300-399 words

The Perfect Day

  [385 words] Most of us have some idea of what it would take to make a perfect day for us. Solomon gave us a key consideration that leads to the perfect day. As he invites his readers to pursue wisdom, he warns against walking in the path of the wicked. In contrast to that…

Prevention

  [337 words] Scenes from the past stroll across my memory as l hear the words “fire prevention.” Fire Prevention Week at school brought lessons about fire and its destructive force. Really neat, plastic helmets, “just like the ones firemen wear” adorned the heads of school children. Plastic badges and the title “Jr. Fire Marshall”…

But Joshua Spent That Night Among the People

  [316 words] “So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people. Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before…

Is the Young Man, Absalom, Safe?

  [368 words] The question above comes from 2 Samuel 18:32. Absalom, David’s son, had tried to wrest the kingdom from his father. He had slept with the ten concubines (wives) of his father. David had to flee his home when he heard Absalom was staging a coup and left these women to tend the…

How to Know What God Wants Me to Do

  [321 words] We all face important decisions. These decisions will often have a great impact on us and our families. It may be a question about what job to take, or where to live, or what school to attend, etc. What should we do? Does God offer any help or guidance in making such…

In Opposition to Abortion

  [368 words] Christians have always stood opposed to abortion. Abortion was common in the Roman Empire in which Christianity was born. Though there is no explicit New Testament reference to it, abortion was clearly condemned in the Christian literature immediately following the New Testament. For instance, in about AD 100 the Didache instructed, “And…

Unemployment

[332 words] Unemployed is living without a job or without work to be completed. The national unemployment rate as of July 2, 2015 was 5.3% according to a study released by the U.S. Department of Labor. That 5.3% is roughly 8.3 million people in the United States currently living without a job or without work.…

True Idol Worship…Here!

[369 words] It would be foolish to believe that there hasn’t been any worship of graven images, statues, etc. in this country. It has usually been kept very private. We’ve always preached that in this country, our idol worship is material things; activities; money; etc. But now, true idol worshipers have become very public in…

Doing it Right

[374 words] From the book of Exodus comes a great example of doing things right. In chapters 25-29, God gives Moses instructions concerning how the tabernacle is to be built. Many specific directions are given, and God emphasized the importance of following them exactly: “According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern…

Perils to the Soul

[322 words] Have you noticed the growing fascination that some have with other people’s perils? They pay good money to watch stunt drivers jump a string of cars, or a tightrope walker make his way across a tiny rope 200 feet above the pavement. We marvel when someone unnecessarily puts himself at risk. The greatest…

What About Our Reach?

[394 words] The Impala is an amazing creature that has a vertical leap of more than 10 feet and can jump an amazing 30 feet. With such abilities, one would think zoos would have to take extraordinary measures to build enclosures to keep these nearly airborne creatures inside the zoo, but they don’t. It seems…

Goals with No Nets

[386 words] Back in the day, friends would invite me to meet them somewhere to play a pick-up game of basketball, and few things are more disappointing than showing up to play a game of basketball and seeing a goal with no net. While I might have verbalized my disappointment, it didn’t prevent me from…

Foul Language Is Foul

  [312 words] I recently watched a nationally televised athletic event where literally millions of people viewed the same game. During the game, the main camera showed one of the coaches being very upset and using verbally abusive foul language regarding calls made by the officials! What I observed disturbed me. Then I realized how…

They Just Won’t Listen

  [388 words] “Then He said to me: ‘Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard…

What Will You Do With The New?

[336 words] Toward the end of the year, we begin to focus on the “new.” We enjoy giving and receiving “new” presents, and we look forward to the hope of a “new” year. A blank calendar page represents fresh opportunity, but what will we do with it? Hezekiah was known as a man who received…

The Big Buyout

[320 words] The line starts to form around 4:30 in the morning. The goal of the people in line is to buy up the stock of doughnuts at Donut City, a small, family-owned shop in Seal Beach, California. By 7:30 the doughnuts have all been purchased. The motivation of the buyouts: to allow the shop…

Upward Mobility

[300 words] In a tiny coastal Mexican village, a boat comes into port. An American who is nearby compliments the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his catch and asks how long it took him to catch them. “Not very long,” answers the Mexican. “But why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asks…

Take Advantage of What the Church Offers

[330 words] Recently, I dropped my son off at the building for an activity that will enhance his ability to develop a budget and be a better provider both financially and spiritually when he starts his family one day. I know our schedules create barriers from time to time and we can’t attend everything. However,…

The Biblical Way of Dealing with a Brother Who Has Sinned Against You

[338 words] “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be…

Thoughts About the Grace of Giving

[350 words] This time of year, many don’t think twice about volunteering in a food bank, in a soup kitchen, or in taking a neighbor some extra peanut brittle made for an office party. This time of year, it doesn’t take much prompting for someone to drop some pocket change into the rounded-metal canisters sitting…

On Being Thankful

  [348 words] Thankfulness is an attitude of heart and mind that expresses itself in speech and action. Most of us have experienced ingratitude from another at some time in our lives, and such an experience is less than satisfying. Have you ever done something for someone, only to be received with little or no…

A Total Loss

  [329 words] A few weeks ago, my oldest daughter was hit from behind by another driver. No one was hurt, and the damage to the rear bumper appeared minimal. The insurance company instructed me to take the car in for a closer inspection and repair estimate. During that inspection, they discovered that the damage…

Sinkholes

  [354 words] A giant sinkhole opened up in Schmalkalden, Germany about 98 feet across and about 65 feet deep that swallowed a car, part of a garage and house. Yet, it was small compared to the sinkhole that opened up in Guatemala City in 2007. Reportedly, residents heard rumblings for weeks but no one…

Prejudice

  [393 words] The world teaches hate. Turn on the news or any social media and you will be flooded with stories and opinions that drive fear, distrust, and anger. If you are honest with yourself, you know we have all seen prejudice. We are all guilty of prejudice at one time or another, it…

What Defines You?

  [306 words] Are you known for your knowledge of the great outdoors, your keen political awareness, the expertise in your profession or your ability to understand what it takes to build a superb athletic team? I enjoy hearing good hunting stories, listening to whether or not we are on the right track in our…

Why Love?

  [369 words] “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13). Have you ever wondered why it is that love is the greatest? I mean, faith and hope are two powerful elements of our Christian lives. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb.…

Looking in the Wrong Place for Jesus

  [331 words] Periodically, we read or hear of “sightings” that unbelievers have a field day with. I refer to “Jesus sightings,” people are claiming in such things as clouds, Cheetos, dental X-rays, cooking utensils, windows, walls, and trees. Wikipedia even has an entry for it (“Perceptions of religious imagery in natural phenomena”). People vehemently…

What is the Standard for Our Morality?

  [376 words] “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21). It seems since the beginning of…

No Stone Unturned

  [303 words] In Mark 13:1-2 we read, “As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be…

Biblical Meditation: The Cure for What Ails You

  [392 words] “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and…

I Know There is a God!

  [330 words] There are so many people in the world today claiming that there is no God. Well I am here to state that I know there is a God and I can prove it. You may ask how I can be so confident. I know for one hundred percent certainty that God exists…

Marks of the Maker

  [397 words] As I was laying on the floor of the parking garage at the Fort Bend County Justice Center (for those of you concerned—it was for exercise), I noticed that on the huge slab of concrete above me, it had arrows and notes drawn in chalk on it. Being that it was too…

We Don’t Belong Here!

  [311 words] “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19 ESV). The apostle Paul tells us that we are to seek thing that are above (Col. 3 :1-2) so that we will focus on things that are to he…

Calling It What It Is

  [343 words] The past several years have produced an uneasy, unfounded shift in brotherhood terminology. Much has been written in various journals and papers, and even more has been said in countless lectures and sermons concerning “our movement” and “our fellowship,” with less and less being said about the Lord’s church. Not so long…

Buying Back the Past

  [305 words] Oscar Wilde once put forth this thought-provoking observation: “No man is rich enough to buy back his past.” To a large degree, Wilde was right. Even Paul, that matchless apostle of New Testament days, was haunted by acrid memories of a wasted and misdirected youth, a time when he had worked feverishly…

No Thank You

  [327 words] Media advice columnists offer counsel to readers with all kinds of relationship problems. One woman described a situation in which she had offered an acquaintance a ride to church. He usually walked, but the weather was miserable and she said she was happy to help. But when he didn’t respond according to…

Planting a Forest

  [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 to…

Don’t Quit

  [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 chose…

Elders Need to Lead With Compassion

  [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 by…

A Toothbrush and the Bible

  [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 is…

Four Commands We Must Live By

  [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 by…

Hide and Seek With a Spider

  [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 I…
Teach

Answer Their Call

  [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 the…

It Makes the World Go ‘Round

  [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.” (Leviticus…

Back to School Challenges

  [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 the…

Let Us Pray

  [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 its…

That the World May Believe

  [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 claimed…

I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care!

  [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 is…

Honor and Obey Shepherds

  [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 importance…

A Prayer for Parents

  [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 Savior,…

Tell the Story of True Suffering

  [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…

‘This Woman was Taken in Adultery, in the Very Act’

  [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 brought…

What Does it Mean to Be Loved by a Father?

  [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 us.…

Behold, the Lamb of God

  [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 by…

F.E.A.R.

  [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 divorce?…

When Baptism is Meaningless

  [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 baptism,”…

What We Win Them With, We Win Them To

  [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 for…

Feeling Defensive?

  [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 that…

Don’t Give Up!

  [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 times…

A Father’s Toolbox

[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, God has…

Growing in Prayer

[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 great pertinent…
Clock

The Time is Now

[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 thief of…

We Can Win The Battle

[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 is Jesus…

The ABC’s of the Church

[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 can get…

Procrastination

[391 words] We all have a problem with procrastination from time to time. Have you ever put off writing a term paper, paying a bill, purchasing Christmas gifts, mowing your yard, completing a house project, cleaning your house, doing the laundry, or filing your tax return? While procrastination in these and other areas will not…

The ABC’s of Becoming a Follower of Jesus

[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 of sin…

Does Satan Deserve the Power We Give Him?

[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. This is…

James: Where Faith Meets Real Life

[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! This section…

Honoring Moms

[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 everywhere for…

Each One Can Reach One

[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 that there…

Regret

[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 have even…

Live Right and People Will Listen

[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 young Israelite…

Help Wanted

[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. This is…

Words

[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 sleep. By…

How to Lose Your Kingdom

[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 the son…

You Are Being Stalked!

[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 hamstring me.…

A Strange Thing Happened at the Funeral

[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 was a…

Demonstrate That He Doesn’t Belong

[318 words] The student came into my office yesterday with a surprise. “Excuse me, but there’s a snake in the hallway.” “What?” I asked. “Yeah! A snake, right outside your office door!” I opened the door, and sure enough, there was the foot-long garter snake, motionless in the middle of the hallway floor a full…

Researching Your Family Tree

[332 words] Have you seen the commercials advertising for Ancestry.com? Every time that I watch those ads I want to sign up for their service to search out my family history. That kind of thing just fascinates me. I remember a few years ago being at Ellis Island in New York and seeing a book…

Father’s Day

[359 words] It was the peppery Erma Bombeck who once said of her father, “I never knew what to do with the daddy doll, so I had him say, ‘I’m going off to work now’; and I put him under the bed.” One of the most precious things a father can give his child is…

Payback

[355 words] I believe one of the hardest lessons for a child to learn growing up is not to return evil for evil. For example, when one child pushes another, the response is typically for the other child to push back in return. As a child growing up, I had an older sister I felt…

A Rough Row to Hoe

[304 words] The Christian life has been described as “headed into a storm, in a storm, or coming out of a storm.” The question for the believer is not if trials will come, but what to do when they do come. The apostle Paul said that “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of…

‘I’ Exam: Focus On Christ

[341 words] Where is your focus? This is a question each Christian must answer for himself. Christianity is not something that we do for just a little while. It is a way of life that must be lived everyday. Neither is it like a coat that we put on and take off with the changing…

Are You Excited About Heaven?

[360 words] Lets talk about heaven. Are you excited about heaven? If there was a bus going to heaven today, would you be ready to jump on board and go home? Many people claim to want to go to heaven, but few people want to go right now. Over and over I have seen the…

Your Obituary Has Not Been Written Yet

[382 words] Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the local newspaper: “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before, and he died a very rich…

Another Act of Pure Evil

[357 words] The tragedy in the Floridian public school saddens the nation.  As we look on as Christians, we know the root of this evil act and that is Satan. Sin came into this world through his trickery and Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God. Since then, horrible disease, evil acts, death, etc., entered the…

What Would You Expect?

[344 words] If you got in your car and drove in the direction given by a sign that said “Paducah, KY–20 miles,” what would you expect to find after driving twenty miles? If you passed a sign that said the are you were driving in an area patrolled by policemen with radar, and you drove…

What is the Bible?

[358 words] The Bible is first and foremost the inspired, inerrant word of God. It is the message delivered from Heaven through the spirit-breathed words of inspired men. It is historically, scientifically, and geographically as perfect as its original author. It contains no errors or contradictions as it has been protected by the very hand…

‘A Man in Whom is the Spirit’

[385 words] What will be said of us when we die? How will our eulogy go? If there ever was a funeral that I would have liked to be present for, it would have been Joshua’s. In Numbers 27:18, the description above is given to Joshua. We find much written about him in the Old…

I Know What Love Is…

[371 words] You may have seen the recent commercial by the Ad Council that tells us love has no limits. It shows people behind an x-ray screen embracing only showing their skeletal outlines. The people emerge from the behind to reveal they are a same sex couple, to a cheering crowd. The scene is redone…

Faith Check

[387 words] It is always good for a person to do regular checkups on themselves and their lives. We know the importance of this physically, mentally, and even financially. But too often we neglect to do this spiritually – and this is the most important area of all. In Micah’s day, there were questions of…

Enabling Bad Behavior is as Sinful as the Behavior

[324 words] You’ve probably watched a few programs on TV. or heard of them where families make interventions for a loved one who has an addiction problem. Years of coddling a child, friend, or loved one who has an addiction, only adds to the problem. It seems that the sooner a person hits rock‐bottom the…

Creation and the Bible Declare His Greatness and Love

[338 words] Read Psalm 19. Perhaps at some time in your life you stopped to admire a sunset – all the wonderful colors glossing into a farewell for the day; Venus begins shining brightly in the evening sky, almost calling to the other lesser lights. Or perhaps there was a time when you stood at…

Let Me Tell You About My Friend

[341 words] I have a good friend. He doesn’t drink alcohol, thus has never been involved in any alcohol-related crimes or embarrassments. He doesn’t destroy his mind through the use of illicit drugs. I’ve never once heard my friend gossip or tell a single lie. He never wastes his time in night clubs, casinos, or…

Looking Back, Pressing Forward

[333 words] As a new year approaches, many of us are reflecting upon the past year, and looking toward the hope and promise of what lies ahead. One passage we often turn to when thinking about hope for the future is Phil. 3:13-14. Paul talks about putting to rest things of the past, and pressing…

New Year’s Resolutions

[340 words] Yes, it’s that time again. It is the time of year when we usually commit ourselves to several worthy goals. We do this because we want to make our lives and faith better. We want to improve and that is a worthy goal. I have noticed that most of our resolutions revolve around…

Mother of Hope

[309 words] Recently, I wrote an article that was centered around a newborn baby named Hope Holets. Hope was born addicted to drugs and was adopted by the Albuquerque police officer who found her mother in the act of shooting up heroin. Since her adoption, Hope has gone through the agonizing, month-long process of drug…

The Two Greatest Dangers in the Church Today

[394 words] In my opinion, the two greatest dangers in the Lord’s church today are that of ignorance and inactivity. Proper knowledge and actions are absolutely essential for a congregation to please the Lord. Consider that… …if a church does not have any biblical knowledge or any activity, then it is dead (or near-dead, anyway).…

When You’re Not at Church

[351 words] When you’re not at church, you are missed. You are missed by those you sit with during our assemblies. You are missed by those by our appointed shepherds. People are concerned about you when you are not present for our family’s time of worship. When you’re not at church, lots of people miss…

It’s Hard to Give it to God

[364 words] Sometimes when we go through tough stretches (often made by our own hands!), we procrastinate about turning to God. We think that because we make dumb decisions that we must always figure out a way on our own. God would help us if we would tum to Him. At least if we turned…
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