Topic(s): Women

1. The woman whose modesty adorns her.
2. The woman who clothes herself in good works, and whose accessory is the Bible.
3. The woman who does not clothe herself with tattling and gossip.
4. The woman who refuses to wear the garment of idleness, but stays busy in doing good.
5. The woman whose warmth is generated by an inner love for others.
6. The woman who dresses in a way that she will not be a stumblingblock to younger women, or to men of any age.
7. The woman whose feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
8. The woman who sparkles, not with jewelry, but with her love for her family.
9. The woman who drapes herself with chastity and fidelity.
10. The woman whose best suit is her love for Christ and His church.

“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” - 1 Peter 3:3,4

What Does a Frog Say?

Topic(s): Children

A mother was reading a book about animals to her three-year-old daughter. Mother: “What does the cow say?” Child: “Moo!” Mother: “Great! What does the cat say?” Child: “Meow.” Mother: “Oh, you’re so smart! What does the frog say?” And this wide-eyed little three-year-old looked up at her mother and in her deepest voice replied... “Bud.”

Thought: The average two- to five-year-old American child watches about thirty hours of television weekly. Has the TV become your family’s baby-sitter. . .?

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows

Topic(s): Faith

A farmer advertised for men to work on his farm but received only one applicant, an eighteen-year-old boy who was asked, “Can you run a tractor?” “No, Sir.” “Can you handle a milking machine?” “No, sir I’ve never worked with one.” After several more questions, and negative answers, the farmer said, “Well, what can you do, young man?” He answered, “I can sleep when the wind blows.”

The farmer didn’t understand, but neither did he press for an explanation.

He needed help so badly that he gave the boy the job. It was not many days afterward that a storm came up in the middle of the night. The wind began to blow, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and rain. The farmer was awakened and ran to the room where the young man slept. There, just as he had said, he was sleeping through the storm. Rather than wake him, the farmer himself ran to the barn to check on the animals and equipment. He found the doors to the barn tightly shut and bolted. The animals were in their shelters, properly secured. Then he remembered the pile of straw that the wind would be blowing in all directions, but he found it had been covered with canvas and tied down. Everything was secure. On the way back to the house the farmer remembered what the young man had told him: “I can sleep when the wind blows.” And he understood.

Do we have confidence to live through life’s storms knowing we are prepared to meet God? If so, we can sleep when the wind blows...and can say with Paul, “I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of life…” Only then can we know the “peace of God that passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:4-9).

You might be in a country church if...

Topic(s): Humor

1. The call to worship is, “Y’all come on in!”
2. People wonder when Jesus fed the 5,000 whether the two fish were bass or catfish.
3. The preacher says, “Bubba come help with the offering”—and five guys stand up.
4. The restroom is outside.
5. Opening day of deer hunting season is recognized as an official church holiday.
6. A member requests to be buried in his four-wheel drive truck because, “I ain’t never been in a hole it couldn’t get me out of.”
7. Never in its entire 100-year history has one of its preachers had to buy any meat or vegetables.
8. The church directory doesn’t have last names.
9. Four generations of one family sit together in worship every Sunday.
10. The only time people lock their cars in the parking lot is during the summer and then only so their neighbors can’t leave them a bag of squash.
11. There's no such thing as a “secret” sin.
12. You miss worship one Sunday morning and by 2 o'clock that afternoon you have had a dozen phone calls inquiring about your health.

Having preached in a few “country churches,” there is much to be said about the close bond that usually exists between members. But no matter what the size of the church, that bond should exist. The church was never intended by God to be a lecture hall or a corporation or even a social club. It’s a family. The church of our Lord is a group of people who share their lives with one another, who truly enjoy being with one another, who freely turn to one another in times of need. Paul gave the following instructions for dealing with “church family:” “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” (Romans 12:10,13,15) - Alan Smith