The Hug Heard Around the World

[325 words] Having been convicted of murdering Botham Jean, a member of the Dallas West church of Christ, the last thing Amber Guyger probably expected to hear at her sentencing were the words “I forgive you” from a member of the victim’s family.  After reading a statement which expressed forgiveness and even a wish that…

The Horrors of Warfare

[92 words] The bloodiest day in U.S. military history occurred on Sept. 17, 1862, when Union armies and Confederate forces clashed at Antietam in Maryland during the Civil War. By the end of that day 26,000 men were dead, wounded, or missing. Over the years, more than 1.3 million Americans have died as casualties of…

Who Has the Time?

[117 words] Most of us live time-conscious lives. We stick to tight schedules, glance at our clocks frequently, and hurry around to meet our appointments and deadlines. Time is certainly important, but the real value of time comes with the realization that our time here on earth is a countdown to eternity. Since life is…

Back to School? Time to Shine!

[146 words] It’s the time that most kids and many teachers dread: Back to school! Soon the vacations, beaches, fishing trips, and picnics will be in the past. While we are tempted to let out a big groan, perhaps we should remind ourselves what a great opportunity lies ahead of us. The Lord tells us…

B.U.I.L.D. Your School!

[298 words] Just like any other organization, schools need God’s wisdom to reach full potential. If you are a student who is a Christian, consider some of these ways you can use your influence to B.U.I.L.D. your school this year. Break Out of Cliques. It is easy to get attached to a certain group of…

Don’t Be a Dud!

[249 words] July was a favorite time of the year during my youth, because that was when we could shoot fireworks. It was a great experience to go down to the fireworks stand with my dad, look over all the multi-colored packages and imagine what each explosive would do. We usually ended up with a…

Pig With a Wooden Leg

[269 words] A lady from the city was visiting members of her family who owned a farm. As she talked to the farmer, she noticed a pig in the backyard with a wooden leg. “What happened to that pig!” the woman asked. “Oh, that’s Betsy,” the farmer said. “She’s a fine pig! One night while…

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…

That’s What I’ll Look Like When I’m Dead

[163 words] There was a lady who had to show her driver’s license at a store for identification, and she told the cashier, “Please don’t pay any attention to that picture, it’s awful! I guess that’s what I’ll look like when I’m dead.” Staring at the picture, the cashier said, “Oh, they’II make you look…

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…

Worried You Won’t Get a Valentine?

[263 words] Holidays are times that usually fill people with joy and offer an opportunity to create memories with family, friends, and loved ones. Sometimes, however, holidays can be difficult. For instance, Valentine’s Day. The number one reason some people dislike Valentine’s Day is because of the emotional torture they experience if they are not…

Masculinity: Toxic, or Beneficial?

[317 words] There is a tendency in our current society to throw the baby out with the bathwater. In an effort to fight against immoral acts such as sexual harassment, physical abuse, and bullying perpetrated by a small minority of bad apples, mainstream media and social justice warriors have decided to coin the phrase “toxic…

Bait and Switch

[628 words] Back when gas prices began to be so outrageously high, the news media spent a lot of time on stories related to the issue. One story I saw on television at the time was that customers in some locations were being tricked into purchasing gas at one price, only to find when they…

A Shortage of Ninjas

  [188 words] Apparently Japan is running out of ninjas. In the small city of Iga, the birthplace of the ancient ninja warriors, officials cannot find enough martial artists to perform for tourists, even though the job can pay up to $85,000 per year. Part of the problem is that the city’s young people are…

Still Can’t Beat God!

[153 words] Around 1970, a fellow named Gordon Moore originated a computer technology maxim which has been termed “Moore’s Law.” Simply stated, the law says that computer processing power will double every two years.   Since that time, the rule has proven true. Personal computers are tremendously fast and powerful, and capable of amazing things,…
Teach

Characteristics of Jesus’ Ministry

  [299 words] There has never been a greater example on this earth of what we ought to strive for than Jesus the Christ. He has done all things well (Mark 7:37), and Christians desire to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). So as we seek to minister to the world around us, what…

Church Shutdown

  [261 words] If you follow national news, you know that from time to time our leaders and representatives in Washington cannot come to terms on how to fund federal operations. This can sometimes lead to a “government shutdown,” which means many federal agencies stop performing their functions and services. Why does this happen? Usually…

Children Need Instruction

  [98 words] Proverbs shows the need for children to pay attention to instruction. Solomon admonishes his son to pay attention to his parents (Prov. 1:8-9), and to recognize the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7). Children also need to be shown how to put those things into practice. The…

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…

When Giving is Wrong

[265 words] Ribbons and wrapping paper, shimmering Christmas trees, and children with sparkling eyes are the hallmarks of the “season of giving.” So many of us enjoy the holiday as a time of expressing love through the imparting of gifts. But did you ever consider when giving may be wrong? Our heavenly Father is certainly…

Your Thanksgiving List

  [118 words] The apostle Paul was a thankful man. He was thankful to Jesus for putting him into the ministry (1 Timothy 1:12), for the faith of his fellow Christians (Col. 1:3-4), for those who risked themselves for his ministry (Rom. 16:4), for salvation (1 Cor. 15:57), and indeed for all things (Eph. 5:20).…

The Perfect Creator

  [81 words] “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). Only God can start with nothing, and make something amazing! Beginning with a blank canvas, God created the spectacular world that…

What’s Really Scary

  [299 words] As the cool autumn breezes bring in a new season, many people will kick off fall by scaring themselves silly. Zombies, vampires, and horror movies will be the focal point for October, saturating American culture from the local discount store to satellite television, and all points in between. Why some people enjoy…

Stand Out From the Crowd, Even at School

  [191 words] Christian parents do their best to keep their children on the Lord’s path. It’s a fairly challenging task when the kids are at home, but even more so when they are away at school, subjected daily to the influence of the world. We live in a society that claims to inspire individuality,…

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…

Good Reasons for Being a Christian

  [215 words] Human beings are naturally curious, but sometimes our curiosity progresses to stubbornness. For instance, curiosity causes toddlers to always have the question “why?” on their lips, but it’s stubbornness that drives the teenager to ask the same question when they are receiving orders from their parents. Whether it’s curiosity or stubbornness that…

God Supplies the Raw Materials!

[81 words] A woman went into the grocery store to complain to the manager. “Something’s wrong with this flour you sold me,” she said. “It’s too tough. This morning I made biscuits with it and my husband could hardly eat them!” Sometimes folks get into this sort of position with God’s word. He has provided…

If You Wake Up in the Morning

[112 words] A life insurance salesman was unable to persuade a couple to purchase a policy. “I certainly don’t want to frighten you into a decision,” he said as he got up to leave. “Please sleep on it tonight, and if you wake up in the morning, let me know what you think.” Is this…

Broken Toilets and Broken Souls

[254 words] It’s not an extremely rare occasion for a passenger jet to have to return to the airport due to a mechanical issue. However, when a Norwegian jet bound for Germany reversed course in late January of this year due to malfunctioning toilets, it was a backtrack filled with irony. The plane, you see,…

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…

Power Outage

[260 words] One of the worst things about winter weather is the power outages that come along with ice storms. Power outages put us in a difficult position these days because so much depends on that electricity. There are so many things we cannot accomplish without it. Although the plant that generates the electricity for…

Dealing with a ‘Short Fuse’

[295 words] The apostle Paul reminds us that “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man” (1 Cor. 10:13). That certainly applies to the danger of expressing wrath and anger! Anger in itself is not sinful (Eph. 4:26), but how we express it can be! Even Jesus was angry (Mark 3:5),…

Anything for a Buck

[82 words] A bald man told a hair stylist that he had gone for a transplant, but he couldn’t stand the pain. He said, “I’ll give you $5,000 to make my hair look like yours.” The stylist said, ”No problem,” and she quickly shaved her head! We have to be careful that we don’t have…

Be Zealous for Good Works

[104 words] After bringing home their first baby from the hospital, a new mother thought her husband should try his hand at changing diapers. “I’m busy, I’ll do the next one,” he said, never looking up from the TV. The next time the baby was wet, the mother said, “Are you ready to change a…

Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?

[359 words] It was a fact that Jesus was innocent. The Roman governor in charge of Judea, Pontius Pilate, so stated himself after having examined Jesus personally (John 19:4). It is also a fact that Jesus never even committed a single sin (Heb. 4:15). And yet, they fashioned the crown of thorns and placed a…

Who Is God?

  [116 words] He is the Creator of all that exists (Gen. 1:1). He is a Spirit (John 4:23-24). He is all-powerful (Psalms 89:8), all-knowing (Rom. 8:27), present everywhere (Psalms 139:7-10), and does not change (Malachi 3:6; James 1:7). He is great (Duet. 5:24) and He is good (Psalm 33:5). He is loving (John 3:16),…

Fathers, What is Your Legacy?

  [288 words] Inheritance is important. Good fathers desire to leave something behind for their children (Prov. 13:22). Old Testament law even regulated the passing down of a father’s possessions (Deut. 21:15-17; Num. 27:8-11). As fathers, what sort of inheritance would we like to see our children get? Material Possessions. There is nothing wrong with…

A Mother’s Steadfast Love

[218 words] The love of a mother is one of the most powerful forces known to man. A beautiful Bible picture of motherhood is found in the woman named Hannah. In 1 Samuel 1, we read of her faithful prayer asking God to bless her with a child. She promised God that she would dedicate…
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This is a Very Good Time

[224 words] The famous American thinker and writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “This time, like all times, is a very good one if we but know what to do with it.” Thankfully, the Bible gives us all the instruction we need to know what to do with our time. “Let us hear the conclusion…

Don’t Let the Lights Go Out!

  [246 words] One of my favorite things about this time of the year is experiencing the beauty of Christmas lights. Ordinarily only dimly lit by dull street lamps, towns are now awash in brilliant displays of holiday cheer. So much more joyful than the rest of the year! Eventually, however, those lights will be…