Drew Kizer’s blog is always good. His articles are always timely and well-written. The article he posted earlier today, though, is a very important one. Please take the time to read the article by clicking here. For members of the 9th Avenue family… The 2007 Lads to Leaders rulebook is now available. While there aren’t a ton of changes from last year’s, there are a few. You will want to either download it or print it. You may find it by clicking here.

Today the young people in Haleyville started school. After a very busy summer with scores of activities, I am finally breathing a little bit. It was a busy summer, but it was also a very positive one. As the young people go back to school, though, there are many temptations for them. Probably one of the most accepted sins is that of cheating on homework and tests. Add the pressure of getting good grades and getting into a “top” college, and it is no wonder that many students cheat. However, as technology increases, so do the ways in which a student may cheat. And, according to a recent article, students…

Continuing the 9th Avenue Top 99 songs, we sang last night at 5:30. We continue to get closer to the end. Last night, these favorites were sung: #39–Mansion, Robe and Crown #38–I Love the Lord #37–I Know the Lord will Find a Way for Me #36–Whispering Hope #35–I Stand in Awe #34–I Believe in Jesus #33–It is Well with My Soul #32–What a Day that Will Be Again, you may listen to the countdown by clicking here. As of this writing, all songs through #40 are posted, and the ones listed above will be available very soon.

Growing up, I was fascinated by money. In fact, in my late high school years I thought I would end up being a stock broker. Thankfully, I am not. I love my job, but, like so many other Americans, I have had some financial hurdles to jump. Many times Christians are extremely embarrassed by financial difficulties. They know they should be giving generously to honor God and aid their local congregation in her endeavors, but they simply cannot. They are swamped by a mountain of debt that seems to never end. Car notes, mortgages, student loans, credit cards and other debts continue to mount, as does their guilt. Finally, (hopefully)…

[NOTE: The following article was originally printed in the Messenger, a publication of the Memorial Parkway church of Christ in Huntsville, Alabama. The title is “How Parents Can Assist the Bible School Teacher.” I do not know who the author is. I used it this week for my segment of our local bulletin, and wanted to share it here as well. If you have a love for making the Bible School the best it can be, this article is a great one to file away.] The spiritual development of our youth is a primary goal of our education program. Most agree that a knowledge of God’s Word and a living…

After a week off for our Vacation Bible School, the 9th Avenue congregation picked up again singing her 99 favorite songs. So far, songs 99-49 are on the website, and the songs we sang last night are coming soon. Please check here often. The songs sung last night were: #48–He Touched Me #47–Blessed Assurance #46–Step by Step #45–It Is Finished! #44–My God and I #43–The Lily of the Valley #42–Fairest, Lord Jesus #41–Ring Out the Message #40–Do You Know My Jesus?

There are many in our time who say that events such as Vacation Bible Schools, Gospel Meetings and youth rallies no longer are effective. They say that these types of events worked when members of our society had “nothing else to do.” Large crowds and scores of responses were commonplace. But that’s not the case anymore, they say. Earlier this week, though, at least one of those events was held that proved that theory to be way off base. Congregations in Western Kentucky held and area-wide Gospel Meeting. Brother Allen Webster (preacher for the Jacksonville, Alabama, church of Christ and editor of House-to-House, Heart-to-Heart) presented lessons Sunday, Monday and Tuesday…

As you now know, the Washington state supreme court banned same-sex marriages within that state on Tuesday. However, the fight is not over. Gay-rights advocates are redoubling their efforts. Please read the following article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Only months ago, Washington appeared poised to become a cutting-edge state for gay rights. Its population of cohabitating same-sex couples was among the highest in the nation, and its legislators had passed a historic civil rights bill explicitly protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination. Gay activists around the country believed it was not too much to think that the high court here might wade into the vanguard and demand legal recognition for…

On Tuesday, by a 5-4 vote, the Washington state supreme court refused to legalize gay marriage. The vote has been expected for some time, but it was still good to see it come down. It is disturbing that the vote was close, but the victory is still a good one. Just a few weeks ago, both Georgia and New York passed similar rulings. Other states continue to debate the issue. To read an article from the BP News about the Washington state ruling, click here. While these court decisions are important, we must remember that they can always be reversed. We need to continually put the truth out there for…

I wanted to give very brief updates to two stories we have posted recently. First, we had a story last week about Floyd Landis and his chace for the yellow jersey in the annual Tour de France. Yesterday, Landis won the race! It is truly a remarkable story, and it makes great sermon illustration material. To read a story about his victory, click here. Also, please take a moment to read Drew Kizer’s article dealing with President Bush’s veto of the embryonic stem cell research bill. As usual, Drew has done a great job informing us on this issue. The 9th Avenue Vacation Bible School continues. 238 were present on…