Tips on selling a used car

Used Cars and Troubled Souls

It’s an aggravating and frustrating thing to try to sell a used car yourself. The problem, of course, is that those who might consider buying your car always look at it with a far more critical eye than you do. Things that you've long ignored simply will not please a prospective buyer. That spot on the upholstery where the kids spilled a milk shake suddenly shows up like a black eye. And that slight roar that comes from the rusted out muffler now sounds like a semi truck. The worn tires, the squeaky brakes, and the dull paint - everything looks and sounds worse when you know that someone else is viewing it with a critical eye.  Finally you lower your price, and end up selling your car for a lot less than you had hoped to receive.

We wonder how many folks may suffer a similar disappointment in the final judgment. So many things that have long been ignored will then be exposed to the Lord's scrutinizing view. Maybe you've known for a long time that you should do something about that bad habit, the vile language, the uncontrolled temper, the immoral deeds - but you just kept putting it off. Perhaps you were the one who had all those good intentions about worshipping more regularly, or studying your Bible more diligently. Or was it you who had been planning for years to speak to your neighbor about the Lord?

In the final judgment it will be the Lord who is looking - at us!  Will we end up receiving far less than we had hoped for?

- by Greg Gwin

 

I feel like a hypocrite every time I go to church

Repairs Needed

Jim Corley met his friend, Alex, at the dealership where Alex worked.

"Jim, I feel like a hypocrite every time I go to church because I fail to
live for Christ so often."

"Alex, what do you call this part of the dealership?" Jim asked, nodding to
the area outside his cubicle.

"You mean the showroom?"

"Yes. And what's behind the showroom, past the parts counter?"

"The service department," Alex said confidently.

"What if I told you I didn't want to bring my car to the service department
because it was running rough," Jim asked.

"That would be crazy! That's the whole point of service departments - to fix
cars that aren't running right."

"You're absolutely right," Jim replied. "Now, let's get back to our initial
conversation. Instead of thinking of church as a showroom where image is
everything, start thinking of it as God's service department. Helping people
get back in running order with God is what the church is all about." *

We are all in need of repairs, "for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

But God loves us and wants to "fix us" - from the inside out. The finished
product will resemble His glorious Son. "But we all, with unveiled face,
beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into
the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2
Corinthians 3:18).

In order to cleanse us and make us whole, God sent His one and only Son
Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).

God will cleanse, make whole, and give eternal life to those who place their
faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

When we rise from the waters of baptism in the new birth, God adds us to the
church, His family (Acts 2:41). In God's family, we find encouragement,
correction, forgiveness, and other components of a needed support system to
keep us "running" well.

"Bring Christ your broken life
So marred by sin.
He will create anew
Make whole again."
-- Thomas O. Chisholm

Remember, the church is not a showroom; it's God's service department. Come
to Christ and into His church so that He can make you whole.

-- David A. Sargent

* Source: Choice Contemporary Stories and Illustrations For Preachers,
Teachers, and Writers, Craig Brian Larson as quoted by www.ministry127.com.

What does the Bible say about marriage, divorce, and remarriage?

Jesus’ Law on Marriage

We continue our study of false doctrines concerning divorce and remarriage:
 
3} THE SIN OF ADULTERY IS WASHED AWAY AT BAPTISM, AND THE MARRIAGE IS SANCTIFIED.
 
Arguments are offered as follows:
 
A) All past sins are forgiven at baptism, and since sanctification occurs at that point, one may remain married regardless of previous unscriptural divorces.
B) Adultery is just a one-time act, and if it occurred before baptism, it is forgiven as is any other sin.
C) When we force people to separate in order to obey the gospel, it requires them to live a celibate life, which is more than can be expected. It inflicts hardship on children and, we are told, would be contrary to the loving nature of God.
 
THE TRUTH IS: (point by point)
 
A) At baptism all past sins are forgiven that we have repented of (Acts 2:38). If unscripturally divorced and remarried people may remain married after baptism, may the drunk continue his drinking, the idolater his false worship, etc. Study 1 Cor. 6:9-11 carefully.
B) In Matt. 19:9, "committeth adultery" is in the present tense in the original Greek, denoting continuing action.
C) When God requires unscripturally married people to separate, it is possible to do so (Matt. 19:12) and is the kind of sacrifice that Jesus said we may have to make (Luke 14:26). We wonder why folks who make this argument never consider these hardships when they divorce to fulfill their own desires, but are unwilling to do so to fulfill God’s will. God's love is seen in His own marriage law, and note that He has required separation in the past (Ezra 10:10,11).
 
Continue to study with us ...

- by Greg Gwin

 

Rorie Woods beehives Springfield, Massachusetts

"A Sting Operation"

With the Associated Press story of Rorie Woods being arrested is a photo of her wearing an unusual hat, one that covered her entire head and face. It's the garb typically worn by beekeepers who want to protect themselves while they tend to their hives. Woods put this on just before deliberately opening several hives to release swarms of honeybees.

Deputies had arrived at the Springfield, Massachusetts home of Woods on the morning of October 12 to serve eviction papers. Soon after their arrival, Woods drove up with a trailer loaded with beehives. She reportedly began shaking the hives and broke the cover off one, which led to swarms of bees. Several officers were stung, including three who are allergic to beestings.

Now Woods is facing multiple assault and battery charges for her misguided actions. Had any of the deputies suffered fatal reactions to their beestings, she would also be facing murder charges. Thankfully, nothing more than a few whelps resulted from her malicious deed.

I'm not allergic to beestings, but I know from experience how painful they can be. Honeybees are not the worst; that distinction probably should go to hornets (though yellowjacket wasps pack quite a wallop). No stings are pleasant, though, and we understandably go out of our way to avoid them.

Interestingly, God uses the pain of beestings to illustrate warnings that were issued to His people. In Isaiah 7:18 we find this warning of punishment to come: "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will whistle for the fly that is in the farthest parts of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria." God wasn't talking about actual flies and bees, but of the armies of Egypt and Assyria who would be agents of pain for His rebellious people. These powerful foes would not destroy Israel and Judah but would serve as warnings against continued sinfulness.

Years earlier the image of a hornet was used, but in a positive way for God's people: "I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow" (Joshua 24:12). How did Israel conquer the land of Canaan? Not by their own power, but by the "hornet" God sent before them. Again, a powerful sting was inflicted on God's enemies.

The most dreaded sting of all comes not from a flying insect, but from death. 1 Corinthians 15:54,55 shows how God has mastered man's greatest foe: "So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?'" Jesus has removed the powerful, painful punch that death carried.

A bee flew into a car as a father and his young son drove down the road. The son was allergic to bee stings, so the father reached out and trapped the bee in his hand – then let it loose. "Dad," the boy cried, "why did you let it go? You know how allergic I am to beestings!" The father opened his hand and showed his son the stinger in his hand. The bee was now powerless to hurt his son.

Jesus has taken the sting of death for us all. "… that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14,15).

Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss these ideas further.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright, 2022, Timothy D. Hall

Arizona firefighters rescue 25 people, including infant, during flooding in Bear Canyon

The Ladder

Usually Arizona is associated with dry, desert regions. But recent monsoon
rains have caused flashfloods in the area creating some emergency
situations.

Twenty-five people including three children and an infant were found
stranded at what was normally a low water crossing in Bear Canyon outside
Tucson. Authorities determined that a ladder rescue was the best option, so
Ladder 7 of the Tucson Fire Department was called out. The ladder was
lowered across the flooded creek and served as a bridge for crew members to
escort the stranded people to safety. *

Our sins leave us stranded with no hope and in deadly peril (Romans 6:23).
Our sins separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and we are lost unless someone
comes to our rescue.

God loves us and doesn't want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). So God sent
His one and only Son to rescue us (John 3:16). In order to save us and to
give us eternal life, Jesus had to give His life for our sins (1 Peter
2:24).

Jesus is the Bridge to bring us to God and to all of the spiritual blessings
that He wants to give to us.

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,
to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18 NIV).

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

To access the Bridge to God, we must place our faith and trust in Jesus
(Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus
before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the
forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Then as we continue to walk in the light
of His Word, the blood that Jesus shed in His death continues to cleanse us
from all sin (1 John 1:7-9).

The Son of God who descended from heaven became the Bridge to bring us to
God. You can be saved and have eternal life in heaven if you will access
the Bridge through your trusting obedience.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Arizona firefighters rescue 25 people, including
infant, during flooding in Bear Canyon" by Stephen Sorace, www.foxnews.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Submit your podcast to these sources!

Here are 8 great places to put your podcast:

1. Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes) Apple Podcasts is the biggest podcast directory in the world. ...
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8. Listen Notes (see below for one example on how powerful these podcasting resource tools are).

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/free-audio-sermons-get-free-audio-sermons-gSRBZNvtpEq/

Tai Chi is a series of gentle physical exercises and stretches

Unique

First impressions of this man would likely be that he was a kind man with a
friendly smile - and he was. He greeted everyone as they entered the doors
of the Creekwood Church of Christ building, offering a church bulletin, a
warm welcome, and a smile. He was known to be a rather quiet and
mild-mannered man, but there was so much more to Al Warsh. He was very
unique. Here are a few examples of his uniqueness:

Al was a skydiver in his younger years. He jumped out of an airplane and
parachuted to the ground some 1,250 times. No, he wasn't in the military;
he did it for fun.

Al practiced Tai Chi. "Tai Chi is a series of gentle physical exercises and
stretches. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that
your body is in constant motion. Tai Chi is sometimes described as
meditation in motion because it promotes serenity through gentle movements -
connecting the mind and body" (from www.mayoclinic.org). Al taught Tai Chi
to others so that they could receive the physical and mental benefits of the
exercises.

Al was a grade checker. "A grade checker works in the construction
industry, typically on roadways, to set grade stakes meant to guide
equipment operators on sloping highways and embankments. In this career, you
set these grade stakes using hand tools, measuring instruments, and using
specified ratios" (from www.ziprecruiter.com). A friend and fellow
engineer told Al's wife, Eunice, that Al was the best grade checker in
California.

Al was an alcoholic. By the grace of God and with the help of Alcoholics
Anonymous, he was sober for over 40 of the last years of his life. Al knew
what it was to battle the addiction and sought to help others in their
struggles. He worked as a volunteer with AA, beginning in the late 1980s.
He mentored many alcoholics. He ran the AA office in Mobile for many years.

Al was a Christian. He recognized that despite the mistakes of his past
that God loved him and desired to save him through the gift of His Son
Jesus. Al obeyed the Gospel and embraced the love and grace that are found
in Christ. He sought to follow in the steps of Jesus by serving God as he
served others. Countless lives have been blessed because of Al's kind and
compassionate care.

Like Al, every person is unique. You are unique. And each of us is
uniquely loved by God. God doesn't want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9) but
desires all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Our sins condemn us, but God loves
us and has made provision for our salvation through the death of His Son on
the cross (Romans 5:8).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Each of us is unique and uniquely loved by God. Like Al Warsh, may each of
us accept God's love, grace, and salvation by submitting our lives to Him
and living out our days in service to others.

-- David A. Sargent

* In Loving Memory of Alan James Warsh (June 14, 1947 - August 4, 2022).
Until we meet again.

David A. Sargent, Minister