Pleasant Grove Church of Christ

09/29/2022

Every month Martín’s parents took a trip to see Grandma and came home on the same train the next day. One day the child said to his parents:
“I'm already grown up. Can I go to my grandma's alone?"
After a brief discussion, his parents accepted. They stood with him as he waited for the train to exit. They said goodbye to their son and gave him some tips through the window. Martin repeated to them:
“I know. I've been told this more than a thousand times."
As the train was about to leave, his father murmured in his ear:
“Son if you feel bad or insecure, this is for you!"
And he put something in his pocket.
Now Martin was alone, sitting on the train as he had wanted, without his parents for the first time.
He was admiring the landscape out the window. Around him some unknowns pushed themselves in. They made a lot of noise. They got in and out of the train car. The conductor made some comments about him being alone. One person looked at him with eyes of sadness.
Martin was feeling more uneasy with every minute that passed. And now he was scared. He felt cornered and alone. He put his head down, and with tears in his eyes, he remembered his dad had put something in his pocket. Trembling, he searched for what his father had given him. Upon finding the piece of paper he read it:
“Son, I'm in the last train car!"
That's how life is, we must let our kids go. We must let them try new things. But we always like to be in the last car, watching, in case they are afraid or in case they find obstacles and don’t know what to do. We want to be close to them as long as we are still alive.
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06/03/2017

07/05/2016

Such Love Transforms!

Everything was arranged: once the funeral was over, all were to go to Hephzibah's house for the after-funeral dinner. It was the way things were done in Nain, typical of the customs followed by citizens of the Jewish towns of the Galilee.

Two hired mourners led the way. One played a dirge on his flute; the other wailed. The town rabbi came next, rehearsing to himself the kadish, the graveside prayer. Two men followed close behind, bearing on a stretcher the body of a boy, only lately relieved from the fever that had stolen away his life.

Beside the stretcher his mother blindly stumbled in inconsolable grief, guided only by occasional nudges from the stretcher. The townspeople were next, whispering to each other, "Could anything worse have happened to this poor widow? Her only son!"

At first, no one noticed the Stranger. He had intercepted the procession. Boldly He stepped forward and blocked the widow's way. Surprised, she looked up, and instantly the Nazarene caught her tear-filled eyes in His gaze.

"Don't be afraid," He said. Somehow she sensed that He felt her sorrow, not as a stranger, but as a kinsman. He made Himself unclean when He touched the stretcher, something only a close relative would do. Everyone froze, even the mourners fell silent. He said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!" Before anyone could scold or accuse, the boy sat up and rubbed his eyes, as if awakening from a nap.

Who could keep from weeping for joy and praising God? Hephzibah's funeral dinner became a celebration banquet. Once more the Master had comforted the brokenhearted, resurrected the dead, and unexpectedly changed crying into laughter.

The good news is: He still brings celebration with Him wherever He goes. Today His touch still means new life. Even the flutist changed his tune. You will too.

05/31/2016

Cracks in the Foundation

Many years ago, my dad had to get a foundation expert to shore up the foundation to his house. And then about twenty years later before we sold the house, we had to have it done again, because the foundation was losing ground and had cracks in it.

There are cracks in other foundations. I am thinking of the many lives who think they can live like they want and then wonder why things have turned out bad for them. Notice these words from Jesus in Matthew 16:24-26. "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?"(NLT)

There are cracks in some people’s religion. They base their hope on a false idea of what Jesus is all about. I run into many who want the baptism, the wedding and the funeral but they don’t seem to realize there is more to the Christian life.

And then I run into young women who want to have a baby with no means to support the baby. And there are those young men who don’t accept responsibility for their actions. And there are so many today who think marriage is in the past. Some have even bought into actress Shirley McClain’s idea that an open marriage is a good thing. All of these are cracks in the foundation of life.

Does God’s Word have the answer to a cracked foundation?

If your life is full of cracks you need to think about what we have said. When you think it is alright to sin then there are cracks in your foundation.

If the foundation is destroyed what will you do?

01/26/2016

Following Directions

Have you ever tried to put something together without following the instructions? It usually doesn’t work does it? But you’ve tried it haven’t you? Maybe you even insisted that your way was the sure way to put whatever you were trying to put together and you still couldn’t put it together. And again you found out whatever you did, your way didn’t work.
So, where do you go for directions?
Some folks won’t listen to directions let alone follow them.
Many years ago, there was a lady who refused to yield the right of way to an eighteen wheeler. She said it was her turn and she went ahead and insisted on her way and almost killed her daughter and herself.
I was studying with a young preacher who made light of what Jesus said in Matthew 7:13, 14. "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
Can we not understand that God’s Way is sure? Can we not understand the words of Jesus when He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6
Keith Bellamy

01/19/2016

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this...SOOOO GLAD I TOOK THE TIME TO READ THIS!

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!' Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see.. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.
Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.
Was that important? Absolutely!

Is it really significant? Yes!
In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it..
The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now, if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.
The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table,
because........... The folded napkin meant,
'I'm coming back!'

HE'S COMING BACK!!!!

07/25/2015

A FB Friend sent this. Just stop and consider what it says.

05/07/2015

05/07/2015

Today is National Day of Prayer and National Day of Reason. We need a great deal of both. Spend some time today in reasonable sincere honest prayer.