Month: August 2025

Alan Smith Via Bulletin Gold
 
The story is told of a man in a fancy restaurant who
started to choke on a bone. A doctor rushed over.
identified himself as a doctor, and reassured the man
that he was going to be all right. He performed the
Heimlich maneuver and the bone popped out.
 
As the man’s breath and voice returned he said, “I’m
ever so grateful, doctor, how can I ever repay you?”
 
The doctor smiled and said, “Ill settle for one-tenth
of what you were willing to pay while you were
choking.”
 
It’s true, isn’t it, that when you’re facing a crisis
(especially a life-threatening crisis), you would give
everything you have to get through it. Money is no
object!
 
We do the same thing on a spiritual level. How
many times have you faced hardship and prayed, “Lord,
if you’ll just see me through this, I’ll serve you faithfully
the rest of my life!” or something similar? But what
happens when the crisis passes? Those feelings of
urgency about serving God pass as well. If we could
commit ourselves to doing one-tenth of what we’re
willing to do in those moments, most of us would
ascend to a new level of commitment. 
 
Paul wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is
gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
 
Father, there are moments in my life when I am reminded
of how much I need you and how urgent it is that I commit
my life to you. All too often, though, those feelings
disappear, and I quickly revert back to a less-than-
satisfactory level of commitment. Please forgive me and
strengthen me in my resolve to reach the point where I can
say with the apostle Paul,”To me, to live is Christ.” In
Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Have a great day!

Edd Sterchi Via Bulletin Gold

Nestled in the little New Testament book of Philemon
is a wonderful jewel of example and instruction.
First, let’s look at a little background. A Christian in
Colossae by the name of Philemon owned a slave that
had run away from him. Ending up in Rome, the slave,
Onesimus, had become converted to Christ by the great
apostle Paul (v.10). Paul wrote to his friend Philemon
encouraging him to now take Onesimus back.

And now the jewel. Paul writes to Philemon of
Onesimus that he was once was unprofitable to you,
but now is profitable to you and to me” (v.11). The
jewel is learned when we understand what the name
“Onesimus “means. In the Greek it literally means
“profitable” or “useful.” If I may paraphrase Paul, he
was saying, “Onesimus is now living up to his name.”
Onesimus had become a Christian and was now useful
to God and to the church.

Christian, are you living up to your name? The word
“Christian” literally means belongs to Christ.” In
everything that you do, every decision you make, every
word that you speak, and every place that you are seen,
are you living up to that holy name that bears the
identity of Christ? Do you show the dark world the light
of Christ in your conduct, character, and conversation?
The reputation we gain calls attention to the name we
profess.

Do all know that you belong to Jesus Christ?

.A good name is to be chosen rather than riches”
(Pro. 22:1)

• And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus..” (Col. 3:17)

. “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be
ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”
(1 Pet. 4:16)

•”Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you
are called?” (Jas.2:7)

Mark Adams Via Bulletin Gold
 
In 1877, James A. Harding (for whom Harding University
is named) went to Clark County, Kentucky, where he held a
gospel meeting. When asked how the meeting went, one of
the elders at the congregation responded, “It was not much
of a meeting.
 
Oh, brother Harding did his usual powerful preaching,
the attendance was fair, but the results were negligible. Only
little Jimmy Shepherd was baptized.”
God doesn’t always perceive things the way that we do.
When we work hard to serve people in the name of Christ
and few respond to our message, it is easy to think, “The
results of my work are negligible.”
 
But we must never underestimate the power of one seed
that really takes root. In the case of little Jimmy Shepherd,
the sole response to Harding’s preaching in that guospel
meeting, he stayed dedicated to the cause of Christ all of his
life. He is better known to some as James W. Shepherd.
While he was in college, he began preaching. In 1883, he
helped to establish the Berea Church of Christ in Madison
County. In 1888, he left with his family to do mission work
in New Zealand for several years, preaching all around the
country, as well as in Australia.
 
Upon returning to the states, he worked from 1905 to
1912 as the office editor of the Gospel Advocate, where he
both wrote and edited some works that have been treasured
for decades.
 
In Luke 8:8, Jesus is teaching a parable about a sower.
Though much seed might never take root or grow, the seed
which does take root can produce “one hundred times”
what has been sown. Every seed you plant matters, because
only God knows just how much good can be done when a
person plants a seed through a single act of Christian
conviction.

Bob Spurlin Via Bulletin Gold
 
Recently I enjoyed an interesting conversation with a
brother and former elder in the church. We mutually agreed
that our communities and society at large is becoming
morally bankrupt. Many factors have contributed to such a
coarsening of morals in our neighborhoods, not the least of
which is a failure of the church to reaffirm the basic
fundamentals of the Bible. As a child of the 50s and 60s the
basic fundamentals of right and wrong were articulated with
clarity. We see these basic truths slipping away when we
fail to keep these principles deeply rooted before the church,
family, and our communities. In far too many 
neighborhoods, and in the church we see have seen the
absolute standards of right and wrong lowered before our
eyes.
 
Observe the following basic principles that need serious
consideration for our time: (1) A belief in the existence in
God; (2) A belief in the inspiration of the Bible; (3) A belief
in the authority of the scriptures; (4) A revival of the home
as God mandates; (5) A clear understanding of sin and its
consequences; (6) A belief in the undenominational nature
of the church of Christ. These are elementary, simple, and
fundamental points that have been neglected far too long.
 
We would not want to omit the fundamentals of
mathematics, English, history, and science in the education
of our children. These subjects are basic and primary to the
instruction of all students. Likewise a return to the basic
fundamentals of the Bible will bring us to an understanding
of God’s will.

Edd Sterchi Via Bulletin Gold
 
Prayer amplifies our feelings,
certifies our relationship,
clarifies our desires,
dignifies our Christianity.
 
Prayer exemplifies our commitment,
fortifies our faith,
notifies our Father,
satisfies our longings.
 
Prayer signifies our thanksgiving,
solidifies our duty,
testifies our adoration,
verifies our security.
identifies our needs,
intensifies our emotions.
 
Prayer justifies our belief,
magnifies our hopes,
nullifies our fears.
 
Prayer pacifies our worries,
ratifies our conviction,
sanctifies our lives,