Get in the Wheelbarrow!

[370 words] There was a tightrope walker, who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris, he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding acts: he would do it blindfolded, then he would go across the tightrope, blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow. An American promoter read about this in the papers and…

The God of the Impossible

[291 words] Amy Brockman worked as a ski instructor for the more prestigious ski areas in the world. This allowed her to train for the U.S. Olympic Ski Team while earning a living.  One day a beginning skier accidentally skied into Amy, knocking her into the path of the lift chair. The operator didn’t see…

Growing in Faith

[513 words] Have you wondered why we have Bible Classes each Sunday and Wednesday even- ing? Or why preaching of the Word of God is so essential to our Sunday worship? Or why the Lord encourages us to read and study the Bible daily (Psa. 1:2)? It is because Bible study is a faith growing…

If the Doors Are Blocked

[318 words] Mark chapter 2 (as well as Mathew 9 and Luke 5) records the time that Jesus Christ healed a paralyzed man—one who had to be carried by his friends. The report begins by telling us Jesus was wildly popular at this particular time: “And many were gathered together, so that there was no…

The Motivational Factor of Faith, Hope, and Love

[126 words] When Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he opened his letter with these words: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:2-3).…

Expressions of Faith

[386 words] Isn’t it frustrating when our plans get hindered? As the apostle Paul was writing the letter to the Romans, he told them that he had often planned to come to them, but had been hindered (Romans 1:13). Many of us today during this current crisis are feeling the weight of altered plans. Careers,…

No One Wants Society Based on Unbelief

[175 words] For some, religion is a fairy tale for children and a false hope for the aged. To those folks, God is the product of a weak mind and Jesus is a fanatic who demonstrated this characteristic. They believe heaven is a Christian’s wishful thinking and hell only a believer’s nightmare. They charge that…

Of Fools and Blind Faith

[335 words] Both evidence and reason point convincingly to faith in God. The charge of “blind faith,” often leveled against the conviction of believers, better describes the plight of those who see a world without God. “For every house is built by someone, and He that built all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4, McCord.) A…

The Intelligence of the Intelligent

[194 words] There is an urban legend about a group of famous scientists who stopped for lunch at a small-town diner. Seated at the table were six of the greatest thinkers of our day. Their average IQ was in the 160s. They noticed that their salt and pepper shakers had been reversed. One with the…

Faith Moves

[271 words] J.W. McGarvey said, “If our faith is to save us, our faith in Christ, it will be by causing us to act in harmony with that faith” (emp. added, rek). McGarvey continued, “If He is Christ, the Son of the living God, ruling over heaven and earth, and we believe that, and act…

Go Forward

[519 words] In the account of the crossing of the Red Sea in the Exodus of the Israelites, we can learn some important things about God and His people. As the Egyptians were in hot pursuit and the Israelites’ fears are growing, God said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children…

Who Are You Trusting to Save You?

[230 words] “And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” (Judges 12:3). Jephthah had tried explaining to the…

Faith: How Important?

[482 words] “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Christians, in some ways, are like anyone else. We all have a tendency to become lax about matters that should be basic and indispensable. It is like eating well. Anyone can learn how proper nutrition works and can even…

Is an Active Faith Important?

[431 words] A ship wrecked off the Rhode Island coast, one winter day. A father and son managed to get into a lifeboat. The father refused to let his son help row. Upon reaching land, the father found his son frozen to death. The boy needed activity in order to live. What is true of…

The Heart is Where Home Is

[192 words] It was Paul’s wish for all Christians “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17). The word “dwell” in this verse brings forth a powerful concept concerning our relationship with Christ. According to Robertson’s New Testament Word Pictures the root of the word in the Greek means “to make one’s…

Chariots of Iron

[303 words] The people of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel” (Joshua 17:16). When the land of Canaan was being divided, the descendants of…

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…

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…

Success

[687 words] How close can you come to success and still fail? Why do some people succeed and others who seemingly are doing the same thing fail? I guess I am asking is, “What is the secret to succeeding?” In the Bible God tells us about the lives of some people who were successful and…

Showing Everyday Faith

[188 words] • The respect you show God and His Word on Sundays says a lot about your faith in Him. • The attitude you show the world on Mondays says a lot about your faith in God. • How much time you send reading your Bible and in prayer on Tuesdays says a lot…

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.…

Taking the Heat

[93 words] In the early 1970’s the firefighters of Fairfax County, Virginia, received new helmets. They were sharp looking, colorful, size-adjustable, made of high-impact plastic, and scuff-resistant. There was only one problem with the helmets: when they were worn near the heat of a fire, they melted. This, of course, made them useless to firefighters;…

Don’t Forget to Use All Your Strength

[138 words] A father was watching his young son struggle to lift a heavy rock. The little fellow grunted and strained, but couldn’t move it. The father said, “Son, are you sure you are using all your strength?” The exhausted boy said, “Yes, I am!” The father replied, “No, you are not. You haven’t asked…

Fan the Flame of Your Faith!

[642 words] The fire began to burn low, so he got another log and put it in the fireplace. Those who wish to remain warm normally do this. Flames burn their fuel and, without additional fuel, they will go out. Timothy needed a boost; his zeal to use God’s spiritual gift had declined. We do…

People and Challenges

[402 words] Why is that so many people take the challenge to run in a marathon, but won’t enter the race of faith (Hebrews 12:1-2)? Why is it that so many people develop the skill of self control to engage in an athletic contest, but fail to develop that skill when it comes to their…

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,…

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…

Looking for What Can’t Be Seen…Yet

[456 words] A common theme with God’s people–and by that I mean people who were living in and going after a right relationship with God–all throughout the Bible was their yearning to see something that they couldn’t see at the time that they wanted to see it. They had a hope that looked forward to…

Soaring Faith

[50 words] The eagle sweeps across the sky,Wind under its wings and opened breast.It glides upon the current, highAbove the earth, for food and rest.Wait, wait upon the Lord,Renew your strength where the Spirit blows;Your soaring faith its own reward,The quiet heights for your repose. J. Randal Matheny… This content is for Annual and Lifetime…

God’s Faithful Children

[308 words] “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15). This verse from the Psalms causes our minds to reflect on the many Christians who have passed from this life. We know that, in spite of the great strides in the world of medicine, death comes to everyone.…

Standing With Jesus 

  [340 words] Certainly you have heard about the shooting that took place this past week at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Nine people were killed. Several more were injured.  There are conflicting reports about this, but some outlets are reporting that the shooter asked his victims if they were religious or not (if…

Jesus Did Not Commit Himself to Them

  [222 words] “…many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men” (John 2:23-24).  This passage has been highlighted in my Bible for a while. Early on, it seemed odd to my frail ear that Jesus would not…

By the Root 

  [313 words] Growing season for most things in gardens and flower beds is winding down. That means less weed pulling! This preacher remembers a weed in Georgia that we nicknamed “Monster Weed” because it grew very quickly, developed thorns and had a root system that made it nearly impossible to pull up by the…

Lieutenant David Steeves

[257 words] In 1957, Lieutenant David Steeves walked out of the California Sierra Mountains 54 days after his Air Force trainer jet had disappeared. He related an unbelievable take of survival after parachuting from his disabled plane. For almost three months he said he had eaten berries and dug snow tunnels to sleep in, had…

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…

Faith Followed by Obedience

[117 words] If Noah had lived by today’s religious standard, he would have said, “Lord I believe you but you are asking too much, I don’t really need an ark.” Abraham would have said, “Lord, I have great faith in you, but I can do just as much good by staying here in Ur.” The…

Meeting God on the Battlefield

  [247 words] In 2 Chronicles 20 we are given an interesting story about three nations on their way to destroy Israel and drive them out of the land. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was scared for his people when he caught wind of this massive army coming after them. The way it reads, they were…

Spiritual Sight

  [257 words] The hymn writer Fanny Crosby gave us more than 6,000 gospel songs. Although blinded by an illness at the age of six weeks, she never became bitter. One time a preacher sympathetically remarked, “I think it is great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many…

An Act of Real Faith

  [278 words] After reading about Jeremiah, I have no right to complain about my lot in life as a preacher. The fact is, I never had the right to complain (Philippians 2:14). God did not give Jeremiah a choice to be a prophet, and times were very bad for good people (Jer. 1:1-10). His…

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…