UNUSED 8 [338 words] He’s known as the “Forest Man of India.” Over the last 70 years, the Brahmaputra River has eroded over half of the world’s largest river island of Majuli in Assam, India. The mighty river has also claimed over 35 villages. Nearly 40 years ago, Jadav Payeng, then 16, in an effort...
UNUSED 8 [321 words] Many times, we encounter challenges that make us rethink our commitment to Christ and the church. When we consider quitting or lessening our relationship with Christ and the church let’s: Remember why we started (cf. Revelation 2:5). The church at Ephesus left their first love. Go back and remember why we...
UNUSED 0 [322 words] Elders face problems of all shapes, sizes, and colors. A few years of putting out fires can leave them burned out. They can come to rule with an iron fist rather than a velvet touch–more of the shepherd’s rod than his crook. Early Roman philosopher Publilius Syrus said, “You can accomplish...
UNUSED 14 [302 words] What do a toothbrush, a scrub brush, and a toilet brush have in common? Each one of these items is a brushing tool that does a particular job. They are all used to clean. Even my two year old knows that a toothbrush is used to clean teeth, a scrub brush...
UNUSED 7 [367 words] “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that...
UNUSED 7 [368 words] As I made my coffee one morning, I noticed the movement of a brown object down on the floor. It was big enough to catch my eye and big enough to make me jump. It was a large (silver dollar-sized) spider that quickly ran and took refuge under a chair. While...
UNUSED 3 [313 words] Earlier this week, my wife received a call from an unfamiliar toll free number. I answered it for her and it happened to be a computerized message stating that an inmate from the Weld County jail in Colorado has called this number and asked if we would accept the charges for...
UNUSED 3 [301 words] We’re told that love is “what makes the world go ‘round.” An old song suggests, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” And the Bible has been promoting the same message for centuries now: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself . . . let us love one another.”...
UNUSED 20 [327 words] Most parents will agree that when it is back to school time, there are challenges to be faced. We will be concerned about making sure they have the right school supplies, maybe some new clothing. Perhaps we’ll be worried about our child’s new teacher, or a different mix of kids in...
UNUSED 0 [373 words] How many times have we heard this expression as a prelude to a collective journey of the brethren into the presence of God? I wonder, is it used so much that we forget its importance? Here are some instances of corporate prayers found in the New Testament. In Matthew 26 and...
UNUSED 0 [320 words] Perhaps the Bible’s greatest enemy is preaching; preaching that makes the Bible appear to be a book of conflicting, contradictory doctrines. Robert Owen, the notorious atheist said in controversy with Alexander Campbell that the reason he was an atheist was because he had read so many conflicting doctrines all of which...
UNUSED 1 [366 words] Many years ago, I heard Leroy Brownlow (author of “Why I am a Member of the Church of Christ”) use this illustration. “What are the two main problems in the church?” The question was answered with, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” He hit the nail on the head. Indifference...
UNUSED 2 [315 words] Shepherds are a gracious gift from God. God has always known the need for His people to remain faithful to Him, and how difficult, in the face of temptations, it can be for them to do so. Moses, a faithful servant-leader in all God’s house (Heb. 3:2), knew first hand the...
UNUSED 0 [361 words] Each of us know that prayer is very important. In our own lives we will pray at different times and for different reasons. We pray at meal times, when someone is having troubles in their lives (such as sickness, death or making difficult decisions). We also know that our Lord and...
UNUSED 0 [319 words] A sports news network reported an NFL’s investigation showed an offensive lineman for one of the teams was harassed by one of his teammates last year. An investigation ordered by the league said it found evidence that a player had been the subject of racial slurs and bullying during his time with...
UNUSED 0 [320 words] “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act” (John 8:3-4). I’m not sure why I chose the story of the adulterous woman...
UNUSED 0 [368 words] What does it mean to be loved by a father? Let the apostle John answer. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1 NKJV). “Behold” See, behold, and understand. God wants us to understand how he loves...
UNUSED 0 [320 words] Sin has a way of demanding our attention. Whether it is a sin someone has committed against us or our falling prey to our own evil desires (James 1:14), sin has a way of becoming our focus. All sin is against God and carries with it the spiritual death sentence demanded...
UNUSED 0 [370 words] Fear–a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc. One of the things that causes many in the world today to fear is the “What if…” What if our worst fear were to come true? What if I lose everything? What if my friends leave me? What if my parents...
UNUSED 19 [358 words] It was Sunday afternoon. The phone rang. The voice on the line was that of a man who had been a member of this church in times past. He now lives in another city, but had returned to Little Rock for a visit. “I want to talk to you about my...
UNUSED 14 [352 words] Years ago, as a youth minister, I had a gentleman from a denominational organization call me and want our group to come to a denominational youth rally. He promised games, prizes, entertainment, a great concert with the latest bands, and that our youth group would be “stoked” to “be on fire...
UNUSED 6 [302 words] Have you ever caught yourself being defensive? I know I have on more than one occasion. Defensiveness is a product of our desire for justice. We want others to treat us fairly, and when we perceive that isn’t happening, we get defensive. Defensiveness is also a mechanism for self-preservation. We assume...
UNUSED 16 [310 words] Today, some of us somewhere are receiving bad news, having to deal with unexpected challenges, existing in the darkness of being alone, having our feelings hurt, aren’t sure where our next meal is coming from, wandering how are we going to make that payment or going through excruciating physical pain. During...
UNUSED 22 [356 words] Back on the farm, I remember that when something broke down, my father would get out his toolbox and make the repairs. As a child, I was always fascinated by his toolbox and its contents. It seemed my father could fix almost anything with the tools inside. From the very beginning,...
UNUSED 25 [325 words] Most of us would like to be “better” at prayer. We’d like to do it more often and with more power. Just like the disciples of Jesus who came to Him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1), we long for divine guidance in this area. One of the...
UNUSED 13 [313 words] Most of us “know” better than we “do.” And most of us intend better than we perform. But we feel as if time is on our side. We’ll get to it eventually. We’ll begin tomorrow. Sadly, many of us never “get to it” and tomorrow never comes. Procrastination is still the...
UNUSED 3 [332 words] As I type, Monday is knocking at the door! Challenges lay ahead, temptation is on both sides of the road, and Satan is waiting for me to step off the path I walk with Jesus. You and I will battle sin every hour and every day this week. The Good News...
UNUSED 10 [398 words] It is good from time to time to do some introspection and see where we are in life. Sometimes we do not like what we find and then make efforts to get “back to the basics.” This is something that we should do periodically as a church, as well. A congregation...
UNUSED 1 [387 words] Acknowledge that God not only exists, but that He is eager to bless people whose hearts are hungry for His presence (Hebrews 11:6; Acts 17:24-28; Matthew 5:8). Admit your own unworthiness when compared to such a holy and righteous God. After our ancestor Adam, all of us have chosen the path...
UNUSED 2 [364 words] Sometimes as humans, we tend to give more credit to our enemies than they actually deserve. I know that in my personal life, I struggle with making Satan much more powerful than he already is. Sometimes, we tend to think of Satan as an all-powerful being, when in reality he isn’t....
UNUSED 4 [333 words] We all are looking for ways to deal with the trials and tribulations in our life each day. The book of James provides us with practical strategies from Scripture which allow us to overcome challenges, grow spiritually, and help others with struggles. James 1:1-7 teaches us we can profit from trials!...
UNUSED 0 [316 words] Did you know that Mother’s Day is known as the #1 most popular day of the year for eating in a restaurant? All the restaurants will be slammed as people don’t want mom to have to cook and everyone says, “let’s go out and honor mom!” We should rightly honor mothers...
UNUSED 1 [367 words] In Acts 21, Paul is returning to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey. On his way back, he runs into brethren at Tyre. Interestingly, we are not told how the church there got started. Since none of Paul’s other missionary journeys went that way, we must speculate. One strong likelihood is...
UNUSED 13 [329 words] Since it opened in 1937, more than 2,000 people have jumped off of the Golden Gate Bridge in an attempt to commit suicide. The jumps have become so commonplace that authorities have placed signs on the bridge that read: “THE CONSEQUENCES OF JUMPING FROM THIS BRIDGE ARE FATAL AND TRAGIC.” They...
UNUSED 17 [394 words] In 2 Kings 5, a very familiar story of the Old Testament is recorded. Naaman was the commander of the army of Syria – an enemy nation of Israel. He was a mighty man of valor, but he also suffered from leprosy. After one of his raids, he brought back a...
UNUSED 13 [382 words] We all have gone straight to the “Help Wanted” column of the classified section of the newspaper. When I needed a second or third job, I would spend a dollar in hopes of finding employment in the Sunday edition. Most of the time, we can find work if we are seeking....
UNUSED 14 [304 words] There are many ways we use our words each day. In a recent study researchers found that on average, women speak 16,215 words per day and men speak 15,669 words per day. Some people use very few words and some people seem to never stop talking, even to talking in their...
UNUSED 4 [399 words] “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David...
UNUSED 4 [358 words] There have been a few times when I have been followed, stalked if you will, by animals. Once by a cat that wanted to play, once by a skunk on the UAM campus (who didn’t want to play), and once by a large dog that I am sure was trying to...
UNUSED 2 [305 words] Jesus once came across a funeral procession and did something strange. He walked up to the boy’s grieving mother and said: “don’t cry.” That poor lady might have said: “Why not weep? It is time. I have lost my only son.” But Jesus reached out and touched the open coffin. This...
