By Kevin Cauley

In Deuteronomy 8:17, we read, “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’” Moses was speaking to the children of Israel about what would happen after they entered the land of Canaan and began to experience all the wonderful blessings that waited for them there. The temptation would be that they would begin to think that they earned these blessings because of their own righteousness. The next verse (18) says, “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” Do we face the same temptation today?

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By Tom Wacaster

(note: written for my pending commentary on 1 & 2 Corinthians next year)

When I was growing up, I was blessed to sit at the feet of good and godly men who taught our Sunday morning high school class, Wednesday evening class, and an occasional but regular men’s training class. It was during those six or seven years that I developed a desire to preach, a burning within my soul that would come to fruition immediately following my discharge from military service in 1970. There were a half dozen young men who attended those classes at the Urbandale church of Christ in Dallas and each of us were blessed beyond measure from the training we received that would eventually lead to many of us being active teachers, preachers, and leaders in the Lord’s church. While this is not the thrust of this week’s article I must pause and remind all of us that the classes at the local congregational level have a great influence upon those who sit at our feet. I doubt that those men who taught our classes at Urbandale had any idea what influence they would have on us young boys who barely had a handle on life itself. But I digress and must get back to the intent of this article.

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By Cary Gillis

With warmer months quickly approaching, I have a plea for my Christian sisters:

Though I am weak and imperfect, I strive for a pure and holy life, mind, and heart. But it is difficult. I struggle with lust. I know of no man, single or married, who does not struggle with this. It is more difficult for your Christian brothers than you could ever imagine. Our minds are totally different than yours when it comes to visual stimuli. I do not expect the world to care if my thoughts are pure. But I expect you to care. I expect you to cherish the faithfulness of your brothers. This is why it breaks my heart when I see Christian women wearing what the world deems appropriate, but what God deems immodest.

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By Tyler King

1. That’s where God is (Rev. 21:3a) – I have experienced, first-hand, how God has treated me and cared for me on this earth. He spoils with abundant blessings despite being non-deserving of such treatment. On top of that, this world has been subjected to futility – there’s no logical reason why He should care for me the way He does, but He does. And I get to be with Him forever.

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by Mike Riley

1) Compliment at least three people every day.

2) Watch a sunrise at least once a week.

3) Be the first to say, “Hello.”

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By Tyler King

“Don’t eat this. Don’t eat this. Don’t eat this.” Those were the words a classroom full of teens heard from me on a yawn-absorbed Sunday morning as I handed out Oreos.

Before the teens and I studied the book of Colossians together, I wanted to establish the basics of Bible study. However, if I said we were going to study exegetically, I would have been like a doctor as he watched the pulse of his patient gradually flatline. Odds are, “exegesis” (critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture) is far removed from everyday vernacular. As a result, the practice of exegesis takes a back seat when reading through the text of God’s word.

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