400-499 words

A New Tomorrow By the Power of God

[443 words] In a dream our minds create as we go. Landscapes, people, everyday objects…all these are made in an instant. Granted, they are imaginary, but have you ever considered how impressive that is? Sometimes what your mind makes is so convincing that, upon waking, it takes you a couple of seconds to realize that…

Some Things Cannot Be Changed

[474 words] Some time back the writer was getting a bulletin ready to print at the West Concord Church of Christ. He was using John Priola’s name for some announcement. The computer did not recognize the name Priola, and it suggested changing the spelling to one of the following: Preload, Oriole, Pergola, Premolar, Portola, Prolix,…

Ten Things to Do When People Make Mistakes

[481 words] “Nobody’s perfect!” You’ve heard it. You’ve thought it. You’ve probably said it. Unfortunately, we seem to often find ourselves on the receiving end of the imperfection. Sometimes the mistakes are not that big of a deal—putting pickles on a plain burger or calling you by the wrong name. Other times the mistakes are…

A Tough Parable

[498 words] Most of Jesus’ parables are easily understood; they cut straight to the heart of his point. For example, the message of the parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27) is simple and clear: foolish people hear only, while the wise ones hear and do. But a few of Jesus’ parables leave…

People Like Us

[448 words] We believe the book of First Peter was written about 30 years after the time of Jesus. The people to whom Peter wrote were a lot like us. They were people who had to base their faith on what they were told by preachers, like the apostles, and what they could read in…

Life is Not Fair

[498 words] How many times in your life have you felt or expressed your frustration that life is not fair? Probably every parent has heard these words groaned with varying degrees of grief from their children. God has heard these words many many times, even from adults. Usually these are the words of pain or…

Race Relations and God’s Design

[426 words] Racism is a problem that is ongoing, not only in America 2022, but has been for thousands of years. Wasn’t it, in part, racism that Pharaoh’s wife accused Joseph of impropriety (Gen. 39:17)? Wasn’t it, in part, racism that kept Jonah from wanting to preach to those horrible Assyrians? Wasn’t it racism that…

The Curse Of Emptiness

[437 words] T. S. Eliot, in a famous poem, characterized the men and women of this age as hollow beings whose lives proclaim: We are the hollow menWe are the empty menLeaning togetherHeadpiece filled with straw. Alas!Our dried voices, whenWe whisper togetherAre quiet and meaninglessAs wind in dry grassOr rats’ feet over broken glassIn our…

Renewing Your Mind

[458 words] “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and…

The Victor’s Crown

[441 words] God has promised us many wonderful blessings in His word. The grandest blessings are reserved for those who are faithful to Him unto the very end. One of these grand blessings is the crown of life. This was the promise to the church at Smyrna who was suffering and would suffer even greater…

The Devil’s Sinkhole

[424 words] In 1983 the residents of a Florida apartment building awoke to a terrifying sight outside their windows. The ground beneath the street in front of their apartment building had literally collapsed, creating a massive depression that Floridians call a sinkhole. Tumbling into the ever-deepening pit were automobiles, sidewalks, and lawn furniture. The apartment…

The One Thing Worse Than Being Lost

[404 words] When you read the title, you probably said to yourself, “What could possibly be worse than being lost?” Good question. Here is the answer: Being Lost Again! One of the great themes of the epistle of 2 Peter is faithful Christian living. Peter himself knew how easy it is to fall from a…

What We Believe

[448 words] One of the most misunderstood religious subjects pertains to whether or not the Christian today is under any law from God. This confusion may be eliminated, however, by realizing that the Christian is not under the Law of Moses but rather the Law of Christ. The Law of Moses, which encompasses most of…

Truth Shapes Conscience

[448 words] Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day” (Acts 23:1). In the Bible’s account of his life, Paul—earlier known as Saul—is as close to “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” as anyone you will find. The evil Mr.…

Do You Study Your Bible?

[489 words] The importance of Bible Study cannot be overstated. The Bible is abounding with statements of the importance of Bible knowledge, and knowledge can only come as a result of diligent Bible study. Notice the following verses: We Are To Grow In Knowledge. “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord…

Atonement

[448 words] From the time of the first sin in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, people have continually separated themselves from God by transgressing His law. God is Holy (1 Peter 1:16), that is, He is separate from sin, so when I defile myself by committing sin I create…

Righteous

[460 words] Are you righteous? The word “righteous” (dikaios) appears 79 times in the New Testament. I offer this composite from a study of the original word: (a) a righteous person is one who fulfills his duty toward God and men, (b) a righteous person is one who observes divine and human laws, (c) a…

Commands from Christ are Not Optional

[420 words] I recently received a daily devotional email sample from a denominational organization hoping I would be interested in signing up. After the devotional, they answered a question. The question was: “Can you go to heaven if you trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior but you are not yet baptized?” They began their…

On Perseverance and Giving Up

[435 words] Everyone gets tired from time to time. Often tiredness leads to exhaustion. When exhaustion is full and there’s still work to be done, it can lead to burnout. With burnout comes an increased distance from job or family responsibilities, negativity, cynicism, and an abiding feeling of needful change. The thought is that if…

Water Cycle

[439 words] In modern times we often want to think that science has all the answers, that they have figured everything out. Science is making great strides in our understanding of the world around us and we think we are getting to know and understand our world in ways that ancient people never could have.…

The Mechanics of Daily Bible Reading

[496 words] We have been devoting time recently to the subject of daily Bible reading, considering both the benefits and the goals of spending time each day in the word of God. Let us consider the mechanics of daily Bible reading. What are some practical tips that can help us to read God’s word each…

One Bucket at a Time?

[460 words] “I only have to attend one service each week to be pleasing to God!” Have you heard this before? Perhaps not in these words, but the sentiment is certainly expressed on occasion, whatever words are used. Is it true? Not with the attitude that is seemingly conveyed with the remark (as written above).…

A Parent’s Example is Important

[445 words] When I was young, there was a cigarette commercial in which a father was sitting by a tree with his child. He lit a cigarette then set the cigarette package down on the ground. Immediately the small child picked up the package. The lesson was impressive. Little children are watching their parents. Not…

We Need a Light!

[404 words] Recent destructive tornadoes in our country have caused me to think about how dangerous such storms are when they come in the dark of night. You can’t look outside and see them coming! When I was a kid, radar technology wasn’t anywhere near the quality we have today. White blobs on a black…

Courageous Women

[476 words] Dennis Prager, in his commentary on Exodus, wrote about the few in this world’s history that can be truly called evil. In writing this, he wrote from the perspective of a moral society. But he made an interesting point that, I think, needs some additional attention. He said for evil to take root,…

God Isn’t Finished with You Yet

[423 words] For the conscientious Christian, weaknesses and failures can be particularly vexing. To put it bluntly and personally, I hate it when I fail to live up to God’s standard. It irritates me. I know that when it comes to sinners, the apostle Paul staked a claim to the moniker, “chief” (1 Tim. 1:15).…

Do You Have the Grace of Giving?

[417 words] In many of the letters in the New Testament we find examples of people being corrected and encouraged to repent of their sinful behavior. This even includes entire churches like those found in the book of Revelation chapter two and three. Very rarely do we see a person or church that is held…

What Are We to Do with Christmas?

[419 words] Christmas – what are we going to do with it? Some say, “We need to put Christ back into Christmas.” Others say, “Christ was never meant to be in Christmas.” Some celebrate it as a religious holiday. Other celebrate it as a secular holiday. Other do not celebrate it at all. What does…

Searching for Jesus

[462 words] One of the verses most heard at this time of year is found in Luke 2:11, “…for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” And as familiar as this verse is, the immediate reaction to the verse may be more important.…

Don’t Believe Everything You Think

[412 words] I admit a curiosity for bumper stickers. On occasion, one succinctly states a great truth or at least provokes reasonable thought. Once I stopped at a light, and the car in front of mine had the sticker, “Don’t believe everything you think!” The more I thought about it, that statement struck me as…

On Sale NOW!

[406 words] The holidays are almost over. Everyone will soon be settling back into a rhythm that will take most people through the remainder of the winter and through the first part of spring. However, every day I check my “junk email” account, I see hundreds of email subject lines from hundreds of different companies…

Are You a Part of the 5G Network?

[417 words] With a title like that, it sounds like I’m asking if you are a part of the latest cell phone technology, doesn’t it? The latest 5G cell phone network promises many things. In the church, we have a network that is designed by God Himself for the betterment of the kingdom and for…

Contemporary Worship

[441 words] “Unbelievable!” That is the only word to describe it! A brother expressed concern in one of our publications about the “have it your way” mentality of those advocating contemporary worship. He clearly articulated the inherent danger of putting the focus on us instead of upon God, thus seeking to please ourselves instead of…

Once Saved, Always Saved? What the Experts Say

[477 words] The “once saved, always saved” belief is very prevalent in the religious world today. It carries the idea that once one receives salvation they can never lose it no matter what they do or don’t do. But is it truly a Scriptural concept? Let’s go to the Bible and note what some inspired…

Outside Looking In

[432 words] A young girl stood alone, watching the other children play. She leaned against the window, trying to be unnoticed but watching intently while the rest of the kids laughed and held hands and talked excitedly. She shifted her weight back and forth. Her body language clearly said she wanted to be included in…

You Are of Your Father

[431 words] In the heartfelt book of John, Jesus has several confrontations with the Jews to prove to them His deity (John 8). The hardness of heart of these people broke the Savior’s heart as they claimed allegiance to God, to the things of God, and to God’s faithful servant, Abraham. However, Jesus cuts to…

Lord, Send Someone Else

[426 words] In the book of Judges, we read about a time when the nation of Israel was overrun with Midianites. They would rob God’s people of their harvest and do even more evil things to God’s people. Israel prayed and begged God to send a leader who would run the enemies out of their…

Do You Love Your Family?

[460 words] Being in a family is sometimes hard. Loving your family is sometimes harder. The Bible teaches that each of us that have become Christians have a new Father, a Father that is perfect and loves us. When we all have the same loving Father that makes us family. “See what great love the…

Neglect Nothing Lost

[473 words] I sort of kind of remember an episode from the Little House on the Prairie books. It was in the book about Laura’s future husband, Almanzo Wilder. In his childhood he once found a wallet lying on the ground, full of large amount of cash. If I remember right it was several hundred…

Helping

[436 words] “Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it upon His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, ‘Why this waste?…
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