Sound Words (Page 15)
SOUND WORDS, SEP 11, 2022
A LIVING DOCUMENT? I have said many times in sermons, classes, and bulletin articles that many trends and philosophies in the world are mirrored in the religious realm. Let me just make mention of one such philosophy in our country and see how the same philosophy is present among religious folks, even among us. There are two schools of thought about the Constitution of the United States. One school of thought thinks that the Constitution stands firm, needing no new…
SOUND WORDS, SEP 4, 2022
CONTENDING EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord…
SOUND WORDS, AUG 28, 2022
WALK IN WISDOM A life lived in Christ is self-evident. With Christ as the standard our behavior is disciplined and holy. Not only is godly character exhibited at home, but it is also displayed in all our public interactions. Godly wisdom makes us better employers and better employees. It makes for better neighbors and friends. More importantly, walking this wise course in life redeems the time we spend here for eternity. All our life decisions are based on our accountability…
SOUND WORDS, JUL 31, 2022
THE LUMBERJACK In a lumber camp not so far away, there was once a young lumberjack. One night he was talking with one of the older lumberjacks in the camp. He said, “I bet that I can chop down more trees than you can tomorrow.” The old timer agreed to the bet and early the next morning the young lumberjack started chopping trees down left and right. 8 hours in, he looked over his shoulder and saw the old man…
SOUND WORDS, JUL 24, 2022
TALENT The Bible seems to take for granted the varied abilities of mankind. Adam was given responsibility to dress and keep the garden in which he was placed. How did he know what to do? I had the benefit of growing up in rural America where having a garden was part of life. I remember a few things, mostly that I hate to hoe corn. Who first thought that swinging a sharp blade toward your toes was a good idea?…
SOUND WORDS, JUL 17, 2022
TEACHING Teaching is a noble profession. The molding of young, impressionable minds sets the moral and professional direction of children’s lives. Teaching in a structured setting is difficult. Teaching takes preparation. It takes dedication to the subject and dedication to the student. I applaud those who are willing to serve in this capacity. Not all teaching is done in a classroom or from a podium. We are all teachers. Patient explanations for the barrage of “whys?” coming from a toddler…
SOUND WORDS, JUL 10, 2022
TRUIMPH To triumph is to achieve great victory. Humans are ingrained with a competitive spirit. This is especially true if your last name is Smith. That spirit explains our elation and unbridled celebration of victory. It also explains the disappointment of defeat. In many the desire to win is so strong that our spirits are absolutely crushed if we do not win. How many times did your mother remind you as a child that “nobody likes a sore loser”? Learning…
SOUND WORDS, JULY 3, 2022
TEARS Tears are a vital part of the human experience. There are several types. The first type is basal tears which continuously lubricate the eye. The second type is reflex tears. These well up to flush out irritants, such as dust, and clear away foreign objects. We don’t give much thought to basal or reflex tears. They take no thought or effort. The third type is emotional tears. These are the tears that we don’t like to think about although…