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The cost to follow Jesus is high! It will cost all our love. Jesus said the great and first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Mt. 22:37-38). The second, like it, “love your neighbor as yourself (Mt. 22:39). If we want to learn from Jesus, we must learn to love like Jesus loved! It will cost all our life. “Whoever does not bear his own cross an come after me cannot…

Students in school and disciples of Christ (cf. Mt. 28:18-20) desire to look at life the way God looks at life. Consider carefully some of God’s thoughts on life: Proverbs 19:21 – Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 20:19 – Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler. Proverbs 20:22 – Do not say, “I will repay evil”;…

School is about to start! Summer routines fade and students will find themselves in all sorts of new situations. God desires for His children to walk in wisdom, especially toward those who are not Christians (Col. 4:5). How can we make the best use of our time and walk wisely in school? Consider these Proverbs: Proverbs 3:30 – Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. Proverbs 10:9 – Whoever walks in…

Some of the most fascinating creatures mentioned in Scripture are the cherubim. Cherubim are angelic beings that appear at very significant places throughout Scripture. Pay special attention to these creatures when they are mentioned — they tell an important story. Cherubim were at the Garden of Eden “So God drove out the man, and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree…

When I visited Ukraine several years ago, I was impressed how beautiful everyone looked on the street and in the community. Men were wearing their finest suits and polished shoes, and women were wearing their most beautiful dresses, designer heels, and name-brand accessories. When I asked one of my Ukrainian companions about their wealth and how everyone looked so stylish, he mentioned to me, “It’s all a show. These people have only a few sticks of furniture in their houses…

Moses had a speech problem, but God was with him (Exodus 4:10-12). Joshua became the national leader of a homeless people, but God was with him (Deuteronomy 31:23). Gideon was from a weak clan and the least in his family, but God was with him (Judges 6:15-16). Jeremiah was a young, fearful man who couldn’t speak well, but God was with him (Jeremiah 1:4-8). The Israelites were decimated and deported by the Babylonians, but God was with them (Jeremiah 30:8-11).…

God told Moses to tell the priests how to bless God’s people in Numbers 6:23-27. The blessing we know, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” The Jewish commentary says that the priests performed this blessing daily in the temple. The blessing was the priest performing it (v. 23), but it was God who was…

This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. – James 1:19 It is amazing how many people get this verse so wrong. Stephen, often regarded as the first Christian to die for his faith concluded his sermon about the hardness of hearts of the Jews. Just before they stoned him, the Bible says they “cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with…

The amount of prayer, planning, and work that it takes to make a Vacation Bible School a success is tremendous. For many churches, though, VBS is just a “thing” they do because they have always done it. While it takes a lot of effort, it just kind of happens and then is forgotten until a few weeks or so before that usual time slot on the calendar starts drawing near the next year. But even then, there can be excitement…

There is an old hymn (written in 1873) in our songbook titled “There is Much to Do” (#658). Known for its repeated: “Here am I, send me,” the song encourages the church to be ready for action and willing to “go” evangelize. This month in particular, that song rings a little different. This week, until the end of the month, the average noise level of the building will increase tenfold. I still look on with shock and awe at the…

Lord willing, we’ll be on our way Sunday morning to this year’s session of Camp Bandina. I love going to a Christian camp. I don’t love it because the counselors there are perfect, but because they’re servants of the Perfect One. As counselors, we all bring our faults and flaws right along with us, but we get a chance to serve God by teaching His perfect love and His perfect ways to the campers. I don’t love it because it’s…

My advice for anyone old enough to understand the difference between idleness and work and can understand the printed word, get a copy of the Bible book, Proverbs and read about work over and over until the meaning of work is totally understood. The biblical theology on work is that work was designed by God as man’s earthly occupation. It is the means by which man sustains life. Proverbs was written by Solomon whom the bible says was the wisest…