Bolivar Church of Christ

09/02/2026

Steven’s Scribbles
Praying Against Evil

One of the things I have been thinking about lately are the “imprecatory” Psalms. These are Psalms in which the writer uses strong language asking God to bring justice upon the evildoer. Psalm 35:1 begins, “Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me.” Psalms 59 and 69 contain similarly strong prayers. David was dealing with physical enemies, but it has made me wonder: Is it wrong for a Christian to pray that God’s wrath and justice come upon those who do evil? We certainly do not hear prayers like this very often. The New Testament is clear that vengeance belongs to God (Rom. 12:19), and our responsibility is to overcome evil with good, even loving and doing good to our enemies (Rom. 12:20-21). But that does not mean we should be indifferent toward evil. We should pray that God’s will be accomplished, that evil be defeated, that justice prevail, and most importantly, that those doing evil repent and turn to the living God.

Perhaps this is especially appropriate when we remember that our battle is not ultimately against people, but against spiritual forces. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 that although we walk in the flesh, our warfare is not according to the flesh. We are “destroying speculations,” taking “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” and being ready to punish disobedience. That does not sound passive to me! We are wielding the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, against the lies of Satan. Our prayer should be that God’s truth will expose falsehood, that evil will be defeated, and that those who are presently accomplishing Satan’s work will repent and become servants of Christ. We should pray for God’s justice, but we should also pray for God’s mercy. We should pray that His will be done because His will is that people be saved. The Christian does not need to personally repay evil with evil; he can place judgment in God’s hands while actively fighting evil with truth, righteousness, and the Gospel.

I love you all!
Steve

08/26/2026

Steven’s Scribbles
How Ruth Lived Out Faith and Works

The book of Ruth gives us a beautiful picture of what James later describes in James 2:14–18. Ruth had faith, but her faith was not merely something she talked about. She demonstrated it by getting up and working to provide for herself and Naomi. She went into the fields to glean, trusting that God would provide through the opportunities He gave her. Boaz noticed her work and recognized the faith behind it. In Ruth 2:12–13, he speaks of Ruth taking refuge under the wings of the God of Israel, and he desired for God to bless her.
God had commanded Israel to leave the edges of their fields for the poor and the foreigner (Lev. 19:9–10; Deut. 24:19–22), but that provision did not mean Ruth was supposed to sit at home and wait for someone to bring food to her. She still had to get up, go into the field, and glean. Boaz, likewise, saw someone in need and used the blessings God had given him to meet that need. Ruth worked because she trusted God, and Boaz worked because he recognized that what he had ultimately came from God. This is faith and works working together. James asks what good it is if someone sees a brother or sister in need and simply says, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," without giving them what they need. Faith is demonstrated by what we do. Ruth trusted God enough to work, and Boaz loved God enough to use his blessings to help her. May we have the faith of Ruth and the generosity of Boaz; trusting God, working diligently, and using whatever blessings He has given us to bless others.

I love you all!
Steven

08/12/2026

Steven’s Scribbles
Be Careful What You Wish For…

Israel had a problem in 1 Samuel 8. They wanted a king. But their reasoning is what makes the request so fascinating: they wanted to be “like all the nations.” They weren't asking for a king because God had commanded it or because they had carefully considered what would be best for them. They wanted to look like everybody else. God had made Israel different on purpose, but they were tired of being different. Unfortunately, Christians can fall into the same trap. We live in the world, but we are called to be different from it (John 15:18–19; Romans 12:2). When everyone else wants to wear the newest outfit, we may have to be the ones who refuse because it is immodest. When everyone else is singing the newest popular song, we may have to be the ones who recognize that its message isn't appropriate. Being different can be uncomfortable, but being different for God is never something of which we should be ashamed.

God even warned Israel exactly what their desire would cost them. Their king would take their sons and daughters, their land, their produce, and their possessions and place them into his service (1 Samuel 8:11–17). They wanted what everyone else had, and eventually they discovered that “everyone else” wasn't necessarily living better. Sometimes God's restrictions aren't designed to keep us from something good; they're designed to keep us from something destructive. God has already warned us that friendship with the world puts our relationship with Him at risk (James 4:4), and that pure religion requires us to remain “unstained by the world” (James 1:27). So be careful what you wish for. Sometimes the very thing we envy in the world is the thing God is trying to protect us from. It is better to stand out with God than to fit in without Him. I love you all!

Steven

08/08/2026

Steven’s Scribbles
The Importance of Monuments

I opened my Bible and it went straight to Daniel 3, a section of Scripture that most of us know pretty well. But as I read about Nebuchadnezzar’s ninety-foot image, I started thinking about the importance of monuments.

Being from Vicksburg, my mind immediately went to the Vicksburg National Military Park. There are monuments everywhere. Statues and memorials were built to commemorate men who fought and died on those battlefields. Those monuments aren't worshipped. They remind us. They tell us that something happened here, that somebody sacrificed something, and that we shouldn't forget it.

Then I thought about what Nebuchadnezzar was doing.

He wasn't building a monument to remember somebody else's sacrifice. He was building a monument to himself. He wanted people to bow down and worship it. Why? Because Nebuchadnezzar believed he was right. He believed he was worthy of worship.

He wasn't.

And that got me thinking about what might be the most common monument in Christianity today: the church building.

Now, I want to be very clear. I am not talking about bowing down to a building or treating a building like it is somehow holy in and of itself. Scripture is clear that we don't worship men or objects. When Cornelius bowed before Peter, Peter immediately told him to stand up because he was only a man (Acts 10:25-26).

The church is the people, not the building.

But buildings can serve as monuments.

The New Testament certainly commands the church to assemble together (Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Cor. 14:26), and the early church sometimes met in homes (Rom. 16:5). There is nothing inherently unbiblical about Christians meeting in a house. But when Christians have the ability to establish a permanent place where the church can assemble, worship, teach, evangelize, and train the next generation, there is something beautiful about that.

A church building can become a monument to the work of God's people.

Think about the sacrifices that have gone into the buildings where we worship.

People worked to build them. People gave money to pay for them. People sacrificed time and resources so that their children and grandchildren would have somewhere to learn the Gospel. People who have been dead for decades may have given toward this congregation so that we could sit here today.

That matters.

We shouldn't worship the monument.

But neither should we forget what it represents.

There is something powerful about walking into a building where generations of Christians have gathered to sing, pray, preach, teach, baptize, marry, mourn, rejoice, and study God's Word. The building itself isn't the church, but it can be a physical reminder of the work that the church has done.

And perhaps that's the greater lesson from Daniel 3.

Nebuchadnezzar built a monument and said, "Worship me."

The Christian's monument should say something completely different:

"Remember what God has done."

Remember the people who sacrificed.

Remember the people who taught you.

Remember the people who preached the Gospel to you.

Remember the people who sat beside you in Bible class.

Remember the people who brought you to worship when you were young.

Remember the people who gave so that this congregation could continue.

And most importantly, remember the God who made all of it possible.

Monuments are important because human beings are forgetful.

We forget.

We forget sacrifices.

We forget struggles.

We forget victories.

We forget the lessons of the past.

That's why God repeatedly commanded His people to remember. Israel built memorials after crossing the Jordan so that future generations would ask what they meant (Josh. 4:6-7). The point wasn't that the stones were sacred. The point was that they were reminders.

Perhaps that is what our buildings can be.

Not monuments to ourselves.

Not idols.

Not objects of worship.

But reminders.

Reminders that people before us believed the Gospel enough to sacrifice for it.

Reminders that the church has a responsibility to continue the work.

Reminders that what we have received, we must pass on.

And eventually, every building will fall.

Every monument will deteriorate.

Every generation will pass away.

But the work of the church is bigger than a building. The Kingdom of God is not dependent upon brick, mortar, stained glass, or steeples.

So let us use what we have been given.

Let us maintain what previous generations sacrificed to provide.

Let us fill these buildings with people who want to know God's Word.

Let us teach our children.

Let us reach our communities.

Let us worship God faithfully.

And let us make sure that when the next generation looks back at us, they don't simply see a building.

They see faithfulness.

Nebuchadnezzar built a monument so that people would worship him.

Let us build a legacy so that people will remember God.

I love you all!

Steven

08/08/2026

Welcome our new Brother in Christ, Connor Thistle. This afternoon after Bible study, Connor obeyed the Gospel and the Lord added Him to His church.

07/29/2026

Steven’s Scribbles
The Christian Walk is a Blessing

I have been thinking a great deal about Proverbs 1:24–33 lately. This passage continually comes to mind when I think about those who refuse to accept God's Word as God's Word, those who plan to “get right with God later,” those who trust in their own wisdom rather than His, and so many other situations we encounter every day.

One of the greatest acts of arrogance is assuming we can wait until our final moments to obey the Lord. We do not know when our last day will be. James reminds us, “You are just a v***r that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Likewise, “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Tomorrow has never been promised to any of us.

Sadly, I believe part of the reason people delay obedience is because some Christians unintentionally portray the Christian life as though it were primarily a burden. Certainly, discipleship requires sacrifice. Jesus told us to deny ourselves and take up our cross (Luke 9:23). There will be times when we suffer for righteousness' sake. In fact, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10–12). Even in hardship, however, Christ calls us blessed.

The Christian walk is a blessing. God's commandments are for our good. Walking in His ways is better for us physically, mentally, spiritually, relationally, and eternally. His Word gives purpose, stability, wisdom, hope, and peace that the world simply cannot offer. John wrote, “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). David declared, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked... But his delight is in the law of the LORD” (Psalm 1:1–2). The psalmist also proclaimed, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

That brings me back to Proverbs 1. Wisdom cries out to everyone. God extends His invitation, but many refuse to listen. Notice the contrast in the passage. Those who reject God's counsel eventually reap the consequences of their own choices. But those who respond to Him receive a wonderful promise:
"But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil." (Proverbs 1:33)

When we choose the fear of the Lord rather than despising His knowledge, when we accept His counsel rather than rejecting His reproof, we are not losing freedom. We are finding life. The Christian walk is not merely about escaping judgment one day; it is about living the best life God intended for us today.

I love you all!
Steven

07/22/2026

Steven’s Scribbles
Learn from the Mistakes of Others

I have been reading through 1 & 2 Kings in my personal Bible study because our Sunday morning youth class has been working through 1 Kings. After Solomon's death, the united kingdom divided into two nations. The northern kingdom, known simply as Israel, was composed of the ten northern tribes and was taken into Assyrian captivity in 722 B.C. The southern kingdom, Judah, consisting primarily of Judah and Benjamin, was carried away by Babylon in stages beginning in 605/606 B.C., culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. One of the reasons Judah's judgment was delayed was because of the remarkable reforms of King Josiah. After discovering the Book of the Law, he humbled himself before God and led the nation in repentance. Because of his faithfulness, God told him, "Your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring on this place" (2 Kings 22:18-20; cf. 2 Kings 23:25). Yet as I read through these accounts, I keep coming back to the same question: Why didn't Judah learn from Israel's mistakes? Israel was their own kinsmen. They watched idolatry, compromise, and rebellion destroy the northern kingdom. Why repeat the very same sins instead of making a dramatic course correction?

The same principle applies to us today. When we see brethren begin drifting from the faith, we should pay attention. What happened before they fell away? What compromises were accepted? What changes were slowly introduced into their worship and practice? No faithful congregation wakes up one Sunday morning and suddenly decides to abandon biblical authority. Whether it is introducing women preachers, abandoning New Testament worship, or accepting any other unscriptural practice, those decisions almost always begin with a series of seemingly small compromises. If we are wise, we will recognize those warning signs long before the destination is reached.

Some dismiss this way of thinking as the "slippery slope fallacy." Yet Scripture repeatedly teaches us to learn from the examples of others. Paul wrote, "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction" (1 Corinthians 10:11). Wisdom does not wait until it reaches the cliff's edge to change direction. It recognizes where the road leads and turns around while there is still time. May we have the humility to learn from both the successes and the failures of those who have gone before us, so that we remain faithful to the Lord.

I love you all!
Steven

07/18/2026

Steven’s Scribbles
The Importance of the Word

The book of John naturally divides into two major sections: chapters 1–12 and chapters 13–21. The transition at chapter 13 marks John's account of Jesus' final evening with His apostles, where He begins preparing them for His death, resurrection, and the work that lay ahead. Knowing that this intimate instruction is about to begin, I was struck by Jesus' closing words in John 12:44–50.

In this passage, Jesus reminds the people that He is the Light of the world and that belief in Him is essential. He also emphasizes the authority and importance of His words. Jesus plainly states that the one who rejects Him is not without a judge, “the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (John 12:48). Why? Because His words did not originate with Himself, but with the Father who sent Him. Jesus' message carried the full authority of the Father.

Jesus also reminds us that His first coming was not to judge the world, but to save it (John 3:16–17). Yet Scripture also teaches that He will return a second time, “without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him, for salvation” (Heb. 9:28). On that day, the standard by which every person will be judged is the very Word He has spoken. Those words are not burdensome, they are the words of eternal life (John 12:50). That is why we must know them, love them, and obey them.

I love you all!
Steven

07/04/2026

Steven’s Scribbles
The Eternal Kingdom

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and I have found myself thinking about America’s identity in light of our shared faith. There are many things about our nation that are truly remarkable. One statistic that caught my attention recently is that the average lifespan of a constitution is only about 17 to 19 years. While our own Constitution was ratified a few years after Independence, it is remarkable that the American experiment has endured for more than two centuries. And yet one truth remains undefeated: the law of entropy. Everything in this world wears down over time. Buildings decay, machines break, traditions fade, and nations slowly lose sight of the principles that once defined them.

One of the clearest examples of this is the way America has come to misunderstand her own history. It is now common to hear people say that the Founding Fathers did not believe in the God of the Bible, but were instead just “deists.” That claim is far too simplistic. Some of the founders certainly held different theological views, but many openly acknowledged the providence of God and believed that biblical morality was essential to a free society. People also love to quote the phrase “separation of church and state,” even though those words do not appear in the Constitution. The phrase comes from Thomas Jefferson’s private letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, where he was assuring them that the federal government would not interfere with their religious practices. It was not about keeping religion out of government. It was about keeping government out of religion. And if you read the records from the constitutional debates, you will see that the concern was not to erase religion from public life. The concern was whether one sect would be established as a national religion, as had been done in England. Some even warned, rightly so, that such language could be used to abolish religion altogether. Those debates are still available for anyone willing to read them. You can even read the discussion from August 15, 1789, for yourself. https://www.congress.gov/annals-of-congress/page-headings/1st-congress/amendments-to-the-constitution/517

People also like to cherry pick quotes from John Adams, often ignoring the context. For example, Adams was writing to the Muslim Barbary pirates in an effort to stop them from attacking American vessels. That is not the same thing as denying the God of Scripture. Others point to Thomas Jefferson and his Bible projects, claiming that because he removed the miracles from one version, he must not have believed in Jesus. But Jefferson actually produced two different versions of the Bible, and one of them was intended as a way to present Jesus to the native populations of the Americas. That does not prove that Jefferson denied the divinity of Christ. It proves that he was trying to communicate the life and teachings of Jesus in a particular way. History matters, and context matters even more.

As Christians, however, our hope has never rested in any earthly nation. We should certainly desire America to be a nation that fears God. And not just any god. All beliefs are not equal. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The Psalmist reminds us, “The wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God” (Psalm 9:17). Peter declared, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). God’s standard has never changed. Nations are blessed when they pursue righteousness and suffer when they reject Him. We see it over and over throughout the Old Testament. When Israel obeyed God, they were blessed. When they turned away, they suffered. We are blessed when we obey God’s Word, and our nation would be as well.

That is why our ultimate allegiance is not to America, but to Christ. The Lord has an eternal purpose that extends far beyond the rise and fall of kingdoms. There is an eternal purpose in the Word of God, and there is an eternal purpose found within the church. Paul wrote that God’s wisdom is now made known “through the church, in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11). Earthly nations will come and go, but Christ’s kingdom will stand forever. Let us pray for our country, work to influence it for good, and strive to be faithful citizens. But above all, let us remember that our highest calling is to be citizens of the Kingdom that will never pass away.

I love you all!
Steven

07/03/2026