When I was a child in school, my friends would get in trouble for passing notes in class. Since no one could read my writing, it was not an issue for me. My trouble was talking in class. Now with the technology of cell phones, many teens and even smaller children are text messaging each other in class and occasionally even sending each other photos.

Parents need to think about how their teens are using their cell phones and I’m talking about more than just minutes used. According to recent reports, many teens are using their cell phones to circulate nude photos of themselves. With much of the news about the immoral actions of the movie & television stars as well as athletes sending & receiving nude and nearly nude photos, our youth is following the example.

Rather than just writing this off as a new trend and something that will pass with time or age, parents, youth leaders, and teachers need to stop and take time to address this with their children and classes. The Bible states that we are not only “created in God’s image.” We are also “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Young ladies need to hear about the beauty in chastity and not giving in to a few moments of what they may consider fun or fame. Also, young men need to hear about how to have respect for the young lady that may sit beside them in class. And all need to hear about the righteousness of Christ lived out in the lives of Christians.

Say, “No thanks, I’m much too valuable to give myself away!”

“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.” (Psalm 101:3)

Bro Larry

P.S. As adults we may want to watch the example we are sending at home, work, public events and at restaurants constantly being on our phones in front of our children.

“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” (John 14:21)

“In The Garden” is a beautiful and meaningful hymn written by C, Austin Miles in 1912. The poem and song has stood the test of time and has the same meaning today it had over 100 years ago when it was written. After reading from John 20, Miles got so caught up in the text that it seemed to him he had become a part of the narrative. He sensed himself as a silent witness in the garden experience at the empty tomb. He heard in his mind the words of Jesus as he addressed Mary Magdalene with the simple word, “Mary.”

Miles grabbed a piece of paper and began to write a poem as quickly as the words would come to him and later the same day he wrote the music. The words reveal that a personal relationship with Christ is not only longed for but possible.

“And He walks with me, and he talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known”

You never go alone in this life as long as Jesus lives in your heart. The Bible lets us know that Jesus’ presence is with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Thus, He does walk with us and talk with us along life’s road. And the best part is that He always will. “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)

Bro. Larry

As you read the scripture in Mark chapter 10 about blind Bartimaeus, most likely your heart sympathizes with him because you can understand what he must have been feeling. Bartimaeus was blind and it seemed hopeless for him to ever have his sight. He had a desire to be healed and made whole. When told that Jesus was entering Jericho he began to shout out for Jesus to have mercy on him. Everyone around him tried to quieten him, but blind Bartimaeus was relentless and continued to cry out to Jesus. He knew Jesus was his only hope.

Where does your help come from?

When you have no hope, on whom do you call?

Praise God that we are not left alone in helpless and hopeless situations – God is always there! Bartimaeus was a blind man that had to rely on the generosity of others for his survival. There was no charitable housing to give him a bed and care, and no benefits from local churches or governmental agencies. Moreover, he was an outcast of society. Yet when he heard that Jesus was in town, he knew that his hope had come. He knew that in his hopeless situation he could cry out to Jesus and be healed; not just once, but twice. Even when the crowds tried to silence him, he called out even louder. He knew where his hope was found.

Maybe you need to cry out for mercy to our Lord Jesus; not just in times of need but in times of plenty. May our hope and assurance be in Christ; not just for physical healing but spiritual too. God is full of mercy and wants to shower us with His blessings. All we need to do is cry out to Him for mercy. He freely gives His love and peace. Even when the crowds try to silence us.

Bro. Larry

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26

You’ve probably heard stories of someone who found something that seemed worthless and then sell it for a cheap amount or even just give it away only to discover its value was higher than they ever imagined. But, there is much in life that has value greater than any monetary sum.

If a person who makes $10 per hour is thinking about leaving work early to take a nap, is that nap really worth $20 of lost income? It might be a no-brainer to stay at work, unless that person hasn’t slept in almost 48 hours.  In that case, is the person’s mental health worth the $20? What about an elderly man who lost the wedding ring that he paid $75 for fifty years ago? Add to that the fact that his wife died five years ago and the ring was one of the greatest memories of their long-term marriage. The value suddenly increases more than the monetary amount.

There is no way to put a monetary value on family members who die suddenly or even the memories of the life shared together such as tossing the baseball with your son, having tea time with you daughter or the long walk talking while holding hands with your spouse. So, take the opportunity to love and serve others.

What value there is to take the opportunity to take your children and grandchildren to church sharing the blessing God has given, reading the Bible together and sharing its meaning, the holding of your child’s hand at night as they say their goodnight prayers! The greatest blessing with my children was kneeling beside their bed and leading them through a prayer for salvation and acceptance of Jesus into their hearts. There is no greater value that the salvation that comes through Jesus and knowing your family members have shared that experience and that you will spend eternity together in heaven. What is your soul, or the soul of someone you love dearly, worth in value? $1,000? $1,000,000? Jesus said it is worth more than the whole world. BEYOND VALUE!

Bro. Larry

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-37

I went for my regular check up with my heart doctor this week and on his desk in the exam room was a number of pictures of hearts. He can medicate and offer advice on how to improve the physical heart but only God can change a spiritual heart. Those thoughts led me to think about how the spiritual heart could become numb to the things that used to pierce that heart.

For example, there have been tragedies in our country – numerous acts of violence and terrorism. The more we see and hear about bad news, the more our human spirits are becoming numb to the bad news. Evil acts of murder and terrorism are all around us and numerous times are almost in our back doors here in Tennessee.

Since the earth-shattering events of 9/11, we have consistently viewed acts of violence even though the majority of them have been outside the borders of our country. As time goes on, I’m afraid events like these will just be commonplace and we will become numb to the emotional effects of these events. It could become, “Oh, no big deal, just a normal day in America.”

Not only are we in danger of becoming numb (insensitive) to human catastrophes such as these, we are becoming numb spiritually. First, to the news of God’s Word as we seem no longer challenged or moved by the preaching, teaching, and studying of the Bible. Secondly, we are becoming numb to the sin around us. We become accepting and tolerant of blatant outward sin that our parents and grandparents would not have stood for.

Sometimes the sin that has crept into our society is cute and many like to play around with it. After all, much of the time, sin appears harmless. But there comes a time when sin releases it ill effects on you. God is forgiving as stated in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But there is no guarantee that the circumstances of sin will not linger on for some time to follow. It’s like my mother always told me, “If you play with fire you are going to get burned.” Those words are still true today.

The answer to stopping the spread of this numbness and insensitivity lies within our hearts. Only God can change the human heart. But first, put your heart into His hands and yield to Him as clay in the hands of the potter.

Bro. Larry

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and He will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

I read a story of a lady named Mrs. Monroe who lived in Darlington, Maryland. She’s the mother of eight children. As expected, a mother of eight would have many unique experiences. She came home one afternoon from the grocery store and walked into her home and everything looked pretty much the same, though it was a little bit quieter than usual. She looked into the middle of the living room and five of her little darlings were sitting around in a circle, being exceedingly quiet, doing something, with an object in the middle of the circle. So she put down the sacks of groceries, walked over closely and looked, and saw that they were playing with five of the cutest skunks you can imagine.

She was terrified and she said, “Run children, run! But, to her surprise each child grabbed a skunk and ran, in 5 different directions. She was beside herself and screamed louder, more frantically, with greater excitement.  Her screaming scared the children so much that each one squeezed his skunk! As the storyteller said, “Skunks don’t like to be squeezed!” I’m sure the effects of the children’s activity lingered for some time.

Sin, is similar. Sometimes it’s cute and you would like to play around with it. After all, much of the time sin appears harmless. But there comes a time when sin releases it ill effects on you. God is forgiving as stated in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But there is no guarantee that the circumstances of sin will not linger on for some time to follow. It’s like my mother always told me, “If you play with fire you are going to get burned.” Those words are still true today.

Bro. Larry

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

On the front of a T-shirt was a biblical quotation; “Lead us not into temptation”. On the back was a humorous response, “I can find it all by myself”. I’m sure you can relate. It is so easy to find temptation; it’s all around us. We don’t have to search too long or hard to find it. Usually, temptation finds us.

No one is so spiritual that temptation cannot get the best of him or her. It can happen to anyone and we need to take extreme precautions. 1 Corinthians 10:12 says it clearly, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” We can overcome temptation because God is able. He is able to make a way out of it or at least help us to face it and bear it. God’s hand is on the thermostat. Sometimes, we have to ask Him to turn the temperature down by asking God to, “lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” (Luke 11:4).

We must also take our part in the temptations of life and “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). If it looks like smoke and if it smells like smoke, it is smoke and there is fire attached to it. If it appears to be a temptation, stay away from it before you get burned. When we dwell on the temptation there is an almost certainty we will fall into the snare that comes with it.

Bro Larry

“Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people.” Psalm 3:8

I was scanning old devotionals I had written in the past and I came upon one on “Blessings” from March of 2013. I thought what a great devotional to share with an addition toward the end.

When we look for blessings, often we are looking for miraculous bolts of lightning or some great benefit to fall out of the sky upon us. Seldom do we do look at the circumstances around us. We tend not to recognize the sickness we didn’t get, the car wreck we almost had, the job we didn’t lose or the breath we did take.

This week (March of 2013), the Treadway family was blessed by a tragic eevent – of all things, an automobile accident. He blessed us by not allowing our oldest daughter Natalie to die in a horrific accident on I65 outside Elizabethan, Kentucky as her vehicle was wedged between two semis. The EMT’s said they did not know if they would find the driver of her van alive. When she was cut from the vehicle and taken to the trauma center at the University of Louisville Hospital, she had broken bones and a very sore body, but survived.

She was coming to our house to spend the night and then travel on the Murfreesboro for a Tuesday class. We had went to Shelbyville, Kentucky and brought home our 14-month-old grandchild, Michael, to stay with us until Natalie came down on Monday evening. From where the crushed car seat was in the van, it is very likely I would not have had a grandson that survived.

Now, fast forward with me to four years ago this week. I had left a visitation in Springfield traveling toward White House on Hwy 76 at approximately 55 MPH when the car approaching came into my lane at 55+ MPH resulting in a head-on collision. My truck went over the front of his car and air-born for what seemed like an eternity over in the air and on the ground for three turns. I was pinned upside down in my truck with my feet pinned between the floor and the dash which had been smashed against the floor board. The truck was smoking from under the hood and people were attempting to pry open the door to pull me out. I eventually crawled out with no bleeding or even pain. But the result was two broken feet. From the details of what people saw, I should have been dead, but God blessed me with more of this life prior to the next one.

Below are pictures of the Treadway family blessings from 2013 and 2015:

(from WAVE TV – Lousiville, KY)

So often, we get rushed by everyday life and forget to stop and thank God from the times he saved us from doing something stupid or dangerous or careless. Many times, we don’t think about what he saved us from going through or about what he saved us in spite of what we have went through. Don’t take the circumstances of your life for granted – they just may be unseen blessings.

Bro Larry