Category Archives: Bulletin Article

Is It Worth It?

By Matt Nichols

Recently in a lesson Brother Dave Miller asked a question that made me think. He asked “is there anything that you could do for an hour that is worth the next 50 years?” This question is one that has an obvious answer yet it is easy to simply not ask ourselves this in a moment when we are tempted. It got me thinking about how often we ask ourselves is it worth it. When we go into a store and see a new movie on the shelf we ask ourselves is the movie worth the cost of $20 or whatever they are charging for it. We may spend some time thinking about it and then finally come to a conclusion based on the cost verses our personal conceived worth of that movie. We do this so much when we are concerned with money or physical things yet how often do we in the same manner consider the cost when doing something that is sinful. We end up being spontaneous purchasers when it comes to sin. We see it, we want it, we “buy” it before really thinking about the cost.

“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. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 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? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” Matthew 16:24-27

We all know this verse. Even many who never read the bible know of this verse since it is one of the most well know and used verses in the bible. The question is “are we putting this fact into use?” Are we considering this when we come to a point when we are tempted?

When we come to a trial we should stop and think is this worth it? Is what I get out of doing this worth what I will have to deal with and what I will need to pay because of it? We need to stop and think about it seriously. This is very important! We could be buying something that will make us spiritually bankrupt in the future. We could be stepping into something we may never be able to fully rid ourselves of. There are many things in this world that once you have crossed a line with you can not uncross it. It will forever be something you must deal with or something you would have to hold yourself back from. We need to be wise with what God has given us, including the opportunity to go to heaven!

All that being said, if you have bought something spur of the moment in your spiritual life in the past, don’t feel as if you can not do anything about it. You can go to God and though you may have to still pay for it here you do not have to pay for it for eternity! There is a saying in the financial world about cutting your losses. We can do that in the spiritual world as well. If you have already done something you will not be able to undue ever that doesn’t mean you have to continue to do it or continue to make it worse. There may be things you have to deal with but in the end you don’t have to pay with your soul!

I Have Fallen and I Can’t Get Up

By Matt Nichols

If you recognize the title of this article then you may know where it is from. Originally it came from a commercial for life alert. It showed an elderly women falling and saying this phrase. If you ever watched Family matters there was a certain character that also used this phrase form time to time when he would fall. I only bring this up because at times we can be the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” generation. We think that if we mess up once it’s over, that there is no way to stand again. It can be something that is easy to fall into and not get back out of. Though we may think this it is not the truth.

I always have liked the parable of the prodigal son. In the parable there is much that can be learned. One of the most important things that I think should be learned from it is that we are never at a point where we can not come back to God.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” Luke 15:17-20.

This passage shows that he realized that his Fathers servants had it better and he decided to go back. To use an analogy he had fallen into a life driven by his passions and greed and that had led him to a place that was not what it was cut out to be and instead of staying there he got back up. There are many passages like these that show that no matter how far gone a person is as long as they want to get back up they can. So if we ever think we can’t get back up it means we don’t want to. If we wanted to we could! If that is the case then we need to get are “want to fixed” as a dear friend of mine used to say. We need to desire to get back up and when we do God will meet us as we are approaching and help us to accomplish it! It is important that we always remember that after a stumble we can get back up and God his holding his outstretched hand waiting to help us. We don’t have to do it all on out own by our own strength. So if you have fallen or stumbled recently, get back up and get back to serving God because we can if we only really want to.