Loan Me a Dime

                                                                  by Jay Launius 



How often have we said to a friend while standing at the counter or
vending machine, “Loan me a dime.” With such a small amount, the friend
quickly hands over the loan and most of the time the indebtedness is
forgiven and forgotten. But what if it was a larger amount, say a hundred
dollars or even a thousand? We live in an economical society that is credit
based and most of us have some amount of debt. When it comes to lending
and borrowing, how are Christians to behave?

Without credit, most of us would not have a house or a vehicle.
Many of us finance household appliances or recreation items. If we’re not
careful, our indebtedness can quickly exceed our means to meet those
financial obligations. Christians are to be wise and frugal when it comes to
handling our blessings from God. When discussing the need to pay taxes,
the bible says, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he
who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Rom. 13:8) Many times, Jesus used
the subject of indebtedness to teach us responsibility to God and man.
What about personal lending to a family member, friend, or
someone in need? Jesus said, “Give to him who asks you, and from him who
wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” (Matt. 5:42) and in Luke’s
version He says “Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes
away your goods do not ask them back.” (Luke 6:30) It may sound silly to
give a loan and not expect to be repaid. But this is more of a matter of the
heart rather than an unwise financial arrangement. Christians are instructed
to “do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.”
(1 Timothy 6:18)

“If the Righteous Scarcely Be Saved, Where Will the Ungodly and the Sinner Appear? 
By Geoff Hanover


“And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” — 
1 Peter 4:18 
 
This sobering question from the apostle Peter is not meant to create fear alone, but to awaken reflection, humility, and urgency. Peter writes to believers who were experiencing trials, persecution, and hardship. He reminds them that salvation, though freely given by grace, is not something to be treated lightly. The word “scarcely” does not mean salvation is uncertain, but that it is costly, serious, and accompanied by discipline, endurance, and transformation.

Scripture makes clear that salvation is the work of God, not human effort. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Yet this same grace calls believers to holiness and perseverance. Jesus said, “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”(Matthew 7:14). The righteous walk a narrow path, shaped by obedience, repentance, and faith, often in the face of suffering.

If the righteous—those who seek God, trust Christ, and strive to live according to His will—are saved through trials and discipline, Peter asks us to consider the destiny of those who reject God altogether. The ungodly are those who live without reverence for God, while sinners persist in rebellion without repentance. Scripture warns that ignoring God’s grace leads to judgment. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).
God’s judgment is not unfair or impulsive. He is patient, desiring repentance rather than destruction. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise… but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). However, patience does not cancel accountability. Those who continually reject God’s truth will ultimately stand before Him without an advocate.

For believers, this verse is both a warning and a call. It urges us to examine our lives, remain steadfast, and not take grace for granted. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). It also stirs compassion for the lost. Knowing what awaits those who remain ungodly should move us to pray, witness, and live as examples of Christ’s love.

​In the end, Peter’s question presses every heart: Where will we appear? Those who trust in Christ will stand justified by His blood. Those who reject Him must face judgment alone. Today is a reminder to choose faith, pursue holiness, and respond to God’s grace while there is still time.

        
                                                           I taught them about marriage
 
                                                          by Jesus Christ,  (Savior of the world)
 
Matthew 19.1-12.  And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marries her which is put away doth commit adultery.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
 
 
 

​                                                                           LOSS!
  
 
                   By James Baker. (Minister of the Mt. Airy Church of Christ)  
 
Have you owned something and suddenly it's gone? Disappears; no longer with you.
If so, that is a loss.  Loss is everywhere; you see it on tv, radio, newspapers, out in the community. etc.   Don't take it personal, everybody loses something and everybody hurts as a result. There is nowhere where this painful experience isn’t felt.
 
It is a fact of life and that’s why, the word “insurance” exists, to give some kind of protection from loss.  Now insurance cannot replace what is originally gone, but it does serve as comfort so that one can have some kind of cushion to lie down on
 
Loss occurs in various ways. For example, it can exist because it is intentional.  Someone wants you to lose out, they want you to be left empty handed. 
 
Other times, loss occurs by mistake.  You lose something because someone makes a. error in Judgement and it affects you.  If a person is texting while driving, you don’t want to be near them because they could crash into you causing severe damage.
On other occasions loss has occurred because of the forces of nature or the forces of something else.  it could just be the force of animals, storms, fires, etc.   The destruction from such can wipe out and does not build up; therefore you have loss.
Either way, it’s never a good thing.  It's always painful because all you do is sit around thinking about it.    One will say, “if I had done this or if I hadn’t stopped there, if I would have been a little bit more later, if I would have been earlier.”  etc
Yes, one could take all day talking about what should have been done or not done; but the pain and the loss will still be a reality.  So, what must we do to make our lives better as we deal with this demon called “loss.”
 
Expect Loss   
The man Job understood this; “the Lord gives and Lord takes away”.   Job 1.21.  
As much as man wants to keep everything that he has; there is no guarantee that is going to happen.  The wife of Job, a perfect example as the devil continued to make Job lose all his possessions. His wife saw that her life of luxury was coming to an end and she made the foolish decision to tell Job to curse God and die. She couldn't understand why they had to lose all the material possessions. Job 2.9-10.  Jesus said that possessions can be stolen or can disappear by other means or just become worthless. Matt 6.19-21. So, man needs to be ready to accept the fact that potential losses could occur.   Imagine going outside in the summer and expecting a fly to land on you and one does.  Because being outside in summertime, pretty much guarantees your encounter with insects.
 
Get your soul right.
It’s easier to face the problems of life if one knows that he is favorable in the eyes of God.  The support and love from the heavenly Father will comfort and guide the believer though the trying times. Rom 8.35-39.  Throughout the book of Psalms, David cried out to God to save him from his enemies, from those who were persecuting him and stalking him, in the end because of David's relationship with the Lord he was saved.    
If God is not with a man who is suffering loss; that man is alone and the Devil is with him.  But understand this, Satan isn’t there to help the suffering man, the devil is there to get him into as much trouble as possible; and the devil is laughing at the poor soul. 
1 Peter 5.8
 
Have a plan B
Nothing works better than having another way to proceed after one-way closes. If you lose your car, have a bicycle. Have a bus schedule, have a friend or a neighbor who can take you places that you need to get to. If you lose your job have some money saved up. Try to find out who might have your back should you lose some vital situation that you need. Luke 16.1-14.
 
Be ready to rebuild.
We might not want to, but if we plan to continue living, we better be ready to do whatever it takes to restore what is gone.    If that isn’t done, everything will vanish.
If the Lord wills, there will be tomorrow and one can try again.  Pull yourself up, put on your boots and go for it once more.  Nehemiah chapter 3
 
 
Be willing to talk to strong believers
Christians are here for each other.  They are here when we're happy, they are here to celebrate with us, they're also here to talk to us and give us strong words of encouragement, which is what we need after a loss. Make sure that you hang out with strong Christians, because their words will be uplifting and informative.    Eph 4.29. Gal 6.2
 
 
 
Don’t view earthly things as permanent.
Jesus told us not to do it. He warned about the possibility of things going wrong and losing stuff.  We shouldn’t put stock in material things because they are temporary.
When we see others suffering loss, remember that could be us. 
Paul wrote there is no way that we will take our material things with us when this life is over. 1 Tim 6.7     The Bible is very clear about earthly things; they are earthly, they are not eternal. 1 Cor 15.47-48. 2 Cor 4.18.   If we keep these truths in mind, it will be easier to accept the disappearance of temporary things from our lives.
 

                                                                                             Missing the Flight

                                                                                                by Torres Isaac

Recently, I was at the airport waiting to board my flight. The next gate had repeatedly announced the last call to board that flight. Finally, they closed the gate. Five minutes later, a boisterous man appeared, running to the closed gate and yelling “Open the gate!” But it was too late. They do not make exceptions. The man was not ready, so he missed his flight to his desired destination. He knew what he was supposed to do and the consequences if he didn’t. Yet he still was not ready. There is something far greater than a plane for which we must be prepared -- JUDGMENT!

There is a judgment coming and we must be prepared. In 1 Thessalonians 5:2,  Paul writes “you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.” We don’t know when the judgment will occur, but we know it will occur.

The people at the airport gave everyone several warnings before closing the gate, yet they were not taken seriously by the man. God has given us an abundance of warnings. Do we take these warnings seriously or ignore them?  Paul further writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 that many will be saying “‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” Will we be found unprepared and unable to escape? Or will we be prepared and ready?

There will be no excuses! Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins and God has warned us about judgment. We must be ready!  Not only must we be ready, we must help others be ready as well.
We help others be prepared by reminding and encouraging the brethren. In 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, Paul states “God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” What should we do with this reminder? Paul says in verse 11 to “encourage one another and build up one another.” We must be ready for the judgment; but we also must be reminding and encouraging the brethren to be ready and prepared.

We help others be prepared by warning and preaching about the judgment. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, urges the brethren to “admonish the unruly.” There are people who will not know about judgment, or at least the whole truth about it. We must teach and preach to help others get prepared. That’s our responsibility.
Judgment is coming. We must be prepared and ready, for it will come “like a thief in the night.” Let’s help others be prepared by reminding and encouraging brethren and by warning and teaching the lost. Are you prepared?

​As Dee Bowman used to proclaim, “if you missed heaven, you missed it all!”

                                                   
                                                              When the Bill Collector Calls
            
                                                                           By Jay Launius
 
 
We live in a society of indebtedness. In 2024, the averagehousehold debt was well over $100k.
Our nation’s debt has climbed into the trillions of dollars. Being in debt seems to be an inescapable part of life for most of us. If not for getting a loan, most of us would have never been able to purchase a vehicle or a house. When it comes to our spiritual lives and service to God, how does the Lord feel about our indebtedness?
 
First, the Lord expects His people to pay their debts. “Render to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” (Rom. 13:7) 
 
The thought is continued in the following verse, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
”
If we are to control our debt, we must first control our personal desires. Learning to be content with what we have will prevent us from accumulating more debt. (Phil. 4:11-13; 1 Tim. 6:6-8; 
Heb. 13:5)  We must remember the wise man’s words concerning debt, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7)  If we are enslaved to debt, then we are not able to serve the Lord with generous giving. Christians should strive to have as little debt as possible, which may mean doing without some of the luxuries of life.
 
Jesus told a story of an indebted servant who owed his master an astronomical amount of money. There was no possible way he could pay it back. However, the master showed mercy and forgave the servant his debt. (Matt. 18:22-35) How would we feel if someone came and paid in-full the loan balance on our house or car? You and I have been shown mercy and love by God in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)
Our debt for sin has been paid by the sacrifice of Jesus. He paid a debt that wasn’t His and it was a debt we could never pay. 
 
Because of this great gift, we are now God’s children and heirs. (Rom. 8:16-17; 1 John 3:1) And as God’s children, we have an obligation to keep ourselves free from the enslavement of indebtedness.
                 

                           
​                                                                           Women Preachers

                                                                         by David Padfield


Is it in harmony with the Scriptures for a woman to be a preacher or an elder in the church of our Lord? It might not be politically correct, but the answer is "No." In fact, the Bible specifically prohibits women from serving in this capacity.

In Paul's first letter to the young evangelist Timothy, we read, "Therefore I desire that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control." (1 Tim. 2:11-15). This passage not only prohibits women from "teaching" or "having authority over a man," but it also gives us the reason: "For Adam was formed first, then Eve."

After reading this passage some women might wonder what role God has for them. Paul explains that the godly woman "will be saved in childbearing." Paul is saying that women are to find their salvation by fulfilling the role God gave them, i.e., bearing children and guiding the home. I know of no greater work that women could do than to bear children and instruct them in the knowledge of God.

In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul discusses the matter of spiritual gifts in the first century church. After instructing the church that those who speak in tongues had to "keep silent" if there was no interpreter, and that one prophet had to "keep silent" if another prophet was speaking, he says, "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church." (1 Corinthians 14:34-35). To this passage is attached the following admonition, "If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord." (1 Cor. 14:37).

Brother David Lipscomb made this observation on Paul's instructions to the church at Corinth: "No instruction in the New Testament is more positive than this; it is positive, explicit, and universal; and however plausible may be the reasons which are urged for disregarding it, and for suffering women to take an active part in conducting public worship, yet the authority of the inspired apostle remains positive and his meaning cannot be misunderstood. He looks at it from every viewpoint, forbids it altogether, and shows that from every consideration it was to be regarded as improper for them to take any active part in conducting the public service." (Commentary On First Corinthians, p. 216).

​Beyond this, in the qualifications given for "bishops" (i.e., pastors, elders, shepherds), Paul twice says they must be "the husband of one wife" (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6). Unless you are willing to accept two lesbians living together and call it a "marriage," there is no way for a woman to be "the husband of one wife."
 
 
 
 

TAKING A STAND AGAINST LIQUOR.
 
                                     by James Baker (minister of mt airy church of Christ)

​
No one can be successful in defeating drinking, if they don’t make up their mind to do so. 
 Daniel 1:8  “teaches Daniel purposed in his heart not to eat the King's food and drink.” 
 A person must have the willpower to do the same when it concerns drinking.
 
                   REPLACE THE DESIRE WITH SOMETHING ELSE
 
Think about fruit juice, soda, tea, water.   Just get something else. When we get weary of something, we get rid of it and replace another item in its place.  Out with the beer, in with the milkshake. etc.
 
People seek strong drink because strong drink is on their mind.   Kick booze out of your mind and change your thinking to settle on good, clean, and wholesome things.
“ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”  Philippians 4:8
“He who would love life and see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.  Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,And His ears are open to their prayers.But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”  1 Peter 3:10-12

                        STAY AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO LOVE DRINKING
 
If you're going to live differently, you need to get away from those who don't share your views. You will never be successful hanging with those who love to get drunk. 
 
“Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.” Proverbs 23:20-21
 
 “Do not be deceived, Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

             THE WORD OF THE LORD WARNS ABOUT STRONG DRINK
 
Strong drink isn’t your friend, it’s a mocker. Proverbs 20:1
 
Don’t stay a long time with strong drink.  Proverbs 23:30-33
 
Strong drink should remain in your past. 1 Peter 4:3
 
Those who love drinking will get into trouble. Proverbs 21:17
 
Strong drink is for those who wish to destroy themselves. Proverbs 31:6
 
Don’t get drunk. Ephesian’s 5:18
 
Noah got drunk. Genesis 9:20-23
 
One can be taken advantage of while drunk. Genesis 19.30-36
 
The King was drunk and made a bad decision.  Esther 1:10-12
 
 ​