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

Mark 3:31-35             We like choices.  And in this country we are blessed to have many choices.  Beef or chicken?  Spaghetti or rotini? Peas or green beans?  Mexican or Chinese?  Comedy or drama?  SUV or sedan?  Red or blue?  We could go on and on.             Now, many choices are relatively inconsequential like those we just noted.  Some are quite weighty.  College, trade school, work force?  Marry or not?  Whom to marry?  Buy a house or not?  What job?  Where to live?  Et al.             And then, some choices are life and death.  In some countries, choosing to become a Christian is a life and death decision.  (We’re not talking about eternal life and the second death.)  Consider this decision which members of the Iranian women’s soccer team recently had to make.  When their national anthem was played for the first time at Australia’s Asian Cup tournament, they remained silent.  Later they changed, but it was too late.  Their government labeled them “wartime traitors.”  But then, they had to make a decision.  Would they go home or not? Asylum was available, but that meant almost certain death or torture for their families back home.  Already, some of their family members had been detained.  In the end, all but two went back to Iran to face whatever consequences there might be - even death for them.  The bonds of family are truly powerful!             Now consider our text in which Jesus was teaching in a house which was crowded with people.  His mother and brothers arrive and want to see Him.  Jesus’ response is often ridiculed when He looked at all those around Him and said: “Behold My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”  Although the narrative ends there, I feel certain that Jesus did not ignore His family.  He was taking opportunity to teach a spiritual truth.             Just as the bonds of our earthly families are strong, so are those of our spiritual family.  Over the years - yes, even today many people continue to choose Christ and His family over their own (Mark 10:29-31).  Truly a “life and death” decision.                                                             ><>  Jeff

John 15:12-13             Maybe it’s because we are so familiar with this verse of scripture ( John 15:13 ) that we overlook the somewhat contradictory nature of what Jesus says.  Perhaps it’s because we are so enamored by the word “love” in it that our hearts just kind of “flutter” as we read it and agree with what the Lord says.  Go ahead and read it now and listen closely to what He is telling us.             Jesus is not giving us a definition of love.  He is giving us an example of love in actuality, in the midst of the harshness and difficulty of life.  He leaves much room for other actions which would legitimately be called love but says that greater love cannot be demonstrated than if a person gives his own life for his friends.             Does anything about that statement trouble you?  Do you find His words at least somewhat perplexing shall we say?             Here is the thought:  Why is it that love is unsurpassed when it is demonstrated in death ?             Our concepts of love are usually not so, well, extreme.  We think of a newly wed couple beginning to make adjustments in their life together.  Or a mother’s staying up at night with a sick child.  Or even a generous gift given in time of need.  Or some humble service rendered.  But to connect love with death and especially such a grisly death (for there is no doubt that Jesus has His own death in view here) is not the usual way for us to think.  (I hope you see that as an understatement.)             Consider: If “greater love” is shown via sacrificial death, how did God bring about the conditions needed to demonstrate this depth of His love?             Then this: In what ways might a person “lay down his life for his friends?”             Next: What does this tell us about the presence of pain and suffering in the world today?             Lastly: How am I doing in loving God and those in my life as Christ has loved me?             Hmmm?                                                             ><>  Jeff

James 1:17             A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World.  Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes:   Egypt's Great Pyramids Taj Mahal Grand Canyon Panama Canal Empire State Building St. Peter's Basilica China's Great Wall               While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn’t turned in her paper yet, so she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.  The girl replied, “Yes, a little.  I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.”  The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.”  The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:                                      1            To See                                    2            To Taste                                    3            To Touch                                    4            To Hear.” She hesitated a little, and then added,                                    5          To Feel                                    6            To Laugh                                    7            and To Love.”               There was total silence;  you could have heard a pin drop.             Those things we overlook as simple and ordinary are truly wondrous.  This is a gentle reminder that the most precious things in life cannot be bought, but are gifts from above.                                                 – via mikeysfunnies.com               Perspective is critical.  How’s yours?                                                             ><>  Jeff

John 18:36-37               Some folks wonder why Jesus didn’t remain on the earth and rule His kingdom and the nations from here below.  Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world, and after His resurrection He ascended to the right hand of His Father to rule in His kingdom.  His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.  But Jesus made sure He left us everything we need to find the Way to Him and to live a life worthy of His name as His disciples.   Before His ascension, Jesus left...             ...His clothes to the soldiers - John 19:23-24             ...His mother to John - John 19:26-27             ...His body to Joseph of Arimathea - John 19:38             ...His scars to Thomas - John 20:27   To His disciples Jesus left...             ...His peace for comfort - John 14:27             ...His supper for remembering - Luke 22:15-20             ...His name for asking - John 14:13-14             ...His word for learning - 1 Peter 1:22-25             ...His example for following - 1 Peter 2:19-21             ...His church for belonging - 1 Corinthians 12:27             ...His mission to accomplish - Matthew 28:18-20             ...an empty tomb for believing - Matthew 28:5-6             ...His promise for encouragement - John 14:2-3             ...the Holy Spirit for helping - John 14:16-18   To the world Jesus left...             ...the gospel for salvation - Romans 1:16               What more do we need?!  Thank you, Jesus!                                                               ><>  Jeff