Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral

• Article: The Just Shall Live By Faith

• Article: Embracing The Shadow

• Article: Infallibility

• Article: My Way, or God’s Way

• Filler: A Thirst Only Christ Can Satisfy

• Poem: Spying Out the Truth

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 27:51-56

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

ARTICLES

[355 words]

Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral

Sometimes at the beginning of the classic guessing game Twenty Questions is the query “Animal, vegetable, or mineral?”. After receiving the answer, the 20 “yes” or “no” questions would then be asked. Well, if I were to choose Jesus as the answer for you to guess, I would have to answer “yes” to the question: “Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral?” (Note: “vegetable includes all plants”). Of course, Jesus is these in the figurative sense. Let me explain what I mean.

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Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: Let God Send You

• Article: Better Than the Alternative

• Article: One God

• Article: Trusting in God

• Article: Five Things Members Need to Hear Regularly

• Filler: Making the Most of Summer

• Poem: A Lamp Along the Way

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 27:45-50

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

Read more

Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: What is a Boy?

• Article: Love’s Labors

• Article: Lessons from a Wildfire

• Article: What Would Jesus Ask You To Give Up

• Article: Kill the Messenger!

• Filler: Finding Rest in the Shade

• Poem: Seeds of Grace

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 27:38-44

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

ARTICLES

[234 words]

What is a Boy?

He is the person who is going to carry on what you have started. He is going to sit right where you are sitting and attend to those things you think are so important when you are gone. You may adopt all the policies you please, but how they will be carried on depends on him. Even if you make leagues and treaties, he will have to manage them. He is going to sit at your desk in the Senate and occupy your place on the Supreme Court bench. He will serve at the Lord’s Table in your place. He is going to move in and take over your prisons, churches, universities, and corporations. When you get done, all your work is going to be judged and praised or condemned by him. Your reputation and your fortune are in his hands. He will assume the control of your cities.

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[234 words]

He is the person who is going to carry on what you have started. He is going to sit right where you are sitting and attend to those things you think are so important when you are gone. You may adopt all the policies you please, but how they will be carried on depends on him. Even if you make leagues and treaties, he will have to manage them. He is going to sit at your desk in the Senate and occupy your place on the Supreme Court bench. He will serve at the Lord’s Table in your place. He is going to move in and take over your prisons, churches, universities, and corporations. When you get done, all your work is going to be judged and praised or condemned by him. Your reputation and your fortune are in his hands. He will assume the control of your cities.

Right now the future President of the United States is playing children’s games, and the most famous actor of his day is complaining because he does not want to go to bed. This very night the future man of God that may become the most famous evangelist in the world—one that might shake this continent for the Lord—may appear as a tousled-haired little boy asleep in his bed.

Handle him with care. The fate of the nation—of humanity—is in his hands.

“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

[315 words]

“It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.” Those were the words of King Jeroboam to the people of Israel (1 Kings 12:28). He knew God said to come to Jerusalem and worship Him at the temple. That didn’t stop him from changing what God commanded. He made it easy for people to “worship.” He told them they didn’t have to travel all the way to Jerusalem. Just go to Dan and Bethel. They’re much closer. But he didn’t stop there. He made golden calves and told the people they could worship them. Then he made men who were not of the tribe of Levi priests and ordered a festival of worship at a time the law of Moses didn’t authorize.

His main reason for making these changes was political. The motivation of the people was personal. This popular religion was convenient. It was new and different. It was creative. And, it was not “legalistic” and strict like the old way. Moreover, it worked. People flocked to engage in idolatry, and, even sadder, this trendy worship continued for several generations.

The sales pitch of old Jeroboam still works today. The biblical way is “too much” for many today. The masses are looking for a religion that is convenient, entertaining and tolerant. To this generation we ask: Is it too much to require that men lead as preachers, elders and deacons (1 Tim. 2:8-3:13)? Is it too much for you to listen to a sermon that reproves your heart instead of a nice little talk that tickles your ears (2 Tim. 4:2-4)? Many today are oblivious as to what worship is. We are to worship God. Worship is not for our convenience. It is not about pleasing us. But as long as people look for bread and fish instead of the Truth, the way of Jeroboam will live on.

Kerry Duke
West End church of Christ
Livingston, TN

Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Remember that subscribers can view this page on a desktop computer and cut and paste all articles! The web address is bulletindigest.substack.com. You can also view your account and view links to all materials on the Subscriber Central page. To mark articles as “used,” find the individual article and click the “heart” icon!

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: Too Much Religion?

• Article: Jealousy and the Christian

• Article: Do You Know Where You Placed Your Bible?

• Article: Throwing Stones

• Article: It Seems Right to Me

• Filler: Lessons from the Garden

• Poem: The Father’s Door

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 27:32-36

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

ARTICLES

[315 words]

Too Much Religion?

“It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.” Those were the words of King Jeroboam to the people of Israel (1 Kings 12:28). He knew God said to come to Jerusalem and worship Him at the temple. That didn’t stop him from changing what God commanded. He made it easy for people to “worship.” He told them they didn’t have to travel all the way to Jerusalem. Just go to Dan and Bethel. They’re much closer. But he didn’t stop there. He made golden calves and told the people they could worship them. Then he made men who were not of the tribe of Levi priests and ordered a festival of worship at a time the law of Moses didn’t authorize.

Read more

[287 words]

The name Pete Best might not initially jump out at you, but the phrase “The Fifth Beatle” might jog your memory. Best was the original drummer for The Beatles, and was fired on August 16, 1962, by the other members of the group shortly after signing their first recording contract.

Decades later, Best couldn’t stop pondering his fate. He once commented, “I still feel shocked. I’ll never know why it had to happen to me.” He claimed he was fired because of his popularity and good looks, but the band said it was because of personality clashes and dissatisfaction with his drumming skills. Whatever the case, his megastar near miss would haunt him for years.

Dealing with disappointment is tough. Things don’t always go as we would hope in life. Solomon once wrote, “I returned and saw under the sun that—The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all” (Ecc. 9:11).

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Disappointments will come to all! What matters most is how we deal with setbacks. Instead of wallowing in regret, Christians should always remember that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). If we put God’s kingdom first and work toward righteous goals, we can always be assured that the Father recognizes our contributions (1 Cor. 15:58), even if the world doesn’t.

We can put disappointment and regrets behind us and “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). So trust God, press forward, and be thankful for His many blessings.

Matt Clifton
Judsonia church of Christ
Judsonia, AR

Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Remember that subscribers can view this page on a desktop computer and cut and paste all articles! The web address is bulletindigest.substack.com. You can also view your account and view links to all materials on the Subscriber Central page. To mark articles as “used,” find the individual article and click the “heart” icon!

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: Putting Regrets and Disappointments Behind Us

• Article: God’s Well Never Runs Dry

• Article: Shake It Off and Rejoice!

• Article: Love One Another

• Article: Declare God’s Glory

• Filler: Abounding in the Lord’s Work

• Poem: Grace Each Morning

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 27:27-31

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

ARTICLES

[287 words]

Putting Regrets and Disappointments Behind Us

The name Pete Best might not initially jump out at you, but the phrase “The Fifth Beatle” might jog your memory. Best was the original drummer for The Beatles, and was fired on August 16, 1962, by the other members of the group shortly after signing their first recording contract.

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[255 words]

The story is told of a Native American princess who, when she came of age, was given a basket and told that she could pick the finest ears of corn from a certain row in the field. There was one stipulation, however: She had to choose as she went along, and she could not turn around and go back the way she came, nor pick ears that she had already passed up. As she went up the row, she admired the fine quality of the corn before her eyes, but she hesitated at each ear and left it alone, sure that the ears further up the row must surely be even better! Suddenly, to her great sadness, she came to the end of the row, and had not gathered a single ear.

Often people live their lives in this manner, traveling through life without gathering, always thinking that better things lie ahead. When the end of life comes, they look back and grieve over missed opportunities.

The apostle Paul tells Christians, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). To “redeem the time” means to make the most of every opportunity.

Are you making the most of your life? If not, start today! Don’t let the moments pass by unredeemed because you are hoping for a better one in the future. Live each moment for the Lord, and you will never look back wondering what happened to all the corn!

Matt Clifton
Judsonia church of Christ
Judsonia, AR

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[324 words]

Thomas Carlyle was a famous writer. His wife Jane died suddenly of a heart attack while he was away in Scotland delivering an inaugural address as Lord Rector of Edinburgh University. History says that Carlyle was so busy with his writing that some days he wouldn’t even take the time out to visit his wife. After her funeral, Carlyle returned to her bedroom and sat down next to her bed and began to read from her diary. He was startled as he read what she wrote. She said, “Yesterday, he spent an hour with me, and it was like being in heaven.” She wrote, “I love him so.” On the next page, she wrote, “I have listened all day to hear his steps in the hall. But now it is late, and I guess he won’t come today.” Carlyle read on for another half dozen pages or so. He then threw the book down and rushed back to the cemetery in the rain. His friends later found him in the cemetery, facedown in the mud of her grave. He was weeping and repeatedly saying, “If I had only known, if I had only known.” That day was the beginning of the saddest part of his life. In his own diary, there is a sentence that is said to be the saddest in English literature. It goes this way. “Oh, if I had you yet but for five minutes by my side that I might tell you all.”

Some things you’ve got to do now while you have the opportunity. Such as it is with our salvation, Saul of Tarsus was asked these words in Acts 22:16, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’”

Today is all you have; tomorrow may not come. When the opportunity presents itself, you’ve got to do it now because you may not get that opportunity again.

Mark T. Tonkery
Bates Hill church of Christ
Zanesville, OH

Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: Gather As You Go

• Article: Am I a Blessing?

• Article: Some Things You’ve Just Got to Do Now

• Article: Spiritual Footprints

• Article: Of the People

• Filler: Perfect Peace

• Poem: The Shepherd’s Voice

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 27:15-26

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

ARTICLES

[255 words]

Gather As You Go

The story is told of a Native American princess who, when she came of age, was given a basket and told that she could pick the finest ears of corn from a certain row in the field. There was one stipulation, however: She had to choose as she went along, and she could not turn around and go back the way she came, nor pick ears that she had already passed up. As she went up the row, she admired the fine quality of the corn before her eyes, but she hesitated at each ear and left it alone, sure that the ears further up the row must surely be even better! Suddenly, to her great sadness, she came to the end of the row, and had not gathered a single ear.

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Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: Significant

• Article: The Answer Book

• Article: Pursuing God

• Article: A God Who Can Never Be Shaken

• Article: Uprightness

• Filler: The Shepherd’s Care

• Poem: Anchored Hope

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 27:11-14

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

ARTICLES

[318 words]

Significant

Were you to visit Bethlehem today, you would say that it is small yet substantive. While it is only 4 square miles (the average U.S. city is 355 square miles), it is populated with approximately 30,000 people. This is a rather sizeable city for this area of the world. But it was not always this way. If you had never read your Old Testament, you might be surprised to find out that this now budding city was once an obscure and overlooked town.

Consider this Scripture: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Isreal, whose coming forth is from

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Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: An Amazing God Made the Amazing Earth

• Article: No One Can Do It for You

• Article: Love and Grace

• Article: Seeing By Faith, Not By Sight

• Article: The Faith That Saves

• Filler: New Every Morning

• Poem: Hands That Serve

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 27:1-10

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

ARTICLES

[226 words]

An Amazing God Made the Amazing Earth

I went to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens recently and had a wonderful time. I probably saw several dozen species of animals and plants. I stood in amazement at the variety and the uniqueness of each.

This got me to thinking, and so I did a quick Google search. According to Science.org there are between 1.2 and 2 million known species upon the earth today (note: this does not count extinct species and species not yet discovered). This caused me to marvel even more at the awesome knowledge and power of God, who created it all.

God could have made a bland earth to live on with not much diversity, but instead He made a place teeming with an amazing assortment of flora and fauna – all for His glory and for our enjoyment and benefit.

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[432 words]

Paul Harvey was one of the most effective radio personalities of his time. Just pull up his classic “If I Were the Devil” and you’ll see why. He had a distinctive voice. He used simple words everyone could understand. And he was famous for something else that has become a lost art—pausing after he made a major point. The pause always got your attention.

During a lesson or sermon, the mind needs time to let the information soak in, even if it is only a second or two. It needs an occasional short break. Trying to absorb too much information too quickly is like trying to drink water from a fire hydrant. Our culture frowns on the use of a pause. Commercials are so compressed you can’t understand much less remember what they say. Advertisers think they can get more out of their money if they speed up the communication process. But the old saying “Easy come, easy go” still applies. More is not always better.

Any experienced preacher will tell you that if you want to get an audience’s attention, just stop preaching for a few seconds. Things get quiet in a hurry. Of course this can be overdone, but a well-timed pause can emphasize a point more than a great sound system.

When the Jews brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus, He was teaching in the temple. But He didn’t answer them right away. He paused. “But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear” (John 8:6). How different that is from YouTube videos of religious debates where the disputants never stop to catch their breath.

God talked to men directly in the days of Job. But for a time (much longer than a few seconds) He hit the pause button. Job begged and pleaded with God to answer him, but God was quiet. The silence was truly deafening. God let Job and his friends argue until they finished, and when He did speak, they were ready to listen.

There is a personal and practical lesson in this. Today families have to fight for quiet time. Screens keep the minds of both parents and children so distracted they have lost any appreciation for silence. In fact, it makes them nervous. And, husbands and wives spend more time on social media than they spend talking intimately with each other with no competition or interruptions. And, individually, Bible study and prayer have suffered. It’s time to take control of your life and “meditate on these things” (Phil. 4:8).

Kerry Duke

Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Remember that subscribers can view this page on a desktop computer and cut and paste all articles! The web address is bulletindigest.substack.com. You can also view your account and view links to all materials on the Subscriber Central page. To mark articles as “used,” find the individual article and click the “heart” icon!

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: What Happened to the Pause?

• Article: What It Means to “Be Rich”

• Article: How To Deal With Your Mistakes

• Article: Kindness of Reproof

• Article: The Three Crosses at Calvary

• Filler: God Is Our Refuge

• Poem: Light of the World

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 26:69-75

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

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Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for …

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[236 words]

The song “God Bless America” was written by Irving Berlin in 1918 but was not released until 1938 when the famous radio star Kate Smith asked Berlin for a special patriotic song to perform on her Armistice Day broadcast. The song is simple, just a few lines of a prayer for the Lord to bless and guide our nation.

God bless America, land that I love.

Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above.
From the mountains to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America, my home sweet home.

What must America do in order to assure God’s blessing? According to the Scriptures, here is what God desires from our nation:

• God desires that our nation turns from its evil ways. (Jeremiah 18:8)

• God accepts our nation if we fear Him, working righteousness. (Acts 10:35)

• God desires that our nation worship and glorify Him. (Psalm 86:9)

• God wants us to make new disciples in our nation. (Matthew 28:19)

• God wants our nation to recognize His authority. (Romans 13:1)

• God wants our nation to sing for joy because He will govern us. (Psalm 67:4)

• God wants all Americans who believe in Jesus to be as one. (John 17:2—21)

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. (Psalm 33:12)

Jay Launius
Maud Church of Christ
Maud, TX

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Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: The Devil Wants You to Have It

• Article: Wake Up and Live

• Article: Falling from Grace: Is It Possible?

• Article: When is Jesus Coming Back?

• Article: The Goal of Life

• Filler: Are You Practicing Gratitude?

• Poem: Attitudes

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 26:47-56

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

ARTICLES

[420 words]

The Devil Wants You to Have It

When it comes to being content with what we have in life, the bible says, “And having

Read more

Bulletin Digest is a curated weekly newsletter service offering a collection of the best church bulletin articles, poems, puzzles, and fillers you can reprint in your own church bulletin, or use for personal devotions. We maintain an archive of free and subscription-based resources on this site. Weekly newsletters contain at least five full length articles, a filler, a poem, a Bible quiz, and a selection of quotes.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• Article: The World is Changing. Should We?

• Article: Getting Closer to God

• Article: The Deceitfulness of Sin

• Article: Despite Your Sin

• Article: The Blessing of Children

• Filler: Small Light, Big Difference

• Poem: Trust is a Must

• Bible Quiz: Matthew 26:36-46

• Quotes and Sayings

• On the Lighter Side

ARTICLES

[463 words]

The World is Changing. Should We?

The answer is yes and no. We can and should change in some ways, but we must not change in others. The story of one man in the Bible teaches us how to know the difference.

Daniel was a young man living in the security of his home when the Babylonians attacked Judah and took him and others captive. His life changed almost overnight. His world turned upside down and suddenly he found himself in a strange land. Everything was different—the buildings, the language, the clothes, the customs, the food, the government and especially the religion and morals. He had to adjust in some ways, but he could not compromise in others.

The Chaldeans had brought him there for a purpose: to train him to be a government official. They taught him “the language and literature of the Chaldeans” (Dan. 1:4). Daniel consented. He did not say, “I am a Jew and I refuse to study about your country.” Daniel was a wise man, not a rebel. He knew he had to make the best of a bad situation, even if it meant doing things differently than the way he was raised.

But their were limits as to how far Daniel would go to accommodate this new world. The king himself ordered that Daniel and the other Hebrew young men in training be given the same food that he ate. To most people that would have been an honor. And there were some Chaldean foods Daniel could eat. However, the law of Moses prohibited eating certain foods, and risking his life, Daniel drew the line there. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8). The law of man said to eat this food and drink this wine, but the law of God said to avoid them (Deut. 14; Prov. 23:31).

Daniel was a missionary in a foreign field. He knew the distinction between culture and Scripture. Today, our world is changing rapidly. We cannot foresee how much more it will change. We are gradually seeing the same changes Daniel experienced—different races, different languages, different cultures and customs, different family values and religions we have never studied. We can and should adjust in matters that are not right or wrong in themselves. That is what Paul meant when he said he became “all things to all men” so that he might save some (I Cor. 9:19-22). But in matters of Bible teaching, we must not change. Like Daniel, we must not compromise. This means we must study our Bibles to know the difference.

Kerry Duke
West End church of Christ
Livingston, TN

[360 words]

Getting Closer to God

Without a doubt, there are times when God seems far away. In times like these, we may feel as if our prayers go unheard. Or we may wonder why it feels God is so disconnected from our lives.

What we need to remember is that God is unchanging (Malachi 3:6). His character stays absolutely holy. His faithfulness remains constant. His power continues unabated. It is we who change. Oftentimes the problem is that we allow sin into our lives and choose a direction away from God. Sometimes the problem is that we spend less and less time with Him in Bible study, meditation, and prayer. Then one day we realize that we have gradually grown distant from God.

For those in situations like this, the inspired writer James offers a solution. He tells us how to once again draw near to God. It is found in James 4:8: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James’ two suggestions are:

Stop whatever is pulling you away from God. It is mentioned in the text as “cleanse your hands.” If you have been actively engaged in sin, you must renounce it (Ephesians 4:22). Stop doing things that harm your soul. If you have been drifting away from God, stop whatever is causing you to wander. Get your life back on the track that God has laid out for you.

Start your heart again for God. The passage states it this way: “purify your hearts.” By repenting and getting forgiveness, God cleanses us once again (1 John 1:9). It is then that we must keep our hearts focused upon God. The heart is where the problem began. If we keep our attitudes, motives, and thoughts in harmony with God’s will, we will find ourselves drawing nearer to Him once again.

There is no greater feeling of joy than knowing God is near you. We can have this assurance if we keep our hearts pure and our hands clean – if we stop doing the things we shouldn’t and start again doing the things we should.

Edd Sterchi
Broadway church of Christ
Campbellsville, KY

[504 words]

The Deceitfulness of Sin

The book of Hebrews tells us that sin is a deceiver. “But exhort one another every day, while it is called ‘today’, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:13). The word “deceit” means “to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid” (Webster’s). The Greek word from which it comes means essentially the same thing and conveys the idea of giving a false impression. Simply put, Satan is a liar and portrays sin in a very flattering light. There are at least four ways in which Satan uses sin to deceive us.

First, sin deceives by minimizing. Sin masks the consequences of sin by trying to present how insignificant it is. Satan tried this with Eve: “You will not die” (Gen. 3:4). Sin tells us that a little sin never hurt anyone. Sin employs such terms as, “It’s only a little white lie.” Sin encourages us to enjoy its pleasures for a little while and then for a little while longer. Before too long, we are trapped.

Second, sin deceives by rationalizing. To rationalize is to find an excuse or reason for doing what you want to do even though you know you shouldn’t. Sin uses this method to explain itself away. Some of the rationalization tactics it uses are: “Everybody’s doing it,” and “That’s not that wrong.” Satan insists that we change our moral standards to meet the changing times, but God insists, “Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil...” (Isa. 5:20).

Third, sin deceives by glamorizing. Instead of showing you the alcoholic, the drug addict, or the AIDS victim, sin shows you how glamorous it is to drink, use drugs, and live a life of promiscuity. Sin wants us to see only the moment’s pleasure rather than the consequences whether physical or spiritual. Sin tempted Moses in this way, but Moses chose “rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Heb. 11:25).

Fourth, sin deceives by hypnotizing. I’ve never been hypnotized. I have been told I am not a good candidate for hypnosis because I am too unwilling to put myself into someone else’s control. I’ve seen people hypnotized and found it strangely amusing, and yet startling, that one can be lured into such a state that they conform to another’s suggestions. There may be people who are not willing candidates for that type of hypnosis, but all of us are subject to the hypnotic effects of sin – unless we are very, very careful. Those who do get caught up in sin sometimes find the habit extremely hard to break. Fortunately, God has given us a ready resource to combat the allure to sin – the Christian armor (Eph. 6:10ff).

Beware of the deceitfulness of sin. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Col. 2:8).

Robert Lambert

[242 words]

Despite Your Sin

There is an interesting prophecy in the book of Isaiah. Speaking about Jesus, the prophet says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49.6, NRSV).

Many of the Jews of the first century didn’t understand that passage (or they didn’t want to understand). They were disappointed when Jesus refused to fight against Rome. Instead, Jesus spoke of liberation from sin and evil. Of course, true Christianity offers the greatest freedom. Many people have been free from political enslavement only to continue to be slaves to sin.

James 2 tells us that Jesus loves all people. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, it doesn’t matter what your skin color is, or where you were born, or what language you speak. Jesus loves you!

Jesus loves all people. And this applies much more than just to position in society. This means that no matter how sinful you have been in your life, Jesus still loves you. He wants you to be part of his family. He loves you so much that he willingly died for you. He did this despite all of your short-comings and sins – that you might live a wonderful and joyous life now and forever.

Larry Fitzgerald

[447 words]

The Blessing of Children

Once upon a time there was a mom and dad who had two children, ages two and five. Those children were a handful! They got up early and stayed up late. They loved to jump on their beds and on the couch. They fussed a lot when they didn’t get their way. And they couldn’t remember to obey what they were told from one moment to the next. At night you could find mom and dad, exhausted and in a daze, sitting on the couch. “Our kids are wearing us out!” they would say.

One day the family went to Pizza Hut for lunch. As the mother went back and forth to the food bar, fixing one plate and then another, the father watched the kids and tried to keep them in their seats. When mom went to get their drinks, she noticed that her kids had captured the attention of a man sitting at a corner table. As the mother passed the table, the man politely asked, “How old is your daughter?” “She’s two,” replied the dazzled mother. “And she sure is a handful! She keeps me running! There’s never a dull or quiet moment with her around.” The man only smiled.

Finally, after the children were situated, the mother went back to get her own plate (Dad always insisted on being last). She bumped into the same man again, the one from the corner table. “When is your daughter’s birthday?” he asked. With a questioning look, the mother replied, “March 26” (for men don’t usually pay attention to such details about a stranger’s children). “I had a little girl,” the man went on. “She was born April 26th, and would be about the age of your little girl. We lost her to cancer. I always notice little girls this age, and wonder what it would be like…”

By now the mother’s eyes had filled with tears. She remembered how she had complained about the stresses of having a two-year old. Now the trials didn’t seem so bad, compared to the blessings. When she got back to the table, she told her husband what happened. They both looked down at their plates. Food seemed so unimportant, as they realized the seriousness of their mistake. Kissing their two lively kids, they made a silent promise to themselves and to God: “We will not let the frustrations outweigh the joys: we will count our children as a blessing every day.” They remembered what God had said:

“Children are a heritage of the Lord...Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them” (Psa. 127:3), and “Do all things without murmurings or complaining” (Phil. 2:14).

Mike Vestal

FILLERS

[78 words]

Small Light, Big Difference

Jesus calls His followers to be light in the world. Matthew 5:14-16 encourages believers to let their light shine so others may see God’s goodness. A small light can make a big difference in darkness. Simple acts of kindness, honesty, and love can point others to Christ. We do not shine for our own recognition, but so God may be glorified. A faithful life quietly testifies to the hope found in Jesus. Let your light shine, Christian!

POETRY

[56 words]

Trust is a Must

When the world goes bust
Trust is a must

When dreams become dust
Trust is a must

When plans combust
Trust is a must

When conditions are unjust
Trust is a must

When people disgust
Trust is a must

When you need to adjust
Trust is a must

Here is the thrust:
We just must trust

Edd Sterchi

BIBLE QUIZ

[46 words]

Bible Quiz: Matthew 26:36-46

1. “Jesus came with His disciples to a place called ______.”

2. Jesus said, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to ______.”

3. “Watch and pray, lest you enter into ______.”

4. True or False: The disciples stayed awake while Jesus prayed.

5. Jesus said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is ______.”

Solution: Gethsemane; death; temptation; False; weak

BulletinDigest.com

QUOTES & SAYINGS

“The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.” — Dwight L. Moody

“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” — Corrie ten Boom

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” — Francis of Assisi

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” — A. W. Tozer

“Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God’s will.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Ain’t That the Truth

A teacher asked her class, “If I had six oranges in one hand and seven apples in the other, what would I have?” One student answered, “Very large hands.”

Great Organization

I tried to get organized this year, so I bought a planner. Now I can carefully write down all the things I’m going to procrastinate on later.

Listen Closely, Now

My wife said I never listen to her… or something like that.

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