Bulletin Articles

“Not my circus, not my monkeys.” This is often used as a way to describe boundaries. On the surface and in some instances, this can be very a very wise approach to many difficult circumstances in our lives. However, this is not always true nor is it a valid excuse to turn a blind eye to legitimate problems. For the sake of this article, consider the example of someone being a bully here on Facebook. If it is on Facebook and other people can see what is being said, then it is no longer an instance of “not my circus, […]

Have you ever considered how often, how much time and effort we put into preparing ourselves for something that is important to us? Pay close attention to our thought process for our article. When it comes to things that are important to us, we would never question or want anyone to question our intentions during our preparations. Many get offended at the thought of anyone questioning the amount of time and effort that they put into something that they love. Now for the hard part of the read. How important eternity is and our overall place of where we “plan” […]

Within the past few months, Pope Francis of the Catholic Church said that “All religions are paths to God.” Before reading any further, I want you to stop and think about what this man just said. All religions are paths to God, is this true? What did Jesus say? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. Do we truly understand and grasp what this means? This idea that Jesus is the way. In several places in Acts, we have this idea of […]

Romans 8:1-2 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Those belonging to Christ are not in a one-way relationship. It is unfortunate that this needs to be said. However, it is easy to be led astray by misinterpreting a verse, taking things out of context, and not verifying everything that is said regarding the subject matter. This is evident by the response so many give when talking about being saved through […]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. This will be our final thoughts concerning giving and receiving criticism. Ultimately, using what we have talked about previously and adding on what we talk about in this article, will help us create a healthy culture regarding criticism. The last thing we want to do is create such a culture where we are always looking for the next mistake that someone makes. That is not the goal. Our goal is to strengthen our faith and our love for one another. In doing so, this will help us in engaging each […]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. In our previous article, we considered the idea of being willing to be open to the reality that we need help. Because of this, it is good to ask questions on how we can change to do better. It is also wise to be clear in what information we are giving to each other. Speaking ambiguously will not help the hearer in understanding what we are trying to say. Ultimately, we need to be willing to give the benefit of the doubt. We should not rely on emotionalism and our […]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. In our previous article, our thought process was about giving consideration of being humble and having a sense of humility. Without them, it may be possible that we would never be willing to give or receive criticism in a godly way. I want us to consider being thoughtful in what we say. Proverbs 29:20 asks and answers a question. Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than him. Giving consideration for something that we are about to say will […]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. Allow me to briefly reference what I said in our previous article. Criticism is one of the most misunderstood instances in our lives. Not all criticisms are the same. Not all criticisms are coming from honest, pure, and godly motives. Some of them are purely selfish, evil, and sinful. This kind of criticism lacks in spiritual wisdom and it does nothing to help. It is aimed at lifting ourselves up to appear “spiritual” and yet, there is a clear lack of wisdom, understanding, and truthfulness. Being humble and showing humility […]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. Criticism is one of the most misunderstood instances in our lives and most of us are too quick to shy away from it. We are becoming so sensitive to our feelings that we respond immediately with a kneejerk reaction to constructive criticism. Those difficult conversations where our actions and motives are scrutinized or called into question – many of us won’t have that. Yet, we are all for giving the criticism, just not receiving it. Some not agree with this but giving and receiving criticism is a must for us […]

Beginning in Luke 4:16 we read of Jesus going to His hometown of Nazareth. It was the Sabbath Day and as was His custom He went to the synagogue to read and teach. On this day He chose to read from the prophet Isaiah which just happened to be a messianic passage about Himself. After reading He sat back down, and everyone was watching Him. Then He said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” And they marveled at this hometown boy who spoke with such authority. He then proceeded to teach that they would reject Him just as […]

Continuing our thoughts from last week – We need to learn to deal with our sinfulness today. Some have become content with using excuses (and that is exactly what it is, an excuse) by saying something along the lines of “I am just a work in progress”. People who say this are admitting that they know that they are doing wrong, but that they should get a pass. This kind of disposition alone is sinful on top of the sins that they are willingly committing. Instead of coming up with excuses for why we don’t address the sin problem in […]

We sometimes get a little too comfortable in waiting to do or take care of something. This is an area that I struggle with regarding my “honey-do” lists and what not. However, there is danger in allowing this trait to fester and grow into something bigger than you can control in other areas of our lives. Think about putting gas into your car. There are some who try to get as close to empty as possible before having to put gas in their vehicles. Then there are some who fill up their gas tanks as soon as it hits ½ […]

Navigating through this thing called “life” can be extremely difficult. I don’t believe it is necessary for us to shy away from that reality. I think at times, we try to mask the difficulties of Christianity and our lives in general, hoping that people will not be turned off by it. I believe when we do this, this is to the detriment of the Gospel. One of the most basic principles that must be understood is that we need the sacrifice of Jesus for atonement. In order to stand forgiven and to be made righteous by God, we must believe […]

A question is asked at the end of Luke 18:8, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Think about this question for a moment and consider what He is really talking about. For many, the idea of belief alone is enough to grant entrance into Heaven. I am convinced that thought is far too shallow for what is being talked about. While I am not one who would encourage anyone to attempt to add or take away from the scriptures – sometimes we can reword something when it is based upon the truth of […]

When we say that we are to obey God in everything, the typical response given is “you are being legalistic!” Is it though? Think about it, is it wrong or sinful to attempt to obey God in everything that we do? Is it wrong to strive to keep all the teachings of Jesus? Is it sinful to strive to never sin? All these questions seem rather ridiculous to me. Why would we ever accuse someone of being sinful for wanting to do the right thing? I think the problem lies with us trying to attribute motives to others when there […]

Patience is often viewed as a virtue that many admire and hope to have in their lives, from afar. As the reality sets in as it nears our lives – when it begins to invade our plans, schedules, and comfort zone – discomfort sets in. Why does patience exist? If there were no disruptions, delays, or disappointments in our lives, would there be a need for patience? If it weren’t for those difficult circumstances, there would not be a need for patience. Naturally, it is understandable to see that certain circumstances will call for patience and it is those instances […]