By Joe Widick
April 1: Deuteronomy 28-29
April 2: Deuteronomy 30-32
April 3: Deuteronomy 33-34
April 4: John 1-2
April 5: John 3-4
April 6: John 5-6
April 7: John 7-8
April 8: John 9-10
April 9: John 11-12
April 10: John 13-15
April 11: John 16-17
April 12: John 18-19
April 13: John 20-21
April 14: Joshua 1-4
April 15: Joshua 5-7
April 16: Joshua 8-10
April 17: Joshua 11-13
April 18: Joshua 14-17
April 19: Joshua 18-20
April 20: Joshua 21-22
April 21: Joshua 23-24
April 22: Acts 1-3
April 23: Acts 4-5
April 24: Acts 6-7
April 25: Acts 8-9
April 26: Acts 10-11
April 27: Acts 12-13
April 28: Acts 14-15
April 29: Acts 16-17
April 30: Acts 18-19
By Joe Widick
Have you ever thought one thing only to find out it was something entirely difference. As much as I love watching sports, I never developed much interest in tennis. I guess that was the reason why I thought one thing while others who know the game of tennis thought something else. When I saw the bumper sticker on some little sports car that read “Love is for losers,” I thought how terrible that was. Of all the commands that God gives, the very heart of all is love. Paul said in I Corinthians 13 that it was the greatest when compared with faith and hope. How could anyone say “love is for losers.” I count myself a winner just as you do, and we all know the importance of love. Most of you know of my mistake. In the game of tennis a “love” score is a zero. If your score in a tennis match is “love” you lose. So in tennis, love really is for losers. The proper perspective on things is really important.
It is really easy for most of us to make wrong first judgments. Based on incomplete or inaccurate information, we can jump to wrong conclusions and make poor valued judgments about people and situations. And that can cause great hurt to others. I think it was the first year I taught that I received a transfer student into my class. Before this young man came into my class, I had such a good class. He looked like a rebel from the afro style hair style to the jeans he was wearing. My thought was he was going to ruin a perfectly good year. By year’s end, he was the best student in class. My first opinion was wrong. I am thankful that God gave me a heart to give him an opportunity to prove himself. Long ago there were some people who misjudged our Savior. Do you remember what Jesus had to say as he warned them about what they were doing. “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). We need to be careful that our judgments are backed up by the right information (that means the truth) and the right attitude (that means the compassion of Christ). Maybe the phrase “love is for losers” could be misleading for those who may not know much about tennis. However I think that each of us can understand, and not be mislead with the motto “Righteous judgment is for winners.” I recently read an interesting statement— A snap judgment has a way of becoming unfastened. Let each of us be wise in our judgments
By Joe Widick
Monday night I was watching Nashville Public Television. There was a special on entitled “Rock Pop and Doo Wop.” Some of the performers were there in person. They didn’t have the moves they once had. Others were no longer able to perform and they showed clips of their performances. Where does your mind travel when you hear songs like; “Be my Baby” “He’s a Rebel.” What images come to mind when you hear “Blue Moon?” The Ronnettes, the Crystals or the Platters were all groups who made their mark on musical history. The sets were simple, the focus was on the group and the words they were singing. As the camera panned the audience, guess what? I didn’t see a single young person there. They all had the appearance of being baby boomers. As I watched the audience, the words were being sung by many, just as if the song had been recorded last month. For a brief period of time I was swept back into a period of history that seemed all too simple and easy. Life was not as complicated as it seems to be today.
What has happened? It would take a treatise of multiple pages to uncover what has happened and that would only scratch the surface. I know the “good ole days” had their own set of problems and challenges. I also understand that maybe I look at those days through the eyes of a young teen whose biggest concern was whether or not I would get to go fishing. It seems as though things have become more complicated. It is hard sometimes to tell who the good guys are and who are the bad guys. Who do I believe, who is telling me the things I really need to know? Years ago concerns were in high school about chewing gum or smoking in the boys room. Today’s teen faces so many different challenges. Our school system seems to have to have a balancing act to meet the needs of this group or that group.
As God’s world continues to change, as mankind deals with situations that come and go, as we look back in time and say quietly to ourselves that was a good time a safe time a special time; there is one thing that remains constant. God’s word has stood and will stand the test of time. Jesus said it this way; “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18). Maybe what has happened is we have left God’s word out of our lives.
By Joe Widick
It is always amazing to me to see people just like you and I, coming up with some way to serve one another or simply others. Recently I read about an organization that was called “The Home Repair Club.” It was started in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The premise of the group was that they would meet one Friday of each month at one of their homes to work on projects that cannot be tackled alone. This was not a fly by night group that started something based on a great premise but allowed it to fizzle out. This is an ongoing group that has been at it for over twenty years! One of the obvious results is that things have been accomplished that might never have been accomplished. A second result is that they are now bonded together like one big family. Just imagine twenty years of helping one another. The impact could be huge.
Think back with me a moment to days long gone. There was a group that bonded in a very unique way. One work became a group project. They grew into a mighty force that had and continues to have an impact on the world. Why not revisit Acts 4:32-37 once again. It was a time of great persecution of believers. Because of this tremendous persecution there was the constant need of the support of one another. Remember during this time some of the people voluntarily sold their lands and even their houses and brought the proceeds to the apostles. The result of this was; “…they distributed to each as anyone had need” (Acts 4:35). They were of “one heart” and “had all things in common” (Acts 4:32).
Are you as happy as I am to be at a congregation where you sense that we are striving to help one another. Is there a comfort in your life that you have because you know as you work with one another you are building a bond that cannot be broken. As followers of Christ today, we too need the spiritual support and encouragement of one another. We may be struggling with a decision about how to serve the Lord, or concerned about a problem at work, or unsure of how to discipline a rebellious child. These are good opportunities to enlist the advice and prayers of your fellow Christians. Remember the words of the apostle Paul to the Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love.” Remember Christians stand strong when they stand together.
By Joe Widick
March 1: Numbers 7
March 2: Numbers 8-10
March 3: Numbers 11-13
March 4: Numbers 14-15
March 5: Numbers 16-18
March 6: Numbers 19-21
March 7: Numbers 22-24
March 8: Numbers 25-26
March 9: Numbers 27-29
March 10: Numbers 30-32
March 11: Numbers 33-36
March 12: Luke 1-2
March 13: Luke 3-4
March 14: Luke 5-6
March 15: Luke 7-8
March 16: Luke 9-10
March 17: Luke 11-12
March 18: Luke 13-15
March 19: Luke 16-18
March 20: Luke 19-20
March 21: Luke 21-22
March 22: Luke 23-24
March 23: Deuteronomy 1-2
March 24: Deuteronomy 3-4
March 25: Deuteronomy 5-8
March 26: Deuteronomy 9-11
March 27: Deuteronomy 12-15
March 28: Deuteronomy 16-19
March 29: Deuteronomy 20-22
March 30: Deuteronomy 23-25
March 31: Deuteronomy 26-27
