Articles by Curtis Hartshorn

“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...

The cross. If you close your eyes and try to picture a cross in your mind, it’s hard to do without seeing Jesus hanging on it. His sacrifice is forever linked to our understanding of Roman crucifixion even though Jesus was not the only person to die that way. There were many. 6,000 Gaul and German prisoners were crucified by General Marcus Liscinius Crassus along the Appian Way from Brindisi to Ro...

“What Does God expect from me? I read all these commands in the Bible. I listen to the sermons and classes about how I need to do this and that, change this and that. It’s a bit overwhelming. I’m not a complicated person. Isn’t there a way to dumb-it-down, to make this stuff simpler? I just want to know what God wants from me.” Anytime we have questions, the Bible has an answer. Micah 6:6-8 says, ...

Can you see the hand of God in life’s occurrences too well orchestrated to be a coincidence? That is what the world calls it; “coincidence.” Things just happen by accident. There’s no order, no rhyme or reason. That’s how unbelievers see life. Believers see it differently. We see a pattern to the events of our lives. We see too many coincidences for it all to be a coincidence. We may not notice ri...

“Warning! In case of rapture this car will be driverless.” Have you seen this bumper sticker before? It used to be fairly common. On the bright side, it got people thinking about the return of Christ. Unfortunately, the premise is based on a theology which goes against the Bible. There is not going to be a rapture as many church leaders are describing nowadays. At least, nothing like what you see ...

Is the kind man I see at work every day my brother in Christ? He says he is a Christian. Should I just take him at his word and leave it at that? How do I determine whether he is one whom I should be sharing the gospel with or one I should consider already in a saved condition? What about my friend who attends a denominational church? Is she one I should treat as a sister in Christ, or do I need t...

Curtis’ Corner “and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” Philemon 1:6 (ESV). When we get together as Christians it strengthens our faith. The praying and singing and taking the Lord’s Supper and preaching, it all motivates us to trust God more and want to know Him in a deeper way. When our faith...

Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee every day. We say we like the taste, the smell, but truth is it’s the caffeine that keeps us firing up the coffee pot or stopping by the coffee shop every morning. We think we’re drinking it for the energy boost, but caffeine doesn’t give you energy. Adenosine is a chemical your body releases to tell your brain you are tired. Caffeine blocks the rec...