I thought I’d share some good news with you for the weekend. In light of our last post, I thought it would be a good idea to share some good news about young people who are facing the pressures of this world, right here in Haleyville. So, here are two quick stories that should make your day a little brighter. Recently, one of our young ladies came up to me after services and said, “I have some questions for you.” She is friends with many young people who are in denominations, but who are, as best I can tell, very good kids. When we got together to study the Bible,…

They were leaving a high school football game, and not even a varsity game. It was the middle of the evening (about 7:00) and still daylight. The two girls were talking when a cell phone rang. One of the girls answered and, upon realizing it was a friend, put the call on speakerphone. Within just a few moments, the conversation turned to news about a friend. With the phone on speaker, it wasn’t hard for those walking near the girls, who were about 13 or 14, to hear the conversation. One girl asked, “They made out?” And, after a muddled response, the other asked, “You mean he slept with her?”…

God’s people should be singing people. We are commanded to sing (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19; Hebrews 13:15), but that should not be the only reason we sing. God has done so much for us, and it should cause us to want to express our thanks and praise. Sadly, though, many do not sing. As we praise God, many just sit and listen. While, sometimes, that could be because they do not know the song, most of the time it is not for that reason. Brother or sister, when you do not sing, you are missing out on so much. You are missing an opportunity to follow a wonderfully simple command…

Today’s the day. While commercials began airing at the end of last year, the day has finally arrived when the US population will cross 300million. (At the time of this writing, some news agencies are reporting that it has already happened.) By the year 2043, we are told, the population of our nation will have grown to 400million. Every second, 7 babies are born in the US and 31 migrants enter (CNN.com). While we need to be sending missionaries all over a lost and dying world, there continues to be a growing need right here at home. “Go into all the world” includes America. Let’s get to it!

Freed-Hardeman University is hosting a “Contemporary Discussion” on the unity movement between the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. 100 years ago, the US census officially recognized these as two different groups. Now, many want to “make up for lost time” and come back together, without any change in doctrine. Dr. Ralph Gilmore of FHU and Dr. David Faust, president of Cincinnati Christian University will be discussing the topic “What Will It Take to be ‘Together Again?'” The discussion will be held on FHU’s campus at Loyd Auditorium on Saturday from 9 AM to 12:30 PM. If you cannot make the discussion, it will be broadcast live via the internet.…

[NOTE: The first part of this article was penned originally by John Gipson. The paragraphs at the end, that are in italics, are the ones I added for our local bulletin.]I recently was handed an article: “The Hardships of Worship.” It dealt with the meetinghouses for worship in Connecticut two centuries ago. The typical clapboard meetinghouse of that era was not only “slenderly built… admitting freely the blasts of the seasons,” as a popular author Samuel Goodrich recalled, “but was unheated.” The article tells us, “There was no fireplace, no stove, no significant heat source of any kind. Half-frozen men, women, and children hunched into themselves to conserve precious body…

Several months ago, I reviewed the mini-series studies of this great set of books. [To read that article, click here.] Now I have finished reading all the books contained in the New Testament series. These books are fantastic! The study books, which cover all 27 New Testament books in survey form, are wonderful for personal study or for a classroom setting. So many congregations are using them already, and more need to. These books get to the “meat” of the Word. My only complaint is that there is too much material to cover in a regular Bible class setting. When is the last time you were able to say that…

How many times have we told our young people, “If something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing correctly”? While they might get tired of hearing that, it is so true. Sadly, we don’t think about it being true often enough in our worship of God. For example, how often have we sung the song “The Lord’s Army”? Our children often sing that song at devotionals and VBS. Many adults also love that song. If you would, take a moment and sing it to yourself. (Go ahead…I’ll wait.) Here is probably what you sang: I may never march in the infantry;Ride in the calvary;Shoot the artillery;I may never fly over the enemy,But…

Idomeneo, according to a Wikipedia entry is, “an Italian opera by Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart.” It is not a very well-known opera, but it is often used in rotation with others at local opera houses, especially in Europe. Recently, an opera house in Berlin was scheduled to perform the Mozart opera, but decided to suspend its performance. [As of this writing, no decision has been made to go on.] Why would they not perform this opera? As it was going to be interpreted by the German director, a character was going to stagger on the stage with a severed head of Muhammad, the “prophet” of the Islamic religion. When word got…

There can be no doubt that “Jesus Loves Me” is one of the most well-known and loved songs on earth. While we usually think of it as a children’s song, the message is universal. To be honest, it is one of my favorites. Quite often I lead it at youth rallies with teens, and we sing it somewhat often in our worship here at 9th Avenue. [And, yes, it made the Top 99.] Anna and Susan Warner co-wrote several books, trying to supplement their family income in the 1830s and 1840s. One of their most successful joint projects was a novel titled Say and Seal in which a little boy…