Sound Words (Page 38)

Blinded by Things and Stuff By Paul R. Blake Possessions redirect vision. Open your Bible to Luke 12:13-21, clip a dollar bill over the page, and ask a friend to read the passage. In all likelihood, he will look at you and reply, “I can’t. The money is in the way.” The material blurs sight of the spiritual. Moses had no such difficulty. While the treasures of Egypt were constantly before his eyes, he by faith managed to see through…

Thinking about God By Kent Heaton “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still: (Psalm 4:3-4). Dee Bowman said, “It is hard to sin when you are thinking about God.” Sin always follows a familiar path. Desire draws the heart to a need that must be filled and if…

The Sermon Preached by the Snow By Paul R. Blake It dropped seven and a half inches of snow Friday evening and Saturday morning last week. I went out and shoveled the snow from the sidewalks, porch, and driveway. We had the parking lot plowed and the Rhodes family salted it. It started snowing again last Monday afternoon, and by Tuesday morning we got an additional six inches. I heaved a large sigh that morning, put on my boots, coat,…

No Guarantee By Coral Blake There is nothing quite like taking care of someone who is your own age and is also dying of cancer. My first thought was, “He/she is too young to die,” and my second was, “So am I.” The whole shift was spent tearing at my heart, and quite honestly I could not figure out just why is was so painfully personal. Not while I was at the task, anyway. Then hours or maybe even a…

Who is My Enemy? By Stephen Auman A lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, and asked, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” In the ensuing dialog, they quickly agreed that one of the requirements was to love one’s neighbor as one’s self. But the lawyer, wanting to justify himself, asked, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus then told the parable of the Good Samaritan, which demonstrated that everyone should be considered one’s neighbor. Unfortunately,…

Life’s Little Lessons XVII Perilous Times “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2Tim. 3:1-5). Dear Ann Landers: “The reader signed “Georgia,”…

Religious Ticks By Paul R. Blake             When I was ten years old, I had a dog of dubious ancestry (a mutt) named Happy, and did his name ever fit him. To this day I have yet to find a friendlier dog or a pet more content to play with children from daylight to dark. Happy was always happy; except for one summer. Happy had been running loose in the woods and came home with a serious infestation of ticks.…

When Our Heroes Disagree By Sewell Hall             If I were asked to name my three most admired New Testament heroes (other than Jesus) I suppose I would name Paul, Peter and Barnabas, perhaps in that order. I admire Paul for his outstanding zeal. Zeal to obey the Lord (Acts 9:18), to preach the gospel (Acts 9:19, Romans 1:15) and to defend the truth (Philippians 1:16). I admire Peter for his courage. Courage to speak for Jesus when others were…