KNOW THE TRUTH
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

Deception is dangerous, confusion is costly, and sin is serious. And these things characterize the world in which we live. That makes life difficult and dangerous. It’s been that way since the fall, but getting worse. The natural man is corrupt, confused and condemned. He can be delivered only by the truth, so until he conquers his confusion he has no hope.

Confusion is never a good thing. Thinking you know all the facts when you don’t causes you to make costly choices, even deadly decisions. And these days it seems that you can’t trust anyone. Politicians lie to us, businesses misrepresent their products, the media distorts the facts, preachers butcher the Bible, and even history books are being rewritten so as to hide the facts.

We watch the news and read the papers trying to stay informed. Then we draw conclusions and make choices based on what we’re told. But we don’t always know the truth. Nations go to war and both sides have their version of the truth, but in many cases both are wrong. In many instances we find out years later that we gave credence to the wrong side. Things are not always what they seem. For that reason we must be cautious about what and who we listen to.

The only sure standard and infallible guide is the Word of God. That’s why we should be students of the Bible. It’s not just about making heaven and missing hell. The Bible deals with all the issues of life and should govern all our affairs. That brings the church into the picture– as much as some resent it. 1 Tim.3:15 describes it as “The pillar and ground of the truth”. For that reason, every Christian should be a member of a good Bible believing church. We all need what it provides. It is the Christ appointed conservator of the truth, and truth is what we need —it will set you free!- HDS, 5-9-14

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

I’ve got an idea that one of the most unconfessed sin is worry. Few people have the audacity to say that they never worry. But, although we readily confess it, we seldom repent of it. Why ? Maybe it’s because we fail to realize what great harm it does. We seem to believe it is a harmless sin. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
 
Someone defined worry as “a small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind until it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” James describes the danger like this–“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”(James 1:8). The worrier is like the mule that starved to death while standing between two stacks of hay, because he couldn’t make up his mind which one to eat out of.
 
The fact of the matter is that worry affects us in every way: emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually. Worry can be deadly. When the Bible says,”Be careful for nothing” we ought to take it as a serious warning. God is looking out for our welfare! Heed His warnings, obey His commands,and claim His promises. A child of God in the will of God has nothing to worry about. When trouble comes, go to God in prayer. When your burden is heavy cast “all your care upon him” and leave it there.
 
Mike Singletary was one of the greatest football players ever. Mike grew up in the ghetto of Houston. He was one of ten children and times were tough, especially after his father abandoned the family. Six months later, the oldest child was hit and killed by a drunk driver. Everyone wondered how Mike’s mother could ever support such a large family by herself. How could a poor single mother possibly provide for so many children? Mike answered that question when he was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame”. He said,”She responded the only way true champions respond: on the knees”. Dear friend, that’s the only way any of us can make it!- HDS, 5-12-14

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

GETTING ALONG
“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably  with all men.”–Romans 12:18

I recently read a message delivered in 1898 entitled “Getting Along With People”. Although the message was interesting, I was most impressed with the practicality of the Bible. The message didn’t say anything new, but it was a great reminder— something we all need. However, we would do well to remember that the Bible, more than anything else, gives us practical instructions on everyday issues.

Think about it. To this very day, after all these years, getting along with others is still one of our biggest challenges. As someone said, ” The world would be a pretty good place to live if wasn’t for people”. I’m sure you have felt that way sometimes. Regardless of where you go or what you do, you have to deal with people– all kinds of people. Sometimes we don’t do it very well. And that comes with a high price. Think of all the misery brought on by our inability to get along with others. It results in families being divided, relationships being ruined, churches being split, crimes being committed, and nations going to war. Yeah it’s that bad!

Strange, we can put a man on the moon and communicate with him, but haven’t learned how to get along with our next door neighbor. We need help. And that’s exactly what the Bible provides. It gives us precepts, principles, and promises to live by. We fail because we refuse to adhere to them. The bottom line is this– we will never truly be in touch with one another until we are in fellowship with Christ. Not until we love Him are we able to love one another.

There are many books and seminars, etc. on this subject, offering good advice, but in the heat of an argument, or in the face of an insult you can usually throw them out the window. When raw emotions take over we usually say and do dumb things. The only way we can respond to adversity properly and treat others respectfully is to be regulated by the Word of God and in fellowship with the Son of God. That’s the key to everything! Wanting a better relationship with others, without having a good relationship with God, is like hoping for water when there is no well. Christ is the source for everything we need. Neglect Him and everything unravels. Take time to read Eph. 4:29-32 and you will discover what it takes to get along with others. Please do it. HDS, 5-8-14

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

Whether you are racing, raising kids, or reaching for your goals, a good start is a big help in achieving success. So it is with a life well lived. But we need to remember that that a life is made up of “days”. What we do with our days determines the outcome of our lives. Wasted days = wasted lives. And, how you start your day has a great effect on how it turns out. So, how do you start your days? How did you start this one?

Did you start today by allowing God to speak to you through His Word? Did you speak to Him through prayer? Have you spent any time today giving God thanks and praise? Chances are good that the answer is “No”. And that is a big mistake! Hopefully that’s not the norm for you.

The outcome of such failure is predictable, and it’s an ugly picture. Such neglect means, less resistance to temptation, more sin, decrease of joy, increase of worry, more complaints, and less contentment— just to mention a few. A great many people live defeated lives needlessly. Their defeats and failures could have been easily prevented, had they got off to a good start. Don’t misunderstand– Bible study and prayer is not some magical formula that insures success, but it sure goes a long way in helping get us there. No Christian, not even a pastor, can live victoriously without prayer and Bible study. Yet most people refuse. Communion with God is the lifeline for successful living (John 15:5). Refuse it and you drown in defeat.

Too many people are concerned about a better life when they should be concerned about a blessed life. They ought to be more concerned about better ways than better days. A successful life is a life lived for God, but never forget— how your life ends depends greatly on how our days begin. A good start can lead to a strong finish. Finish well my friend! -HDS, 5-6-14

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

THE GIFT OF LIFE
 “- – he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.”– Acts 17:25

Every day I thank God for the gift of life, the gifts of life, and the Giver of life–Christ. While I doubt that we give the attention we should to any of these, I suspect that the first is the most neglected.

We speak of “life” as one of our “inalienable rights” in the Declaration of Independence, but I fear that we often forget that life is a precious gift from God. I don’t know about you, but I kind of like it. Actually I love life. We should be thankful for it and we should  use it wisely. As has been said, “A life is a terrible thing to waste”. Life is God’s gift to us. What we do with it is our gift to God.

Being able to live is a great privilege, but it is also an awesome responsibility. Seeing that we received it from God we ought to spend it for God. We have no right to live as we please– unless we are pleased to please the Lord. The same God who gives us life holds us accountable for how we spend it. To waste our life would be a shame— and a sin.
Someone said, “Life is like a coin. You can spend it anyway you want, but you can spend it only once”. How are you spending it? Different people do different things with their lives. While some use it to the best advantage, others are not so smart— they find a way to waste it. As one fellow said, “If you give one million people a paper clip, 2 will find a way to kill themselves with it”. Even so many do basically the same thing with their lives. While they start out with the same opportunities as others, they find a way to make themselves perfectly miserable, hurt others, and waste away what could have been of great eternal value. How smart is that?

It seems strange– some people who don’t know what to do with their life, and complain about everything under the the sun, want to live forever. Why? They are merely existing rather than truly living. They spend all their days without a sense of purpose, never finding any lasting peace or satisfaction. That is truly tragic! and senseless. Life doesn’t have to be that way. Through Christ you can have peace that passeth all understanding, joy unspeakable and full of glory, and a purpose in life, plus much more. It can be more satisfying than you ever imagined. Invested in Christian living it is not in vain. It pays eternal dividends! – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346