The value of waiting:

• We learn to depend on God as never before – a blessing! (Heb. 13:6; Lk. 18:1-8)
• We learn what a relationship with God is truly worth. All healthy relationships involve complexities and the working out of tough issues.
• Waiting enables us to draw closer to God.
• When we have to wait on God, we might consider how long He has waited for us… to repent, to resolve to do right, to earnestly seek Him, or to get busy in His service. When it comes to the waiting game, God will outlast us every time. When we have to wait, we begin to appreciate him more.
• The better the prize, oftentimes the longer we have to wait – and we will appreciate it more if we have to wait. Instant gratification is rarely a good thing. You’ve heard the expressions, “Anything worthy having is worth waiting for”; and “The best things come to those who wait.” Waiting on God always has a good ending (Isa. 40:28-31).

So we wait… and we pray! And if things of this life don’t turn out exactly like we want, we still have something glorious to wait for, and to pray about. It will all be worth it!

– Mike Wilson

The college was simply repeating a ritual of clearing their shelves and cabinets of all the old trophies, plaques and awards received over the years in order to make room for the next generation of college students.

As he gazed upon the glittering spectacle, he realized how these trophies in the dumpster might accurately represent all the worldly achievements, ideals and struggles of man such as fame, popularity, wealth, and power. And he could see their ultimate end — to eventually be discarded as “worthless” and then crushed and ground to dust!

Gleaning a lesson from a sporting event with application to living the Christian life, the Apostle Paul wrote:

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a crown that will not last;
But we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
— 1 Corinthians 9:25

The trophies of the world will not last (see 2 Peter 3:10), but Christ offers to us an “Imperishable Crown” — the crown of LIFE (James 1:12).

One day, each of us will stand before the Judgment seat of Christ…

On that day ALL will recognize that the GREATEST accomplishment was what Jesus did for us on the cross: He died for our sins so that we might receive the crown of eternal life!

Jesus has promised to give the crown of life to those who: place their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:38), and live faithfully to Him for the rest of their lives (Revelation 2:10).

The glory of the crown made possible through the cross of Christ motivated George Bennard to pen the following words:

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

Won’t YOU lay down your worldly, perishing trophies TODAY and submit your life to the Savior so that you may on THAT DAY, receive the “Imperishable Crown”?

— David A. Sargent (email) / Mike Eddlemon (email)

Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695

“Ah, you pretty little creature,” said the lady, “you are building too low. Soon the destroyer will come and break up your sweet home.”

And so it was….. The days passed by; the nest was finished, and then there were eggs in the nest, and then four great big mouths were open whenever the low chirp of the mother announced that she had something for them to eat.

One day the lady sat by the window sewing. Suddenly she heard the cry of the birds in the deepest distress, and she looked out to see what was the matter. There was a great snake that had crawled up and was devouring the helpless little ones, while just above them the poor heartbroken mother fluttered about in the wildest distraction. But it was too late; her children were gone, and her home was left desolate – a sad reminder of her folly in building so near the ground.

So it is with people who have no higher ambition than earthly pleasures, wealth or honors. THEY BUILD TOO LOW! Their heart’s home is in easy reach of death and the devil, and depend upon it – the destroyer will come, soon or late.

One day, this world – and ALL that is in it — will come to an end when Jesus returns.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up “(2 Peter 3:10).

If we have been placing our focus and our hope in the things of this world, WE TOO will discover TOO LATE that we have “BUILT TOO LOW.”

ONLY those who have built their lives upon Jesus and His Word will be victorious over sin and Satan (Matthew 7:24-27; 1 John 2:15-17).

The Lord has assured VICTORY and an ETERNAL HOME to those who will: place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31) who died on the cross to redeem us from sin. Those who by faith turn away from sin in repentance(Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ will have their sins washed away and will know the hope of eternal life (Acts 2:38; 22:16).

“Some build their hopes on the ever-drifting sand, Some on their fame, or their treasure, or their land; Mine’s on a Rock that forever will stand, Jesus, the ‘Rock of Ages.’” – From the Sunday School Journal, 1871

Don’t “BUILD TOO LOW.” Build your life on Jesus, the Rock of Ages!

Won’t YOU?

David A. Sargent , Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695

“Oh, I don’t know,” responded the mechanic. “Just give me a signed check. Leave the amount blank, and I will fill it in when I am finished!”

Would YOU give him a signed check? Probably not, unless you know and trust the mechanic – or you have an unlimited supply of money in your bank account!

Usually, we want to know exactly what is to be done and what it will cost before we agree to pay for some service.

Consider the following scenario…

A woman once asked a preacher, “Will you please tell me what true consecration is?” Holding out a blank sheet of paper, the preacher replied, “True consecration is signing your name at the bottom of the blank sheet, and letting God fill in the rest as He wills.”

For many, this would be even more alarming than giving an unfamiliar mechanic a blank check for car repairs!

But “signing our name at the bottom and letting God fill in the details” really gets to the heart of what true consecration is all about.

Tom Moore shares this insight: “All too often, many are unwilling to assume this attitude. Many seem to want to ‘write their own ticket’ in life and then beg God to sign it. Instead of seeking earnestly to fashion their lives after God’s way, many seek to fashion God’s way after their lives. That is simply backward thinking.”

Here are the important matters to understand:

1) God loves us. In fact, He loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for our sins so that we might have forgiveness and the hope of eternal life (John 3:16).

2) God’s will is best for our lives. He created us and knows us and, therefore, knows how to “fix” us and keep us going for eternity (Jer. 29:11; Rom 8:28).

3) God expects us to obey Him. Jesus said, “Not everyone who SAYS to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who DOES the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

But we don’t have to GUESS as to what His will is for our lives. He has revealed His will in His Word. . . (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

He wants us to become His children and we can, if we will: place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in *repentance* (Acts 17:30-31), *confess* Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be *baptized* (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).

Then, He wants us to live faithful, obedient lives as His children (1 John 1:7).

When it comes to obeying God, you can go ahead and “sign your name” on the dotted line through your trusting obedience. You won’t regret it! Why not trust and obey Him today?

David A. Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood