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The Church of Christ at Houston Park, 2 Crescent Hill Drive, Selma, AL (2026)

05/27/2026

This Sunday is our friends and family day!
We will be focusing on relationships.
A key to good relationships is communication.
Invite your neighbors, coworkers, and, of course, friends and family for this Sunday, and let them know about this important topic.
We will see how the gospel is the core of it all.
See you soon!

Van

05/22/2026

Go to God AND Get Help

If you break your arm, pray about it AND go to the doctor. While you are recovering, be humble enough to ask for any help you need, and don’t stop worshiping God.

If your heart is broken, pray about it AND get help.

God should always be our first and constant source of help, but that does not mean we should not also make use of options that He has made available to us. After all, that counselor, brother, sister, or medicine might be the answer to your prayer.

We are meant to refresh each other, stir each other up, and bear one another’s burdens. When we serve a brother or sister in this way, we serve God. Doing this, we can be a tool God uses to treat them (I Cor 16:17-18; Heb 10:24; Gal 6:1; Matt 25:31-40).

Go to God. Get Help,

Van

https://breadcrumbs.vansprague.com/2026/05/22/go-to-god-and-get-help/

05/21/2026

True Stupidity

What does stupid mean in its biblical context?

“Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And do not have the understanding of a man.
I neither learned wisdom
Nor have knowledge of the Holy one.”
– Agur (Prov 30:2-3, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved)

When the Psalmist was about to challenge God’s judgment, he sought Him in worship instead. Then he wrote from a changed perspective.

“Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.”
– Asaph (Ps 73:21-24)

We are stupid, behaving foolishly, and out of ignorance, when we don’t hold God in the proper perspective. We begin to rely on ourselves as the standard for wisdom and judgment. Such a worldview inflates our egos and devalues our self-worth, at the same time (Rom 1:22-24).

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

– Solomon (Prov 1:7)

Van
https://breadcrumbs.vansprague.com/2026/05/21/true-stupidity/

05/13/2026

Don’t Fight It! Predestination is True.

It’s right here, in the Bible!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph 1:3-6, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved).

Paul counted himself as part of a group of people chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. This group was predestined to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ.

From this concept, people have taught that we have no choice in our salvation. “[We] are not all created with a similar destiny; but eternal life is foreordained for some, and eternal damnation for others. Every man, therefore, being created for one or the other of these ends, we say, he is predestined either to life or to death” (129, Kerr, Hugh. Ed. A Compend of the Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin).

Is that what Scripture means by “predestined”? Examining this question, we will learn about some common pitfalls in Bible interpretation that relate to word meanings. The answers will be found in context and consistent with the premise that the Bible does not contradict itself.

I must admit, often, when I am dealing with difficulties like these, I want a simple answer just to pop out of the word’s definition. Even more, I want that simple answer to look like what I want it to. I would love to find this word in a Greek lexicon or concordance and see, “This certainly does not mean God chose a person to be saved before the foundation of the world.” Wouldn’t that be nice?

But that’s not what we find.

What we do find is the term, proorizo, made of two words, “προ (pro) – in front, before,” and “ὁριζω (horidzo) – to mark.” Strong’s Concordance defines it, first, by the literal meaning it would have if you considered its compound parts. “To limit in advance.” A word of warning for such definitions: It is not always the case that a word means what its individual parts mean. One of my favorite English examples is “butterfly.” Trying to understand the word by learning more about butter and flies would lead someone far afield. In this case, the words that make it up give a good picture of what the definition is, “predetermine” (G4309 in Strong’s Concordance).

If we have gone to a concordance or Bible dictionary to make our decision about what the Bible means about a word, we are doing it backward. It is these kinds of short-sighted definitions that lead people to extrapolate incorrect details about their applications. We simply don’t know enough to see what the word “predetermine” means. Bible context will tell us what it is and how one is predetermined.

Look just a few verses later.

“In Him [Jesus] also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him [the Father (vs5)] who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:11-12).

The people who were predestined were marked out beforehand according to God’s purpose and will. What was that purpose and will? “That we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”

The plan of salvation through Jesus Christ was chosen before the foundation of the world. Therefore, all of those who are saved according to that plan are rightly called predestined. That doesn’t mean that God irrevocably and without any agency on our part chose the individuals who would be saved. His plan to save us through Jesus cannot be revoked. It does not rely upon us.

Further context not only supports this meaning of the word, it demands it to avoid contradiction. If we were chosen regardless, and despite, our will, why would the Bible be filled with instructions to listen, obey, or choose? Can you think of some examples?

Now, consider Ephesians 1:3-14 in light of these things.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Our will is involved in our salvation, and it was the plan from the beginning that the gospel would be preached to call those who believe to salvation. That is what was predestined.

“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle" (2 Thess 2:13-15).

What was predestined is the plan of salvation God predetermined. The church was part of that plan. Don’t fight it. Determine to be a part of it.

Van
https://breadcrumbs.vansprague.com/2026/05/13/dont-fight-it-predestination-is-true/

05/11/2026

Learning From Each Other

You are teaching someone something. Your actions – or inactions– words, and attitude motivate or discourage others. The same is true from them to you. An unexpected or underappreciated source of influence is our youth and their example to adults. We most often consider the responsibility of the older to the younger, and we shouldn’t forget it (Eph 6:4). However, we must not neglect to give the youth opportunities to make impressions upon us, giving them the space and determination to aspire to great action.

Paul wrote to a young evangelist named Timothy, who was assailed by many challenges in the congregation where he was preaching. They were divided over traditions and immature regarding essential matters of the faith (1 Tim 1:3-6, 18-20; 2 Tim 2:14-19). It was a delicate time of transition. People had dearly held beliefs and misunderstandings that were brought to light by the gospel, challenged, and corrected. One difficulty with educating brethren was Timothy’s youth. Though his age should not have deterred anyone from accepting the authority of his God-ordained message, it did.

So, Paul provided a charge that showed how the church was responsible for listening to Timothy, and Timothy was responsible for ensuring his actions encouraged such listening.

“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim 4:12).

First, the apostle gave what appears to be an impossible command to Timothy. How could the preacher not let anyone despise his youth? The answer is that this phrase, originally written in Greek, has no simple English translation. It is a command meant for others, not Timothy. It is “no one” who is commanded to despise Timothy’s youth. It has the same effect as commanding everyone not to despise Timothy simply due to his age. The broader application is that we must not let discrimination cause us to disregard the truth.

Sincere desire for the Word should have motivated the church (1 Pet 2:1-3). They needed to practice a God-fearing humility that would enable them to receive the truth regardless of what they thought of the message or the messenger. In doing so, they would be wisely submitting to God (1 Cor 1:8-21; 1 Thess 2:13; Jas 3:13-18).

In chorus with this, however, Timothy was essentially commanded not to give anyone any reason to disregard what he taught, through the positive exhortation to be an example to Christians in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity.

“Example” is translated from a Greek word that contains a powerful word picture. We get our word “type” from it. When you think of the early typewriters that made marks using a metal block that struck a ribbon, imprinting a letter onto paper, you get a vivid illustration of the word. It is a mark inflicted by something. John 20:25 uses the word translated “example” when Thomas was talking about the imprints that spikes from the crucifixion would have made in Jesus hands. Those would have proven to Thomas that Jesus was crucified.

This imagery presented a challenging and convicting demand toTimothy. By extension, all of God’s people are called to such a standard. What mark should Timothy have carried, and what or who should it be from? His life should have shown evidence that he was influenced by Jesus. Similarly, when we imitate God (Eph 5:1), we are making impressions on others by the impressions He made upon us (John 13:35; Acts 4:13).

We can know how the Lord should influence us and teach it by adhering to God’s Word (1 Tim 4:13-16; 2 Tim 3:16-4:2). Doing so, our conduct will be one of consistent love, in the right spirit, founded upon the faith, and abounding in the holiness of God (1 Pet 1:13-16). Be examples and learn from such examples.

Van
https://breadcrumbs.vansprague.com/2026/05/11/learning-from-eachother/

05/07/2026

If Fig Trees Were Failures

“[Jesus] also spoke this parable: ‘A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?' But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'” (Luke 13:6-9, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved).

“Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree withered away.” (Matthew 21:18-19)

Be as patient with others and yourself as God is with you,

Van

https://breadcrumbs.vansprague.com/2026/05/07/if-fig-trees-were-failures/

05/06/2026

Good morning!

This Saturday, May 9th, we are having an intergenerational opportunity to build one another up in the faith.
At ten o'clock, we will gather for some singing and prayer, then we will dismiss to classes specifically designed to be biblically enriching, and shared and practiced at home.
Then, we will come together and organize ourselves into groups that consist of readers, non-readers, parents, or adults, and we will go through a family-style Bible lesson.

There is something for everyone.

Come be a part of it all.

Looking forward to it,

Van

05/04/2026

The opening line of the beloved children’s song, Jesus Loves Me, is not child’s play. It makes one of the boldest claims possible.

“Jesus loves me. This I know.”

This is a profound truth, with life-changing effects upon those who react to it as they should. Let’s investigate this claim to see how we can know it is true, what Jesus’ primary expression of His love for us is, and how we ought to respond to it.

The next line in the song summarizes all of the evidence we need to prove, definitively, that Jesus loves us.

“For the Bible tells me so.”

God’s ways exceed our understanding to the point where we cannot know what He has planned unless He tells us (Isa 55:8-13). Had mankind been able to figure out the Lord’s strategy before it happened, it wouldn’t have. So, He revealed His plan about Jesus through His Holy Spirit to His prophets and the writers of His word as it needed to be revealed (1 Cor 2:6-10). We can know Jesus loves us because the Word of God says it.

How did He express His love? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). And, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus chose to lay His life down (John 10:17-18). The reason He came to the earth was to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15). He accomplished this and expressed His love for the ungodly by dying for us, so that we can be justified and saved from the wrath of God we deserved because of our sins (Rom 5:6-9).

Such a display drove the apostle Paul to say that “… the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor 5:14-15) The Scriptures teach that it is only reasonable we should give ourselves as a living sacrifice, in response to God’s mercies (Rom 12:1). We are called to live our lives with Christ living in us, by walking in faith (Gal 2:20).

When faced with the example and enormity of Jesus’ love, we should be motivated to love Him (1 John 4:19). We do this by loving others and doing everything else He has commanded us (John 14:15, 15:12, 14). Recognizing His sacrifice for our sins, let us, like Paul, feel compelled to share the gospel to all, even if it would mean our deaths (Rom 1:14-16; 2 Cor 12:15; Rev 2:10).

We begin such a life by dying with Christ as Paul did. In what way did Paul die, if not physically? In his obedience to the gospel. That is when He was saved, and how he would continue to be saved, if held fast to it. The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (1 Cor 15:1-4). The Scriptures show that all who are convicted to repent of their sins, because they have heard and believed the gospel, must also be compelled to confess that Jesus is God’s Son (Acts 8:36-37). Then, they are commanded to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:36-38). When we do this, we obey, from the heart, the teaching of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Rom 6:1-5, 17). If we faithfully continue in His Word, with all of the hopes it provides, we can confidently sing, “Yes, Jesus loves me!”

The Bible tells me so,

Van
https://breadcrumbs.vansprague.com/2026/05/04/yes-jesus-loves-me/

05/01/2026

Fairness and Equality
“God may make someone with a disability to give us an opportunity to serve them.”

This was a difficult but important point our brother Chris made in a sermon. As an example, he referred to the blind man in John 9.

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’
Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in Him’”
(John 9:1-3, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved).

We don’t show God’s work through miracles today, but we are designed to show His work through the good we do.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:10

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
John 15:13

“By this we know love, because [Jesus] laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”
I John 3:16-18

Without sickness, where would be the gracious treatment?

Without pain, when would anyone grow, or show, comforting compassion?

Without disability, where is the overcoming determination?

To look at hurt, sick, or disabled as “less than” or “missing something” is to miss the true equality God has placed in the world.

Our souls.

We aren’t on this earth to be the fastest, strongest, or smartest. We are here to serve God with all we have and grow to be like Him.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’”
Matthew 16:24-26

“Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’
Jesus said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’”
Matthew 22:35-40

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”
Ephesians 5:1

“but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”
I Peter 1:15, 16

Some of the expressions that have become more popular today work nicely to emphasize that our mental and physical abilities aren’t everything, nor is it necessary for us to be the same in these regards.

I’m hearing people say other-abled, rather than disabled. This alludes to the fact that whatever they were born with or without, they have something to contribute that others may not. And that’s okay. I have friends who, by birth or injury, lack some physical or cognitive skills most have. Instead of calling it their disability, they call it their challenge. Such a change in their mindset moves their condition from being something that restricts them to something they grow to overcome.

Let’s not concern ourselves with what we have or don’t have. Using what we’ve got to serve God, and provide where others lack, is a foundational part of healthy soul growth. Are you confronted with challenges? Persevere. Do you see someone in need? Show compassion. In this, we find the true equality the world is searching for.

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.”
Galatians 6:2-5

Van

https://breadcrumbs.vansprague.com/2026/05/01/fairness-and-equality/

04/30/2026

A woman. An orphan. A Jew.

With such a background, Esther would have been viewed as powerless, valueless, and unimportant during the reign of Ahasuerus, but she became queen! However, as fortunate as such events seem, it was no fairytale. She had little choice in the matter. Arranged marriages were commonplace, and kings mostly got what they wanted. What did Esther do? She made the most of it by making wise decisions.

Things may have seemed to be going smoothly, but a man named Haman was promoted to a high position in the kingdom, and his attitude was the opposite of Esther’s (Esth 3:1). Because he was offended by Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, Haman decided he would try to have all of the Jews in the kingdom destroyed (2:5; 3:3-6). Even the sight of Mordecai at the king’s gate was enough to make Haman unhappy with all that he had (5:9-13).

Haman’s plans backfired, and he lost everything, illustrating the destructiveness of pride and resentment. On the other hand, Esther is a tremendous illustration of empowerment through faithfulness and the providence of God.

Have you ever suffered because of someone else’s actions? Have you felt powerless and tempted to give up and suffer as a victim? Have you given in to bitterness or hatred? Scripture teaches us that, regardless of our humble background, we are victorious through faith in Christ. God can utilize those of us who are weak to accomplish great things, and He calls on us to love our enemies and leave vengeance up to Him (1 John 4:20-5:5; Matt 5:43-48; 1 Cor 1:18-31; Rom 12:19-21).

For the whole story of Esther, read the book and see how similar promises are expressed through what happened to her. It is a short, easy-to-understand narrative. Though it does not have a direct reference to God, it shows how He works through the natural order of things to achieve His purpose. It will convict you to change and motivate you to action. You do not have to be a victim of your circumstances. You can be a victor in Christ.

Van
https://breadcrumbs.vansprague.com/2026/04/30/no-longer-a-victim/

The Church of Christ at Houston Park

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