September - 2017

Standing With Friends

“And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’” —Genesis 2:18 There has been study after study done on the benefits of social interactions. From living longer to improving health to fostering a purpose in life, these studies all conclude with the same message: “Don’t forget to connec

'Lest We Drift Away'

“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” —Hebrews 2:1 We can drift into a life of ruin and sin, but it is impossible for us to drift into the life that God wants us to live. We’re not going to accidentally end up in heaven. Those who are truly on God’s sid

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife

After Joseph is sold into slavery, he’s taken to Egypt and bought by “Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard” (Gen. 37:36). As a young man, Joseph finds himself in an unfamiliar land. But Potiphar clearly appreciated Joseph’s work and recognized that Joseph was successful because the “Lord was with him” (Gen. 39:2-6). Scripture also says Joseph was “handsome in form and appearance” (v. 6). However, there was a woman in the house who had too much time on her

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Are you prepared for judgment day? In Matthew 25:1-13, we read of the parable of the ten virgins: five who were wise, five others who were foolish. The five wise virgins brought lamps and extra oil, while the five foolish virgins brought lamps but no oil. When the bridegroom arrives at midnight, the five foolish are unprepared and shut out when they return from buying oil (v. 10). The lesson for us is about personal readiness; will we be ready for Jesus’ return? Be ready: We

Contenders, Pretenders, Intenders

Well, which of the three do you see yourself? Let’s recall as Christians that we have the ever-present duty of examining ourselves, as Paul told the Christians at Corinth to “examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith, test yourselves…” (II Cor. 13:5). So, as we “examine” this passage, do we give this statement the attention it deserves as we should toward the entire word of God? Why would Paul express concern over whether or not Christians were “examining themselv

Abraham's Faith In God

Abraham put his faith in God. Completely. Unequivocally. Without question. Without worry. Without reservation. Can we say we have the kind of faith that Abraham had? In Rom. 4:11, Abraham is described as the “father of all those who believe.” He proved his faith throughout the course of his life; there was a pattern in his life of trusting God (Gen. 12:1-9, 13:8-9, 18). Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah in Gen. 21:1-7. In the very next chapter in Genesis, the greatest test o

It's Meeting Time!

We have invited Bro. Jim Lee from Englewood, OH, to be with us Friday through next Sunday, Sept. 17, in the preaching of our fall gospel meeting for 2017. With our meeting starting on Friday, think about some things we can do to make this meeting a success. Plan To Attend—Keep those dates open on your calendar so you will have no conflicts with the meeting. We need to work out things with our schedule so as to put first things first. The Lord said, “But seek first the kingdom

Do You Have a Forgiving Heart?

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” — Matthew 6:14-15 We have all been hurt by someone in our life. Perhaps we’re emotionally scarred because of someone else’s actions or words, and those memories are hard to shake out of our minds. And what God requires of us—to forgive—is one of the hardest commands to follow. But it’s a subje

The Lord's Supper

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’”