May 28, 2020 - There are some old "Hymns of the Faith" that we rarely sing anymore. We like the "camp songs" and the "praise songs" and the songs that are newer. One of those old songs, written over a century ago is entitled simply "Our Best."
Here is how the first verse starts out: "Hear ye the Master's call Give me thy best Far be great or small That is his test."
Then, when you get into the refrain, you find these words: "Our talents may be few, These may be small. But unto Him as due Our best, Our all."
May 20, 2020 - In the Gospel according to John, chapter 10 and verse 10, Jesus says, “I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly”. However, in order to live the abundant life that Jesus wants us to live, there are certain things we must conquer and one of those is fear.
May 14, 2020 - We are pleased to announce that this coming Lord’s Day, May 17, 2020, that the Center Church Of Christ will be meeting in only one Worship Assembly at 10:45 a.m. While many religious groups completely cancelled their “in person” Worship services during the past several weeks, we continued to have “in person” services, having multiple services with a limit of 10 in those services.
May 14, 2020 - I read a story not long ago that came out of that era when trains were the dominant form of travel in our nation. It seems there was a little crippled boy who was carrying a basket of candy and fruit to sell, hurrying to the passenger gate of the depot as fast as his crutches would permit. As the passengers rushed through the gate, a fast-moving young business executive accidentally hit the boy’s basket, knocking its contents in every direction. He paused only long enough to severely scold the crippled lad for being in his way.
May 7, 2020 - Do you remember when the Children of Israel were at the gates of the Promised Land? Moses chose 12 men to send to spy out the Promised Land. They looked the land over and came back with a majority report and a minority report. Both sides saw an "exceedingly great land." It was a land that flowed with mild and honey.
April 29, 2020 - Do we realize that the world is watching what we do? People get their concept of the church and Christianity by the life that we live, the things we say and the things we do. What will be the legacy we leave behind after we are gone? What kind of example are we living before our friends? In life, especially in the uncertain times we are living in, people are looking for something real to hold on to. They are looking for people who are genuine to look up to and follow.
April 23, 2020 - It is sometime in the future. (It could be fifty years from now, yet, based on the Draconian measures of some of our politicians during the “present distress” it could be later this year or perhaps next year). You are huddled with a small group, having met in a secret place so the authorities will not find out. Heads are bowed and someone is whispering a prayer. You are at a worship service. Earlier you had sung a few hymns, softly, so no one outside could hear.
April 15 2020 - One day, Jesus was preaching and teaching his disciples on a certain mountain, and Matthew records the things he talked about that day in Matthew 5, 6 and 7. One of the things Jesus told them that day is in Matthew 5:14 and he said, “Ye are the light of the world.” Friends, though we do not question the validity of that statement, it should cause us to stop and think.
April 8, 2020 - Perhaps an unintended benefit of this “current distress” is that we are learning that we didn’t need to live life in the mad rush we had been living in. We felt there was so much to be done and so little time! However, all of us have been forced to slow down just a little and hopefully we have learned a little patience in the process. Maybe, just maybe, we have learned the truth of that old saying “Rome was not built in a day."
April 2, 2020 - In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that we are not to be anxious about the things of this life. He warns us against unproductive worry. Yet, there is so much going on in our world today. We are under “quarantine” because of a pandemic, there is economic unrest, we are in an election year and there are just so many other things for us to worry about.