300-399 words

Attitude

[353 words] Attitude has so much to do with living the Christian life. A negative attitude will cause one to be overly critical and to see only the dark side of life. Such a perspective can be very depressing. When we see only the bad, we cease to experience the joys of being a Christian.…

The Right Attitude Leads to Gratitude

[352 words] I went home for lunch the other day and had a sandwich and leftover potato soup, and let me tell you that soup tasted really good! Now, normally I do not mind leftovers, but it is rare for me to rave about them. I’m sure you’re wondering what it was that made it…

Mustard Seed Faith

[367 words] “So Jesus said to them ‘because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matthew 17:20). Unfortunately many modem English translations talk…

Night is Coming!

[304 words] Jesus healed a blind man. Before working the miracle, the Lord declared, “We must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (Jn. 9:4-5). Jesus knew…

The Prophet Joel Speaks

[301 words] The Old Testament prophets often went unappreciated in their time. Little has changed today. Many Christians do not know the order of the OT prophets, and usually need some extra time looking up a Scripture reference from one of those books during a class or sermon. But these were men of God, speaking…

I Said Nothing

[388 words] Robert Benchly once remarked, “Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing.” No matter how great your vocabulary may be, sometimes, the right thing to say is nothing. First, if you cannot speak with purity, the best thing that you can say, no matter how large your vocabulary may be, is…

Outward Appearances

[346 words] “Oh, how horrible our sins look when they are committed by someone else!” — Chuck Smith. It’s so hard to keep our eyes on ourselves rather than to compare ourselves with others, isn’t it? We CAN be too hard on ourselves as we live in a world where it’s normal to compare ourselves…

The Beginning of Life

[375 words] Our bodies were received from our earthly parents; however, our spirit came from God. God is the Father of our spirit (Heb. 12:9). God alone forms the spirit of man within him (Zech. 12:1). Man alone, of all creatures of this earth, has a spirit and bears the image of his Creator. No…

Pleasing to God

[379 words] Do you ever wonder if you are pleasing to God? Do you consider if you are living a life that is pleasing to Him? Jesus stated in John 8:29 that “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” God acknowledged that he indeed was pleased with Jesus as the apostle Peter…

Life Isn’t Fair, But It Isn’t God’s Fault!

[387 words] The atheist would argue that the reason life isn’t fair is because there is no God. The agnostic would say that life’s “unfairness” is “evidence” of why he or she can’t make his/her mind up about God. The apathetic, religious person would point to life’s lack of fairness as the reason why he…

Proper Fear

[329 words] It seems as though the world is talking about the Ebola virus right now. Many are in a panic. Many are terrified. Proper fear can be a good thing. Recognizing something to be a threat is good. Formulating a plan to stay safe is good. Putting the safety plan into action is good.…

Are You Passing on Your Faith?

[349 words] “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” (2 Tim. 1:5). I remember well the name of Howard Hughes. Hughes’ life started with great potential, but his life ended…

I Wish I Would Have…

[354 words] I wish I would not have played so timidly during my high school basketball career. I wish I would not have taken chapel attendance as a suggestion my freshmen year of college. I wish, I wish, I wish… The list could go on and on in my life and I’m sure you could…

Giving Ourselves First to the Lord

[300 words] Christ gave Himself up for us, and so, we live this life in our flesh by faith in the Son of God (Eph 5:1; Gal 2:20) to the service and blessing of one another. As husbands, we give ourselves up for our wives (Eph. 5:25). As fathers, we give ourselves to the nurturing…

The Corinthian Error

[302 words] The Corinthian church was slipping away from the pattern that their Master had set for them to follow. The way they were observing the Lord’s Supper was one of the main problems in this area as it was being eaten with a common meal. The Corinthian brethren had totally lost the significance of…

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

[327 words] We all know the story of Cain and Abel. From childhood, we learned the awful story of how Cain out of anger and jealousy killed his own brother. Cain was the world’s first murderer. He is one of most infamous villains in the history of the world. Yet there may be more of…

A ‘Can Do’ Attitude

[353 words] I remember back in my 9th grade English class, one of my assignments was to make an “eye can.” The teacher asked each one of us in the class to bring to school an empty and clean vegetable can. When the day arrived to complete the “eye can” assignment, she asked each of…
Funny Jokes for Church Bulletin

On the Lighter Side (December 2014)

[328 words] Four-year-old to her two-year-old sister: “Let’s play Christmas. I’ll be Santa Claus and you can be a present and I’ll give you away.” — A man was applying for credit at a department store. Clerk: What do you do for a living? Man: I’m a tree trimmer. Clerk: What do you do after…

Rise and Shine!

[394 words] I was conscious enough at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday to hear my dad step inside our doorway and turn on the light. My dad would say, “Rise and shine, my sons!” We got up to our daily chores of cooking breakfast, making coffee, fixing mom and dad’s lunch pails and their thermoses,…

For the Joy of It

[307 words] The Hebrews writer advised his readers to always be “looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Notice that phrase, “for…

Are You a Spectator?

[362 words] The American League and National League division games in Major League Baseball have been great, haven’t they? Okay, so the Tigers didn’t have the start we’d like, but there are more opportunities to win, aren’t there? When one goes to a baseball, football or basketball game, that person goes as a spectator. There…

An Unnecessary Exercise

[371 words] A man was hoeing his garden in a chair. Said the passerby to himself, “What laziness!” However, closer observation revealed to the passerby a pair of crutches leaning against the chair. The passerby was guilty of that unnecessary exercise called “jumping to conclusions.” Be honest! Very little effort is required for attaching the…

Time Well Spent

[311 words] Most if not all of us are fam i liar with financial budgets. In them, you make a list of all your available resources each month and a list of all your expenditures for each month. The goal is to arrive at a place where your income is higher than your outgo. To…

You and Satan

[368 words] The Scriptures warn us about the devil. He is not our friend, he is our foe. He doesn’t love us, he hates us. He is not for us, he is against us. He indeed is our number one enemy; therefore, Peter admonishes, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like…

A Fitting Memorial

[372 words] On the morning of February 19, 1945, the fourth and fifth divisions of the United States Marine Corps invaded Iwo Jima after a 72-hour bombardment. Four days later, the men of the 28th regiment of the fifth division captured Mt. Suribachi. Five Marines and a Navy corpsman planted the U.S. flag in what…

Do You Ever Forget What You Are Doing?

[362 words] Have you ever deliberately walked into a room, gone back to your house, or driven to a store only to forget why you went in there, in the first place? Many of us have done this, unintentionally, of course! We may feel dumb or scatter-brained when it happens. We may even get frustrated.…

What If Jesus Had Returned Yesterday?

[342 words] The title of this article is a question of no little importance. And when we reflect upon Jesus’ own words that “many” will choose to walk the way of eternal destruction and that “few” will ultimately make it to the gates of Heaven (cf. Matthew 7:13-14), this question becomes even richer in significance.…

It Starts With Self

[342 words] I am well aware that putting self first does not seem like a Christ-like thing to do, but, for now, that’s where we need to start. My relationship with God has to start with my willingness to meet Him, to see Him, to recognize who He is. He is there waiting, but I…

The Privilege of Serving in the Kingdom

[385 words] Occasionally, I see bulletins with an order of service for the Sunday worship period. They will include the phrase, ‘Those privileged to serve” and follow with a list of the men who will be leading the services. I like that phrase, “Those privileged to serve.” The word “privilege” refers to “a right…granted as…

Become a Mentor: Affect Eternity!

[336 words] What do Jesus, Batman, and peanut butter all have in common? Sidekicks. Jesus has the 12 apostles, Batman has Robin, and peanut butter has jelly. These tandems create dynamic teams. Think of it this way: Timothy would have don a fine job preaching and teaching in Acts 16 but Paul heard about him…
Funny Jokes for Church Bulletin

On the Lighter Side (November 2014)

[397 words] A woman and her husband interrupted their vacation to go to a dentist. “I want a tooth pulled, and I don’t want Novocaine because I’m in a big hurry,” the woman said. “Just extract the tooth as quickly as possible, and we’ll be on our way.” The dentist was quite impressed. “You’re certainly…

That’s Disgusting!

[317 words] Stephen doesn’t feel disgust. Ever. After years of attempting to find a reason for his lack of ability to feel emotions, Stephen’s doctors finally diagnosed him with a little-known condition called alexithymia. People who fit into this category are unable to feel excitement, shame, disgust, anticipation, or even love. One might think that…

Why Do You Go to Worship?

[300 words] Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation” (Psalm 111:1). We gather and worship on a different day than those spoke of in the passage above. Yet, God’s people have always been commanded to worship Him in a prescribed…

Godliness is Greater

[348 words] Devotion in action. Seeking to be like God for God’s sake. With phrases such as this we attempt to convey what we mean when we speak of living a godly life. In a world that is searching for the right way to live and the best way to experience fulfillment, it is godliness…

Winning Souls for Christ

[391 words] Proverbs 11:30 states, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise.” The New Testament continues to emphasize the winning of souls by teaching us to make disciples in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15-16. Once one has been won to Christ, we are to continue being taught. In Acts 2:42 it…

Lessons From The Lost Coin

[309 words] Luke 15:1-2 sets up the three parables Jesus is using to teach His lessons. The “tax collectors and sinners” were drawn to the uplifting message of Jesus! These groups wanted an alternative to the ugliness found in their lives while having no sense of hope and direction. Luke 15:8-10 says, “Or what woman,…

Missing!

[309 words] One Sunday morning, a preacher pointed out to one of the elders that the flower arrangement that sits in front of the pulpit was missing. The elder hadn’t noticed it, but he certainly did now. This elder pulled all the other elders to the side and asked them if they had any knowledge…

What Does It Cost You?

[312 words] A certain group of teens wanted to raise awareness about the plight of the homeless. They decided that for a week they would live like homeless people live. However, the activity was postponed due to weather! Isn’t that ironic? They said they wanted to live like the homeless, but don’t the homeless get…

Two Mules’ Burdens of Earth

[324 words] The story of Naaman receiving a cure for leprosy has been well known in the brotherhood, having been taught by just about every preacher. Most of the time, however, one only hears part of the story and that is the command for Naaman to plunge seven times in the Jordan River. There’s more.…

What Will Be Said to You?

[374 words] This past summer, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost in the primary election. It was the first time that a House Majority Leader lost the primary election in American history. In his concession speech, Senator Cantor thanked all those who were loyal until the end of his campaign. At the end of his…

How Often to Take the ‘Feast of Love’

[359 words] I recently read a fascinating article by John H. Armstrong in the September, 2014, issue of Christianity Today. Armstrong starts out reminiscing on early childhood worship experiences in the denomination he attended. He writes that his church celebrated the Lord’s Supper “four times a year. I remember asking why we celebrated it so…

In the Upper Room

[380 words] In Jerusalem, in the upper room of a house, Jesus gathers His disciple s around Him for the last time to eat the Passover feast. This was on the same night of His betrayal. There had been about three and a half years of association between Jesus and His disciples, but that is…

Child-Like Humility

[321 words] “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:4). As wonderful as children are, we as a society would think it foolish to hold children up as the ideal for adults to emulate in every way. Youngsters are shortsighted, tending to choose the things that…

What Brought YOU Here?

[388 words] This morning churches across our nation will fill up with people gathering together for different reasons. For some it was the social interaction. For some it was to check the “go to church” box off our checklist. For some it was because someone made them. For some it was a habit. For some…

Leftovers

[396 words] I once knew a family that got a lot of free pies. The reason was that there was an elderly gentleman who had an unusual “tradition.” This man wanted his wife to fix a fresh pie for their noon meal. As I remember it, if this was not a daily occurrence, it was…

Fault-Finding is Easy

[353 words] Most folk are eager to confess the faults of others, while seldom confessing any of their own. Often this is prevalent among Christians, who should know that their ethical standard is in reverse when they engage in such action. Instead of gossiping about a brother or sister whose behavior is inconsistent with Christian…

Vending Machine Religion

[339 words] Sitting in an automobile repair shop, I was recently confronted with one of the biggest opponents to health—the vending machine. As a young boy, like a magnet I was drawn to the bright lights and the colorful display of pure sweetness found within every wrapper. The thrill of putting money in and selecting…

The Most Important Days of Your Life

[323 words] No, it isn’t the day you were born, married, your children were born, or even the day you lost someone of great importance to you. Not to minimize the significance of those days, but these three days are the same for everyone, and in many respects much more important. The first day is…

They Hoisted the Trophy Without Him

[392 words] It was a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. My son’s Little League All-Star baseball team was playing in the Regional championship game. The team had won their first game earlier that afternoon to advance to the championship round. Just before the start of the game I headed to the dugout to inform both…

Conversion: Diet Or Lifestyle?

[344 words] I have lost 300 pounds: two pounds 150 times. Many have. It is one thing to lose weight. It is a radically different thing to change our lifestyle. Yet diets fail. All how-to books ultimately fail. Why? Because they do not alter the lifestyle. There are no shortcuts. There is no magic. No…

The Hanging of the King’s Men

[321 words] “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread. hath lifted up his heel against me” (Psa. 41:9). We have heard it said that history often repeats itself, and this was certainly true relative to the circumstances surrounding Judas Iscariot. This betrayer of the King of kings…

Let’s Not ‘Agent 86’ It

[351 words] If any of the younger generation is reading this, they are probably thinking, “Has Bill David lost what little mind he has?” while those of my generation are thinking, “Maxwell Smart?” One of Maxwell Smart’s favorite lines was, “I missed it by that much.” Whenever he would utter those words, all of us…

God’s Wonderful Creation

[371 words] The only way we can know about the creation is from God who did the creating. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Everything was created by the power of God. The first thing God did was to create light and in Genesis 1:4 “God called the…

Cotton In His Ears?

[315 words] Sometime ago I was watching a baseball game on television. I noticed the pitcher had cotton in his ears. My first thought was he’s out there pitching with an earache. About that time the announcer gave an explanation for the cotton. He said the cotton was there to cut out all of the…

God Made It Simple

[398 words] The church belongs to God; his by right of purchase; costing him the death of his beloved Son. Since the church belongs to God, it is logically called “the church of God” (1 Cor. 1:2). Since Christ promised to build his church, and paid full price for her with his own blood (Acts…

Are You Overdoing It?

[311 words] Have you ever been accused of “over doing it” or “going overboard” when it comes to working for the Lord? Most of us might reply, “Not often!” Others of us might think we “overdo” sometimes, but we probably don’t. Still, being an “overachiever” and “go getter” when it comes to church work is…

You Don’t Need the Book of Mormon to Know the Truth of God

[349 words] If asked why it took approximately 1,800 years after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the book of Mormon to be revealed the Mormons will respond by say ing that the world was not ready for the truth. But is that true? Was the world living without the truth, the…

Longest Speech, Shortest Term

[327 words] The shortest inaugural address was George Washington’s second, in 1793, and it was comprised of 193 words! William Henry Harrison, though raised a cultured, educated man, campaigned on a folksy ticket symbolized by the log cabin. To set a different, more cultured tone for his presidency, Harrison decided to give a lengthy, erudite…

Lost Pit Viper

[332 words] “Danger: We believe there may be a dangerous pit viper lost somewhere in the apartment complex. Please watch where you step!” This may sound like the first line from a low-budget horror movie, but for some renters in South Carolina it is all too real. Management at an apartment complex found a snakeskin…

Am I Your Enemy…?

[393 words] (Galatians 4:16) …if l encourage you (as a young adult) to work through emotions and look realistically (as much as possible) upon the person you are about to marry? …if l note your sincerity and effort in serving Christ and compliment you at every chance I get? …if I take note of your…
Funny Jokes for Church Bulletin

On the Lighter Side (July 2014)

[396 words] A little boy and his daddy were looking at a litter of puppies, planning to buy one, and the daddy asked the boy which one he wanted. The lad pointed to a pup whose tail was wagging furiously and said, “That one with the happy ending!” – How Adam Had It Easy 1.…

Handprints Aren’t So Bad After All

[347 words] The bags were packed, goodbye’s were said, and the children were excited as they prepared to go with their grandparents for a few days to Tennessee. My wife and I do not take a lot of overnight trips where we’ll be apart, but on this occasion she and the kids had an opportunity…

What Are We Leaving Behind?

[303 words] We are all familiar with news stories that highlight the “less than genius” decisions made by certain law breakers. Sometimes there are valuable lessons to be learned from these blunders. One particular criminal had been in jail for a short period of time when he was released. However, only a couple of hours…

The Importance of Honoring Our Parents

[369 words] Jesus’ mother, Mary, witnessed the crucifixion from the foot of the cross. Despite his agony, Jesus told his best friend, John, to take care of his mom, and to his mother he said, let John stand in my place as your son. John lived a very long life, and I believe he took…

The Empty Tomb

[376 words] The first attempt to escape the fact of the resurrection of Jesus was the attempt of the chief priests who tried to explain why the tomb was empty! The guards reported to the priests, and even these Jewish leaders did not question the report that the tomb was empty! They did not even…

The Story of Evil

[375 words] “Behold, he travails with wickedness, and he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood. He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, and has fallen into the hole which he made. His mischief will return upon his own head, and his violence will descend upon his own pate”(Ps. 7:14-16). View carefully these three…

Spirit, Help My Weakness

[354 words] Help my weakness of virtue. A primary weakness that we notice about ourselves is our moral weakness, our weakness in the face of temptation. Jesus noted that, like when we want to stay awake but drift into sleep anyway, we are susceptible to the weakness of our fleshly cravings. “The spirit is willing,…

Getting What You Want

[394 words] Two little teardrops were floating down the river of life. One teardrop asked the other, “Who are you?” “I’m a teardrop from a girl who loved a man and lost him. But who are you?” The first teardrop replied, “I’m a teardrop from the girl who got him.” Life is like that. We…

‘But Amnon Had a Friend’

[394 words] “And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for…
Funny Jokes for Church Bulletin

On the Lighter Side (June 2014)

[374 words] A none-too-alert motorist sat motionless behind the wheel of his car. The traffic signal changed from green to yellow to red and back to green again. Still he sat staring ahead. Whereupon a police officer approached the absentminded man and demanded: “Mister, don’t we have any colors you like?” – There is a…

God Hates Shorts!

[370 words] You may be thinking that the title is presumptuous, opinionated, and even out of line. Let me disclaim what follows by asserting that God does not hate all shorts. He does, however, hate the following types of shorts. God Hates Shortcuts. At least, He hates humanly devised shortcuts for which He has given…

Affirmation

[379 words] Humans need it. We want others to give it freely, not grudgingly. We want it to come without prompting and we would love for it to happen on a regular basis. However, most of us are of such disposition we do not need it every day or, for that matter, every week, But…

Selling the Old Collectibles

[323 words] While conversing with my father the other day we got on the subject of “collectibles.” I asked him if they (my folks) still had some of the old toys my brother and I used to have. He said they had several old toys boxed up in the basement. Turns out they had kept…

Involvement

[320 words] The Lord’s church consists of saved sinners who have entered into Christ through gospel obedience (Eph. 5:23; 2 Tim. 2:10; Mk. 16:15-16; 2 Thess. 1:8). Anyone who has entered into Christ is a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). Christians are God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,…

Like a Thief in the Night

[324 words] Have you ever been robbed? In December of 1989, just before Christmas, I returned home from college one afternoon to find our back door standing wide open. It had been kicked in by thieves who had robbed our home and the home of my aunt and uncle down the road. All of our…

A Cost Analysis of Love

[386 words] God is love (1 John 4:8). In my opinion the best place to start an attempt to grasp something that is unfathomable is beginning with something we do understand: family. When our children were born, what joy they brought in our lives and oh, so many concerns. If we were the parents we…

The Beatles

[310 words] For a couple of weeks now, people have been celebrating the influence of the Beatles on the music industry. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the “British Invasion” that shook the foundation of the entertainment industry in our nation. Since the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan television program, their influence…

Have I Waited Too Long?

[368 words] Tuesday morning I went to get the oil changed in my car because it was long past due. So I finally woke up early one morning and drove to Wal-Mart to have them take care of it. As I sat and watched the men prepare to work I noticed one of them shaking…

Is Your Mood Harming the Church?

[357 words] Do you know what will kill the vibrancy of a local congregation quicker than anything else? It may not be what you think. Failing to have adequate church programs may be a contributor, but that’s not the main thing. A lack of passion in the pulpit may be a contributor, but that’s not…

Find True Power

[364 words] People often look in the wrong place to find real power. Sometimes, folks look for power in the teachings of human beings. We humans are sometimes amazing. But, when it comes to true power we suddenly find ourselves unable to do very much. The teachings of Confucius are great, but are not divinely…

Observations From Perhaps The Most Difficult Passage In The New Testament

[348 words] What is perhaps the most difficult statement in the Bible is not grammatically complex or difficult to comprehend from an intellectual standpoint. But what elder, preacher, or other member has not agonized over it many times. Asked point blank for His teaching on the subject of marriage, divorce, and remarriage, Jesus says, “Because…

Read Kant

[310 words] My graduate philosophy instructor was a newly minted PhD, and he was an expert in Immanuel Kant. A well-informed, thoroughly devoted expert. His seminar on the German philosopher was, of course, excellent. His cardinal rule for our class was simple: Read Kant. Too many instructors present philosophy and philosophers through the writings of…

Benevolence: A Great Responsibility of the Church

[370 words] We are commanded as a group and individually to help others. There are people who are truly in need and we are to be God’s “hands” in these situations.“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from…

A Person? Or Just a Part?

[337 words] The abortion issue seems to center upon whether the fetus is a living person or just a part of the mother. If it is a person, aborting the fetus is murder. If it is just a part of the mother, aborting the fetus is just a procedure. There is a broad gap between…

Feeling North

[303 words] Liviu Babitz can actually feel north. Implanted in his chest is a small device, called North Sense, which vibrates when the wearer faces north, and Babitz is one of the first recipients of the technology (Smithsonian Magazine, January 18, 2017). God gave humans five general senses: sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste. The…

Heaven Will Surely Be Worth it All

[376 words] Thirty years ago, on a Sunday morning, I was in a 15-passenger van with a deacon of the local congregation picking up kids to bring them to Bible study. I remember it as if it were yesterday. The van was packed to the gills with children, and my job was crowd control. It…

Woman, Behold Your Son

[371 words] It was a Jewish custom for a mother to weave a tunic (long shirt) for her son before he left for adulthood. He wore this as one of five articles of clothing; shoes, head wrapping, girdle, tunic and robe. As Jesus hung on the cross, He saw the four soldiers dividing four of…

Would You Be Missed?

[324 words] After completing many years as a journalist, Arthur Brisbane was offered six months of paid vacation time by William Randolph Hearst, the publisher of the San Francisco Examiner. Brisbane refused to accept the kind offer because of two reasons. He said, “If I quit writing my newspaper column for six months, it might…

‘Church Stuff’ Really Works!

[396 words] If I were to try to think of a word that best describes God, I suppose it would be “awesome.” Not in the trivial way it is sometimes used but in moments of quiet deliberation when I contemplate his Word, his purpose, and his ways which inspire awe. Throughout the course of my…

Light

[328 words] History records for us an interesting footnote. It was during the dark winter of 1864. At Petersburg, Virginia, the Confederate army of Robert E. Lee faced the Union divisions of General Ulysses S. Grant. The war was now three and a half years old and the glorious charge had long since given way…

Lessons from a Former President

[380 words] John Quincy Adams may have held more important offices than anyone in the history of the United States. He served with distinction not only as the president and secretary of state but also as a senator, congressman, and an ambassador to major European leaders. He also played several key roles in the American…

Looks Aren’t Everything

[392 words] You wouldn’t think to look at him as mighty. When the man of God came to town, he wasn’t even invited to eat with the rest of his family. Sure he was good at what he did. He was trusted to handle the families’ sheep. He was a musician. He was young. He…

Upside Down

[308 words] You are watching a movie on TV or DVD. You are really rooting for the hero to overcome the obstacles before him so that he can ride off into the sunset. Suddenly it dawns on you: “I should not be rooting for this guy!” He has been violating the law! He has conquered…

Strong, Stately, and Successful

[302 words] “[The righteous] will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers” (Ps. 1:3). One of the best ways to communicate truth and beauty is by a simile or metaphor; this psalm…

Guaranteed Success from the Lord

[311 words] When young Samuel was with Eli training to be the Lord’s servant, the famous inc ident of the Lord speaking to him occurred in 1 Samuel 3:1-18. Immediately after that, these words are in the holy text, “So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall…

Ten Minutes With Jesus

[327 words] If the Lord Jesus Christ gave you ten minutes with him, what would you ask? There are some who wouldn’t want to speak to the Lord for two minutes, or even one minute because they don’t believe in him. They think he may have been a good teacher, but certainly he wasn’t the…

Indecision Keeps Us from Participating In the Victory

[398 words] They were called to war. But they stayed home discussing what to do. For their “great indecision,” they did not go to the front, but sat among the flocks listening to the whistles of the shepherds. They missed out on Israel’s victory! What a shameful moment for the tribe of Reuben! (For this…

You Gotta Be Dead!

[342 words] Overheard in Sunday school: Teacher: “If I sell my house and my car, have a big garage sale, and give all my money to the church, will that get me into heaven?” Children: “No!” Teacher: “If I clean the church building every day, mow the yard, and keep everything neat and tidy, will…

Polar Vortex

[336 words] Climate change activists have seized upon the recent frigid temperatures to promote their ever-evolving theory of “global warming.” They claim that this “polar vortex” is further proof that our climate is changing and that if drastic measures aren’t taken soon to reverse it, the world as we know it will be destroyed. I…

The Woman at the Well

[349 words] In the text of John 4:6-42, we find a very interesting woman engaged in conversation with the Lord. By and by Jesus tells her to go get her husband and return, to which she replied, “I have no husband.” After Jesus tells her about her five previous marriages and subsequent living condition with…
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