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Ephesians 5:14-17 Someone has said, “Time is money.” This is true if we are running a business or working a job. But time is much more precious than money. Time is priceless. Just ask anyone who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Ask an older person who has indulged in a “party” lifestyle and now has nothing to show for their life. Just ask a student who wasted the whole semester in fun stuff and now has a term paper due in two days. What makes time invaluable? Without time nothing can be accomplished. We can do many things without money. We can accomplish much without special skills. But when there’s no time, there’s no opportunity. You just can’t do. In our text, Paul cautions about “making the most” of our time. He exhorts that we be wise and “not be foolish” about how we walk and in particular about how we use the time God gives us. Two things are worthy of a word or two. First, Paul writes to “understand what the will of the Lord is.” In other words, what are the things God wants us to do with our time? We know the teachings about worship, fellowship and good works. Are these things priorities on our schedules and “be ready to do” lists? Most of us are well-intentioned, but the world has a way of stealing our time and leaving us wondering where it went! Secondly, Paul notes, “the days are evil.” Does he mean there are no “good” days? Some of you grumpy, crabby types might say “yes” to that! But Paul means that evil is everywhere and is always lurking to steal our time. There are two ways this can happen. Some days, bad things happen: you wake up with a headache, there’s a snow storm, the car won’t start - such things interrupt our lives and steal time. Then, of course, the devil is always ready to pounce and divert the use of our time. Some pleasure and relaxation is good (1 Timothy 6:17), even necessary, but the evil one keeps tempting us to do the “fun stuff” and avoid doing the things which will bring real and lasting joy to other folks and to our selves. Time is priceless. How do you spend yours? ><> Jeff

John 11:38-48 The gospels record many of the miracles which Jesus did - from healings, to casting out demons, to raising the dead. And the response to those miracles was varied. Some people believed in Jesus at the first sign. Many questioned. Some were afraid. Others were offended. One of the most intriguing responses to one of Jesus’ miracles is found in our text. Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead; his body had been lifeless and in the grave for four days. Dead for sure. But Jesus commands: “Remove the stone.” Then another command: “Lazarus, come forth.” And the dead man breathed again and came hobbling out of the tomb from one world back into the one he had already known. As a result of this incredible miracle “many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.” Wouldn’t you? In fact, haven’t you? But here’s something almost as incredible as the miracle itself. Some of those who saw this miracle of miracles simply went and told the Pharisees about it! They didn’t pause to consider what this sign meant; they just had a tale to tell. They were “good little Jews” snitching on the trouble-making rabbi. And the response of the Pharisees and chief priest to all of this is none the less astounding: “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.” They admitted to Jesus’ attesting miracles, but even these religious leaders didn’t think to consider what they meant. They only saw an enemy who would cause them to lose “both our place and our nation.” What causes such a difference in responses to Jesus’ miracles? Even to all of the other evidence in creation and the Bible which point to a Creator God? The answer is varied. Pride. Love of the world. Don’t want to change. No love of the truth. Hard set in beliefs and way of life. Too much bother/I’m busy. Jesus noted in one place that the people’s hearts had “become dull.” So, what’s your response to this raising of the dead? Is it just a “ho hum” and “that’s nice”? Or is it perhaps “tell me more”? Or is it: “Now I believe in Jesus. What do I do next?” See me. ><> Jeff

Psalm 119:160 We live in a society right now in which the ultimate wrong is to offend somebody. Everyone is to be accepted, even validated, no matter what they think or believe or even do! Formerly this was called being “politically correct,” but now I think we can just call it being “me.” The individual has become the sole arbitrator of what is right/wrong, good/bad, true/false, etc., for themselves. So since there are no cultural “norms” anymore, it is quite easy to offend anybody! To show us how ridiculous and destructive this is, we want to suggest here how a “Me” Bible might read. Be sure and check the Bible text as you look at each verse. Luke 11:23 - He who is not with Me is just doing his own thing. He is following his own heart so leave him alone. Luke 11:28 - Blessed are those who hear the word of God and reinterpret it to suit their own lifestyle. They will be happy. Luke 12:5 - There is nothing to fear. God is not going to destroy anybody in hell. He loves all people. Luke 12:8-9 - If you don’t wish to confess Me before men, that’s OK. I realize it’s a difficult thing to do, and you might be ridiculed, or feel uncomfortable, or even lose your job. And God wouldn’t want that to happen to you. Luke 12:15 - Don’t worry about being greedy. After all, the more you have the more you can give to others, right? And you are certainly the best person to decide what to do with what you have. Luke 12:23 - If you don’t have anything to eat or anything to wear, you’ll forever be laboring to get those things. So, seek food and clothing first of all, and then you’ll be able to concentrate on the things that are more important to you in life. Luke 12:40 - Being ready for Jesus to come back would be a nice thing to do, but don’t spend too much time on it. After all, everybody is going to be saved, so it’s not such a big deal. So, how do you like the “Me” Bible. Sound familiar? Are these the words of a God of truth who genuinely loves people?

><> Bad News/Good News Genesis 50:15-21 For the brothers of Joseph, the last seventeen years had been a good ride (Genesis 47:28). They had been living in Egypt with their families and their father under the protective hand of their brother Joseph - the same Joseph whom they had hatefully sold into slavery years before. Now, however, their father Jacob was dead and no longer a buffer between them and their brother. Would Joseph seek revenge on them? They sent him a contrived message from their father; then came in person asking forgiveness. Joseph is not about to hold things against them, however. His answer: “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” Their bad turned out for good because God was behind it all. What an awesome God we have! Life is often like this. Having the right perspective on things can turn something bad into something good. Trusting that God is always working can give us peace in difficult times. Do we see only the bad or do we look for the good? The bad news: We need to go grocery shopping. The good news: we don’t have to go catch a chicken, wring its neck, bleed it, pluck its feathers, etc. The bad news: Tomorrow I have to go to work. The good news: You have a job to earn money for taking care of your needs. The bad news: The kids sure are rowdy today. The good news: God has blessed you with children! The bad news: The electric bill came today. The good news: You have electric lights, a refrigerator, a television (maybe more than one), air conditioning, a computer, cell phones to charge... The bad news: Mrs Crumpmeier sings loudly and off key. The good news: Mrs Crumpmeier is a faithful member of the church and is always ready to help out. The bad news: The Bible points out many of my personal sins and failings. The good news: Jesus has provided for my forgiveness and helps me change into what I should be. Is life all bad for you? Or do you look for the good? ><> Jeff

Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 So, is there a God? Now, you would say (especially if you’re a Christian), of course I believe there is a God. Belief in God is a great thing, even a necessary thing. It’s certainly a whole lot better than “I think there’s a God.” (Hope you’re not there. Hmmm?) We must be careful, however, not to provoke injury by patting ourselves on the back too much for believing in God. What did James write?: “...the demons also believe, and shudder.” - James 2:19. In context, James is discussing faith and works (obviously a necessary discussion), but we’re not going to go there. But we do want to consider the difference between mere belief and real faith. To put it another way, why does one person simply believe in God, and another person develops real faith and acts upon it? What causes that? For me, the short answer is: I’m not sure! To my knowledge (which is, of course, incomplete), this isn’t revealed anywhere in scripture. Some things come to mind which would have to fall into place. There would be a heart which is interested in knowing the truth, not just about God but the whole of life. This would lead to an honest examination of the available evidence. Such evidence would include the design in creation, human capacity for morality and reasoning, the veracity of the Bible witness, and the person of Jesus Christ. This is a condensed list. After such an examination, the honest heart would have to conclude that there is a God, and He is the God revealed in the Bible. But this isn’t faith! If we consider our two reference verses, we see that there are several things associated with faith. There is an “assurance of things hoped for” and a “conviction of things not seen.” There is this basic belief about God that “He is” - in other words, He exists; He is real. Here we begin to move from “I believe there is a God” to “I know there is a God.” This is a sea change in perspective. So real faith begins to “seek Him” - to want to know Him - to want to serve Him - to experience the reward He has promised. Living faith will act. Dead faith lies “useless” (James 2:18-20). I would appreciate your thoughts on my thoughts here. ><> Jeff

Colossians 1:13-20 Jesus Christ is the central figure in all that has happened or will happen on the earth. He was instrumental in the creation of all things, everything being made through Him and for Him. He also is the One who continues to hold all things together. How ironic that when He was on the earth very few people recognized Jesus as the One who had created them. Even His close disciples had difficulty in knowing who He was. We would do well to remember that it was Jesus the Word of God who... ...shaped the mount upon which Jerusalem sat. ...molded the hills from which Rome ruled. ...conceived the blood which sealed the covenant at Sinai. ...entered His own creation to rescue from their sins the people He had made. ...healed the leprosy on the body He formed. ...spoke words of truth to minds He made to understand. ...stilled the tempestuous sea whose limits He had set. ...fed the thousands with bread and fish of His own making. ...made in His image the wretch that sold Him for some coins. ...breathed the lives of those who envied His. ...set Pilate upon the seat of judgment. ...established the priesthood which condemned Him. ...gave the tongues which cried “Crucify!” ...strengthened the arms that swung the biting scourge. ...nurtured the thorns from which they wove the crown. ...grew the tree from which the cross was hewn. ...made the ore from which the nails were fired. ...designed the hands which hammered the nails. ...made sure the brow of Golgotha would hold three crosses. ...died as the Lamb of God in a body prepared for Him. ...is coming back to take His people to a glorious place which He is preparing for them! ><> Jeff

1 John 2:16-17 Living in the world but not being of the world (John 17:14-18) is a very “sticky” business because we need to interact so much with the world to make our way on a daily basis. Food, clothing, shelter, money, vehicle, healthy body, job, education, etc. Even though God blesses us with these things, they are all part of the world structure with which we must interact to do life. John warns the Christian that any of these can become a dangerous snare since the world and the things of the world appeal to the passions which exist in our flesh. He is saying that anything in the world has the potential for drawing our love away from God and the things above (Colossians 3:1-2) so that our love for that aspect of the world supercedes our love for God. John says if that happens to any person then God’s love is not in them. Let’s take work as an example. A person has a need to work and make a living. But one’s needing to work can deteriorate into a distorted lust in which one’s job becomes the fulfillment of one’s life and the answer to one’s problems. A person may work to avoid difficult situations at home - going to work early and staying late provides escape from troubles with one’s spouse and children. A person may prefer his job to working for the Lord as he likes the recognition he gets at the work place more than he does the praise of God. Someone may see work as a way to get that larger house, sporty car or bass boat so work becomes a way to satisfy boastful pride and desire for pleasure. Another sees work as a way to build one’s bank account and retirement nest egg, so work becomes security. In an individual’s mind, the world can take on the appearance of being the satisfaction for every legitimate desire and need. And when that happens, God is dethroned in the person’s heart, and some part of the world becomes his god. It is noteworthy, as we consider John’s words here that the Bible never warns us about atheism. Hmmm? The Holy Spirit never has a concern that mankind will not worship. His concern is that human beings will worship anything!! “Do not love the world nor the things in the world...” ><> Jeff

Ecclesiastes 12:11 Here we go with some more of the wise sayings and quotes which I’ve collected over the years. Read, meditate and be blessed! > Some people look for a beautiful place. Other people make their place beautiful. > Perfection is the enemy of good. > Peter had a bad day. Judas had a bad heart. – Sen. John Kennedy > Salvation is a process, not an event. – John Eldredge > I cannot give away what I don’t have to give. > God will love you enough that He will let you be in a situation where you don’t get anything out of serving Jesus Christ. – Dr. Ted Roberts > Genetics and circumstances influence where we start, but we are responsible for where we finish. > When your cup is overflowing, it’s past time to share with someone else. > If someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. > Ideas don’t work unless you do. > “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” – Darth Vader ><> Jeff

Philippians 2:12-13 It is probably safe to say that virtually every advance in science, technology, medicine, agriculture, engineering - in any field of endeavor - has begun with a “What if...?” What if people could get into a machine and fly from one place to another? What if there were a better way to make books than copying by hand? What if we could make replacements for worn out knee joints? What if we could store up water and irrigate fields when it doesn’t rain? Somebody envisioned it first and then set about to do it. When it comes to building the kingdom, we all need to have a similar kind of vision. We tend to just accept things as they are and not envision how each one of us and the congregation as a whole could make greater strides in doing the will of God. We need to envision spiritual growth, numerical growth, improved facilities, more and different opportunities to serve and spread the gospel. But in order to accomplish such things, each one of us needs to personally ask themselves some “What if...?” questions: > What if I spent 15-20 minutes a day praying for the spiritual growth and development of each one in the congregation? > What if I made one phone call every week to someone who was absent from the assembly on the Lord’s Day? > What if I made a point to thank and encourage members of the congregation who work hard at making things happen? > What if I made the decision to take part in one more work or activity of the congregation than I am now involved with? > What if I decided to make a sincere effort to start inviting people to our Sunday assembly and/or tell them about our website and other media outreach? > What if I decided to devote another 30 minutes a week to reading and studying the scriptures? > What if I truly decided to work out my salvation “with fear and trembling”? > “What if...?” ><> Jeff

2 Timothy 3:16-17 A couple of weeks ago we had a morning worship in which the brothers in the congregation chose a favorite scripture to read. It could have been one which inspired them or provided guidance or had some other significance in their life. They shared some of their thoughts about their scripture. We thought it would be good to provide a listing of those scriptures for those who would want to revisit them. Bob - Philippians 2:1-18 Eric - Psalm 91:1-16 Adam - Joshua 1:9 Mike - Ecclesiastes 2:1-26 Don - Colossians 1:9-23 Chuck - Isaiah 40:22; Acts 8:32-39; Colossians 3:12-21 Ryan - Psalm 30:1-12 Gavin - Matthew 6:26-34 Jeff - Psalm 119:1-8, 97-112 We also want to thank Hampton for selecting and leading the songs. He was prepared to read a scripture also, but the guy doing the line-up overlooked him. Hmmm? Check this out from The Washington Stand recently: “The vast majority of Americans suffer from critical biblical illiteracy, according to the American Bible Society's 2026 State of the Bible (SOTB) report. Only 17% of Americans told pollsters that they have read the entire Bible, while 48% claim to have read "about half" or more.” This article did not indicate if this was the general public (bad enough) or those who claimed to be Christian (abysmal!). We are reminded: “All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” As Christians, we should not be among the biblical illiterate but among those who are skilled in the Word of God, having our “senses trained to discern good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14) ><> Jeff

Ephesians 4:20-24 It’s that time of year when the orange barrels and cones appear on the highway. Everyone knows what that means: TROUBLE! Well, maybe not, but they mean road work or construction of some kind is ahead. Perhaps repairing potholes (we hope) or resurfacing or bridge maintenance, etc. But something old, worn and in disrepair is being replaced with something new and better. It might mean traffic delays (Rats!) or changes in traffic patterns, et al. So we know to slow down and be extra alert. Sometimes I think it would have been good if God had made a provision for us as Christians to deploy “orange barrels” around us. After all, we are under construction! Maybe we could wear orange barrel or cone hats. We can imagine all sorts of styles of those. Maybe a shirt or jacket with orange barrels emblazoned on the front and back. There could be orange barrel earrings and ties with orange barrels. At this point, you might be thinking that Jeff’s been sniffing too much of that fresh asphalt out on the highway. However, we Christians are really under construction - works in progress. Paul tells his readers that they are to “lay aside the old self” and to “put on the new self.” That means the old, sinful stuff must be torn out, ripped up and dismantled. That’s not an easy task. The old lifestyle must go: bad habits, foul language, selfish purposes, impure motives, lusts of the flesh, and a whole host of other things. Hard work. Painful. But it’s got to be done if we’re going to please our Lord and Savior Jesus. Then the new must be put in place. New outlooks on life, new reasons to live, new priorities, good works, fruit of the Spirit, and a whole lot more. It’s not easy to learn and put into practice all those new things, but it must be done. A lot of times we don’t get it right. We mess up. We still sin. We hurt others. Thus, the need for the orange barrels. CAUTION! Under construction. Be careful! Perhaps if we wore the “orange barrel” gear we’d be more likely to be more patient with each other and more forgiving. We would recognize that we’re all “under construction.” What say you? ><> Jeff

Galatians 5:22-23                         The World’s Greatest Needs               A little more kindness and a little less greed;             A little more giving and a little less need;               A little more smile and a little less frown;             A little less kicking a man when he’s down;               A little more “we” and a little less “I”;             A little more laugh and a little less cry;               A little more flowers on the pathway of life;             And fewer on graves at the end of the strife.                                                 – C. Austin Miles               It would seem that because of the scripture’s great focus on love that kindness is often overlooked.  Of note, Paul reminds us that one of the characteristics of love is being kind (1 Corinthians 13:4)!  Also, kindness is one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit.  Paul exhorts the Ephesians to “Be kind to one another...” (Ephesians 4:32).             A cobbled together definition for kindness:   being friendly and considerate of others; treating others with respect; doing deeds to promote the well-being of another person.             Generally, acts of kindness aren’t seen as huge endeavors but as small deeds done in the course of life.  Examples: Holding the door for someone.  Respecting someone’s space.  Sending a card.  Giving a compliment.  Providing a ride.  A word of encouragement.  Not interrupting while someone else is talking.  Saying “thank you.”  A small gift at the right time.  Phone call to a shut-in.  We could go on.             Jesus spoke of the cup of cold water.  Such things matter, and they matter a lot!  And here’s one of the best things about acts of kindness.  Anybody  can do them!  Any time.  Anywhere.                                                             ><>  Jeff