216 words] The purpose of our meeting at the Lord ‘s table each week is to bring to remembrance the eternal plan of God to offer His Son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. In the ages before Christ’s time, God ‘s people had offered animal sacrifices to have their sins rolled…

Precious to Christ

[205 words] Anytime we buy something we have to decide how important that thing is to us. There more we want something, the more we are willing to pay for it. You might want a new computer, but I doubt you would be willing to spend $ 150,000 on it. However, you might be willing…

What is Flowing from Your Heart?

[229 words] “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). God is the “God of hope” and fills us with joy and peace, but something is required of us. …

The Real Danger

[223 words] We live in a dangerous world. It is beyond heartbreaking and sad to see and read about what has happened in Paris at the hands of terrorists. At the time of this writing, we are told that there are 129 dead. The Islamic terrorist group, ISIS, is taking credit. Their holy book,…

How to Bring up Children

[286 words] The rearing of children is probably the most difficult task on the face of this earth. All of us desperately want our children to turn out right. I certainly do not claim to have all the answers. As a matter of fact, the older I get the less I know. However, I…

Are You Open?

[273 words] Sometimes I forget that it is a holiday and drive to the bank to deposit a needed check, only to see a sign on the door that reads “Closed.” Frustrating. On one summer night a few years ago, my wife and I were craving some Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream. We made the…

Momentous Decisions

[226 words] Not every decision you make will be a major one. It matters not which type of car you buy, as long as it is not a lemon! It does not matter whether you wear a suit and tie or some other modest outﬁt to worship. But some decisions are life changing. Some…

Father Knows Best

[205 words] Ephesians 4:6 tells us of “one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” By right of creation all men stand under the Fatherhood of God (Acts 17:24-29); but by right of conversion, only those who are Christians can call God, “Our Father” (1 John…

We Need Each Other!

[264 words] There is an indelible and universal truth as it pertains to the church. We need each other. In fact, the Bible is adamantly clear that without the contribution of each member, the church does not properly function. Thus is the substance of Paul’s discussion in 1 Corinthians 12. The church in Corinth struggled…

12 Things Fathers Do Which Provoke Children to Wrath

[210 words] “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Colossians 3:21). Fathers do you discourage or anger your children? The scriptures clearly reveal God’s warning to fathers of…

Be Patient

[283 words] This writer’s taste buds can almost nearly always generally distinguish instant potatoes from real mashed potatoes. The imposter can be tolerated, but the real is preferred. However, time constraints may make the real a less-real possibility for some meals. There is peeling, cutting, rinsing, boiling, mashing, adding milk, butter, salt and pepper, then…

Fathers, What is Your Legacy?

[288 words] Inheritance is important. Good fathers desire to leave something behind for their children (Prov. 13:22). Old Testament law even regulated the passing down of a father’s possessions (Deut. 21:15-17; Num. 27:8-11). As fathers, what sort of inheritance would we like to see our children get? Material Possessions. There is nothing wrong with…

Father Figure

[248 words] Why is there so much violence, crime, hostility, anger, hatred, discrimination, disrespect, etc. in our world today? What’s wrong with America? I believe the answer can be summed up in two words: FATHER FIGURE. The ABSENCE of a father figure within the home is reaping havoc on our society. And when I…

A Mother’s Steadfast Love

[218 words] The love of a mother is one of the most powerful forces known to man. A beautiful Bible picture of motherhood is found in the woman named Hannah. In 1 Samuel 1, we read of her faithful prayer asking God to bless her with a child. She promised God that she would dedicate…

This is a Very Good Time

[224 words] The famous American thinker and writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “This time, like all times, is a very good one if we but know what to do with it.” Thankfully, the Bible gives us all the instruction we need to know what to do with our time. “Let us hear the conclusion…

A New Year is Like…

[206 words] • A day yet to dawn. • A battle yet to be fought. • A mountain yet to be climbed. • A journey yet to be begun. • A chapter yet to be written. • A book yet to be read. • A blank sheet yet to be filled. • A new…

Ready or Not…2017

[259 words] Can you believe another year is in the books? Time marches relentlessly onward without asking for either our consent or approval. 2016 isn’t even cold yet and 2017 is already relentlessly marching forward. Nothing you and I can do will ever get that time back. With each passing day we creep closer…

I’ve Got to Start…

[292 words] You may actually know someone who has begun a sentence using the above words. The words that this preacher has heard used most often to complete this sentence are “exercising” and “eating right.” It appears that most of us have a sense of what it will take to improve our health. The…

Don’t Let the Lights Go Out!

[246 words] One of my favorite things about this time of the year is experiencing the beauty of Christmas lights. Ordinarily only dimly lit by dull street lamps, towns are now awash in brilliant displays of holiday cheer. So much more joyful than the rest of the year! Eventually, however, those lights will be…

We Need Each Other!

Memorial Day

[225 words] Memory is an important part of the human experience. God created our minds in such a way that we can store information regarding past events and recall that information in the future. These facts range from the mundane tasks of life, such as brushing our teeth every day because we learned the necessity…

Ticks and Sin

[289 words] Ever had a tick on you? Ticks are small blood sucking mites. They spend a good bit of time just waiting in bushes, grass and woods for a victim–you! Once you happen by, they jump on and attempt to quickly crawl to a protected spot on your body. Then they sink their mouth…

Do You Know About The First Valentine?

[297 words] This month we will celebrate the holiday referred to as Valentine’s Day. It is a time when we show others that we care for them. Small gifts of cards, candy, and flowers are part of the tradition. But it might surprise you to find out that this holiday started out as a…

Hymns for the ‘Sorta’ Committed

[217 words] Some Christians, by the way they are living their lives, would obviously like for some of the songs we sing to be changed to the following: • I Surrender Some• It is Fairly Well with My Soul• Fill My Spoon, Lord• Oh, How I Like Jesus• He’s a Little Bit to Me• I Love…

A Real Benefit Package

[276 words] People will often change jobs for better benefits. More paid health insurance coverage is a major benefit people seek. A liberal retirement plan with earlier investment is also a premium job seekers consider. For a moment, let’s consider a different source of benefits from someone who loves you very dearly. It is…

At Your Weakest Moment

[267 words] At Your Weakest Moment … . . . that’s when Satan will tempt you to sin. Our adversary is no fool. He’s not going to waste time and effort by working against your strengths. He will attack you when you are the weakest and where you are most vulnerable. Here’s an example: Someone…

Seeing Jesus

[263 words] It has often been noted that the resurrection of Jesus had a life-altering effect upon the apostles and other disciples. Jesus had predicted that His arrest and subsequent death would cause the disciples to desert Him (Matt. 26:31) and they would be overcome with sorrow (John 16:20). They do indeed scatter—they “left Him…

Independence

[234 words] This week we will celebrate another “Fourth of July.” I enjoy the hot dogs and the fireworks and especially the arrival of family. Yet, l always contemplate the history of what happened back in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 courageous men. They, and many others of their generation,…

My Dad Knows God!

[282 words] A small boy was playing with his buddies in the back yard. The father overheard them talking. The conversation was, amusingly, one of those “My Dad can whip your Dad” routines. One boy proudly says, “My Dad knows the mayor of our town.” Another said, “That’s nothing, my Dad knows the governor…

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