Concentrate for a moment on the word “work” in these verses.  “Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17).  “I must work the works of Him who sent Me” (John 9:4).  A man said to his son, “Son, go, work today in my vineyard” (Matt. 21:28).  The meaning of this word is quite…

It is very easy to create a certain persona about yourself using words; it is a very different (and more difficult) thing to actually possess that persona, for that requires constant effort.  For example, just because you say you are honest doesn’t mean you are.  Just because you say you are humble doesn’t mean you are.  Just because you say you are…

Person 1:  “I missed you at services Sunday night.”Person 2:  “I’m sorry, but I already made a commitment.” Christian 1:  “I missed you at Bible class on Wednesday night.”Christian 2:  “I’m sorry, but I already made a commitment.” Youth 1:  “I missed you at the devo the other night.”Youth 2:  “I’m sorry, but I already made a commitment.” Member 1:  “Will you…

God created man, He created the body, He created the heart and He created the mind.  As the Creator, He is all-too-familiar with how all the inter-workings are interconnected.  Thus, He spoke of how “a cheerful heart is a good medicine” (Prov. 17:22, ASV).  But not just a joyful heart.  The Maker shared that “a sound (or tranquil) heart is life to…

Do you know what you get when you mix someone who is “culturally conditioned” (i.e., has been conditioned by the culture to think and behave in certain ways) with “air condition”?  You get someone who believes and therefore acts in such a way that says, “I’m too cool for that!”  (Ok, maybe that’s not as cute as I thought it was.)  So,…

There is a scene in the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” movie (although I liked the older “Willy Wonka” version better) when Charlie received a chocolate bar for his birthday.  While disappointed that he did not find a Golden Ticket inside, Charlie began to share his chocolate bar with each member of his family.  His grandfather and mother tried to refuse him,…

The Bible uses a variety of metaphors to describe the Christian’s life and his influence.  We are called “salt” (Matt. 5:13), “light” (Matt. 5:13-16), “an epistle” (2 Cor. 3:2-3), etc.  At the end of 2 Corinthians 2, Paul depicts another vivid way for Christian’s to contemplate their influence. “Now thanks be to God who…through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in…

In the last few years, they have started appearing everywhere – those people holding the signs alongside the road that advertise just about everything (pizza deals, cell phone services, closeout sales, CNA certifications, tax services, etc., etc.).  So, why are they out there?  What purpose do they serve?  Why not just use a regular sign or advertise some other way?  The reasons…