You Affect Everyone

We may not always realize

That everything we do,

Affects not only our lives,

But touches others too!

A little bit of thoughtfulness

That shows someone you care

Creates a ray of sunshine

For both of you to share.

Yes, every time you offer

Someone a helping hand...

Every time you show a friend

You care and understand...

Every time you have a kind

And gentle word to give...

You help someone find beauty

In this precious life we live.

For happiness brings happiness

And loving ways bring love;

And giving is the treasure

Given to us from above.

Adapted; via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg church of Christ in Harrisburg, IL.  Edd Sterchi serves as one of the congregation's ministers.  He may be contacted at sterchi@midwest.net   You may visit their website at http://www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org

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Bay City Church of Christ

What If Adults Acted Like Children?

by: Steve Higginbotham

   Last evening, my seven-year-old daughter was upset and crying over something that was rather insignificant.  As I was trying to console her, I told her that this issue was nothing about which she should be crying.  It was petty, childish, and her tears, well...were more an attempt at manipulation than tears of sadness.

   So the adult that I am, attempted to "reason" with the child that she is.  I attempted to convince her that crying over such an insignificant issue was childish.  I tried to explain to her that her mother and I deal with the very same issue she was dealing with and we don't cry about it.  I then asked her the following question, "What do you think would happen if adults acted like children?"  Her response ended our conversation.  She said, "They'd all go to heaven."

  I turned and looked at my wife sitting across the room.  My wife just smiled and said, "There's your MercEmail article for this week."

  My little girl was right.  If adults would just act like children, they'd all go to heaven!  "But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14).

  Out of the mouth of babes...

- Steve Higginbotham is the minister for the South Green Street church of Christ, Glasgow, Kentucky.  He may be contacted at shigg@glasgow-ky.com  [Copyright © 2007, South Green Street Church of Christ, Glasgow, Kentucky.  Permission is granted to copy these articles.]

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Here are some articles, which were found on the internet,  Some are funny, some will be inspirational and helpful.  Enjoy!

Back to HOMEPAGE

A Message From The Devil

Dear Members and Friends of the church,

I secretly visited your Bible classes recently and was overjoyed to see that so many of you had not come. I heard some lessons that were not very well prepared and other teachers said no visits had been made during the week. I was simply delighted! It thrilled me to see some leave the worship service right after the Lord’s Supper was over, indicating that they were not going to let the proclamation of God’s Word come near to them. I saw some others come just in time for the worship - to sit glassy-eyed with their mouths shut while a few sang the hymns. Then they dozed or acted bored to death while the preacher went through his Sunday morning ritual and hum-drum or “bore -a-tory.” I was especially pleased to note how many failed to bring an offering. I love to see the church in financial difficulty. Again, there was a sparkle in my eyes when I returned Sunday night and saw that so many did not come back for the evening worship hour. I was so very glad. I am writing this letter to encourage you to forsake the worship this coming Sunday. It will be more comfortable for you, and besides, it will make my work much easier to do. Hoping to be with you real soon!

Deceitfully yours,

THE DEVIL

Bottomless Pit, Brimstone Ave., Eternity

via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg church of Christ in Harrisburg, IL.  Edd Sterchi serves as one of the congregation's ministers.  He may be contacted at sterchi@midwest.net   You may visit their website at http://www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org

Some Problems Do Not Go Away   by: Gerald Cowan

    What do you expect to happen when you turn your problems over to God? You give Him your weakness and your despair, and you thank Him for being faithful even when you are not. You ask His pardon for your self-pity and your grumbling, and you know He has forgiven you for it. But what then? Are you sometimes disappointed to find that the problem is still there, and has not gone away?

    It is still there – and you had such high hopes that it would miraculously vanish! Why did it not go away? Perhaps because God has not intended that it do so. Certainly God has not promised that our problems will vanish just because we pray for it to happen. What He does promise is that He will change our despair to hope, if we will trust Him. He promises us strength to bear the burden and cope with all our problems if we are determined to face them (see Phil. 4:13 and 19, and 1 Cor. 10:13).

    If you have prayed about some problem and asked God to take it away and He has not done so, then you should probably accept the fact that He is not going to. You had best learn to live with the problem, live in spite of the problem. Be like Paul who also begged God to remove a problem, a “thorn in the flesh,” but learned to accept it as part of his own cross (2 Cor. 12:7-9).

    If your problem remains, then that is how God intends it to be, at least for now. Learn from it. You will be stronger and humbler. You will be a better and more faithful Christian if you learn to bear it patiently, without losing your faith or trust in God (see James 1:3, 12). Somehow, though we cannot always see it now, things have a way of working out to a good and successful conclusion for those who love the Lord and fulfill His purpose and calling in their lives (Rom. 8:28). You may not be able to see it now, with the pain and frustration clouding your vision. But keep the faith, and someday you can look back at it and thank God for the victory He helped you have on your journey to Him and His heaven.

- Gerald Cowan preaches for the Dongola church of Christ in Dongola, IL.  He may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com

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