Articles

When a person becomes a Christian, there are several different ways to describe what has happened. One might say, “I gave my life to Christ,” or “I was immersed into Christ.” We might say, “I made Jesus the Lord of my life,” or simply “I was saved.” A term we hear mainly among denominational groups is, “I accepted Jesus.” I don’t hear members of the church I attend using that phrase. Radio and TV ...

“To be, or not to be: that is the question:” This famous line was an over-dramatized consideration of suicide written over 400 years ago. (Hamlet: Act 3, Scene 1.) Still, it is a good question to ask; not from the view of whether you should take your life but to question how alive you really are. To be or not to be? Am I alive or not? Am I living to the fullest or just taking up space? There was a...

"Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!" In a bold speech on June 12, 1987, Roald Reagan entreated Mikhail Gorbachev, head of the Soviet Union, to break through the 96-mile-long barrier separating East and West Berlin. The Berlin Wall was constructed after 3,500,000 people defected from East Germany, about 20% of their population. Walls can protect but they can also separate people from their loved o...

God bless you for being here to worship God today. How wonderful to be assembled with Christians. It is my prayer that you have prepared your heart to receive God’s Word. Today God’s Word is going to be preached from the pulpit and taught in Bible class. Listen carefully and look up the scriptures. Let the message mature you. The more mature you are in your walk with God the less likely you are to...

“Don’t Look Back.” This was the title of a top ten hit by Boston in 1978. “It's a new horizon and I'm awakin' now. Oh I see myself in a brand new way. The sun is shinin'. The clouds are breakin'. Cause I can't lose now, there's no game to play.” Long before Don Scholz wrote those lyrics, Jesus said something about not looking back. He said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking b...

Reading and learning the Bible is so much easier these days than it used to be. Fifty years ago, if you were reading your Bible and you came across something you didn’t understand you had to phone a friend or wait until you were around someone who might know the answer to your question. If you wanted to hear a sermon or watch a class you had to wait till the next Sunday or Wednesday, unless you we...

Would you say your life turned out exactly the way you thought it would? If so, you are the rare exception. When I was a teenager, I had no idea I would be doing what I am doing now, living where I am living now. Most of you would probably say the same. Those who have lived in this same place their whole lives may have always assumed this is where they would live, but most of us look back and say,...

“B who u is cuz if u is who u ain’t u ain’t who u is.” You may need to read that a couple of times to get it, but once you do, there’s a lot of truth in that backwoods statement. “B who u is.” In other words, don’t try to be someone you’re not. What is it about church that makes us think we need to put up a façade, erect some image and try to be somebody we’re not? Most of us are smart enough to r...

If you have ever had aphids in your garden on your favorite vegetables or flowers you know how quickly they spread. Once they take hold, it is like a plague. According to Entomologist Stephen A. Marshall: in optimal environmental conditions and lacking any predators, parasites, or disease, a single aphid could produce 600 billion descendants in one season. Just how do these tiny sap suckers multip...

Decades together as husband and wife working out your differences and adapting to an ever-changing world. The highs. The lows. Financial issues. Raising kids. Taking care of the house. Jobs. Side-by-side you work through it all as a team. You learn how to have each other’s backs. Then after years of forging out a life together, your loved one is suddenly gone. The one you have spent your life with...

In the past 14 years there has been a rapid growth in the spread of the Christian message in France among the group calling themselves “evangelical churches.” Catholicism is the unquestioned dominant religion in France. Protestant churches only made up 2.1% of the national population in 2012. But by 2017 it grew to 3.1%. That’s growing from a 1,407,000 to 2,077,000 membership in 5 years. And they ...

When do you get to the point in your faith where you are no longer in danger of falling away or backsliding? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you don’t know already that point will never occur in this life. No matter how strong your belief in and trust in God becomes, there is never a point where Satan gives up on tempting you with sinful or rebellious behavior. “Therefore, let him who ...

“We speak where the Bible speaks. We are silent where the Bible is silent.” “We do Bible things in Bible ways.” “We call Bible things by Bible names.” These are sayings commonly associated with the Restoration Movement. They are not God-inspired Bible verses but they are good spiritual goals for Christians who want to cast off manmade traditions and get back to simple Christianity the way it was i...

Things Boys Can Teach You: 1.) A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep. 2.) When you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they make sparks. 3.) A 3-year old boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant. 4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy...

“Father, it humbles me deeply when I think about whom I am addressing at this moment. I look at this world, the beauty of the scenery around me, the way you created each of us as unique individuals, the marvel of the animals you fashioned and the natural balance of our life-sustaining environment. It truly humbles me to think that You, the All-powerful Being who created all this, are taking the ti...

The book of Romans says, “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.” (Romans 1:11-12). When we come together, it is to impart spiritual gifts to one another, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. If you have ...

Do you have a bad temper? If you do and I asked you why, you might say something like this: “That’s how God made me. I have a short fuse.” “That’s just how us redheads are.” “I lost my temper because I’m not feeling well today.” “It’s because I’m Irish.” Proverbs 12:16 [HCSB] says, “A fool's displeasure is known at once, but whoever ignores an insult is sensible.” What makes you lose your temper? ...

Do you want to strengthen your family? Try this. Get a set of clear jars, one for each member of your family. Have each family member’s name printed or taped to their personal jar. Set them together on a shelf or counter in the kitchen or living room where they will be seen every day. Next to the jars place a stack of small papers and a pen. Encourage each family member to write little Treasure St...

As your cart rounds the end of the aisle while shopping and someone is sailing across your path do you go first, or do you let them go first? Does it depend on who it is? Does that always turn out the way you think it should? Why am I asking these questions? I’ll tell you why. Because there is a certain way you perceive yourself in contrast to other people. You may believe you are more important t...

Something we want always to be said about our congregation: “This is a place where people can come to a greater understanding of God because we teach and follow His Word.” We want always to offer good Bible classes Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For that to continue to, we need constantly to be training teachers. Teachers play a vital role in the wellbeing of our congregation. Those who g...