The body image of the Church teaches great lessons.  God used that analogy probably because each one of us has a body and we understand the concept so well.  One of the powerful truths about the body is its ability to speak without the mouth saying anything.  It is called body language.

Courage pushes people past their limits to face seemingly insurmountable odds.  Discouragement drowns people in hopelessness so that they cannot even face the smallest of challenges.  Courage elevates; discouragement deflates.  Courage drives people forward.  Discouragement drags people backward.  There is nothing that kills good work done by good workers more swiftly than discouragement.

(This was many years before I was born, for those who thought differently.)  What was going on 75 years ago?  What 75th anniversaries are being celebrated in 2026?  Where were you and what were you doing?  Here are some facts I found about 75th anniversaries and the year 1951.

Submission is difficult for everyone.  Our entire childhood years were devoted to finding our own way and gaining our independence.  It started from the moment we pulled our hands away from mom or dad to strike out on our own walking by ourselves.  That first expression of independence was a sign of our desire to be on our own and not under anyone else.

If you ever wrote a paper in college the night before it was due, raise your hand.  If your school habit was pulling all-nighters before test day, raise your hand.  If you ever put something off telling yourself that you will do it another time and then forgot all about it, raise your hand.  If tomorrow is your favorite project day, you are a procrastinator.

I took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day;
And as my fingers pressed it still,
It moved and yielded at my will.
 
I came again when days were past,
 The form I gave it still it bore.
And as my fingers pressed it still,
I could change that form no more.
 
I took a piece of living clay,
And gently formed it day by day,
And molded with my power and art,
A young child's soft and yielding heart.
 
I came again when days were gone;
It was a man I looked upon,
He still that early impress bore,
And I could change it never more.

In the sports world, is Tom Brady the greatest football player of all time?  Is Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time?  Is it Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus who is the greatest golfer of all time?  Is it Wayne Gretzky in hockey, Babe Ruth in baseball, and Pele in soccer?

“Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.” (Matthew 4:21-22).  Jesus had called Peter and Andrew to be with Him and then He called James and John who were “mending their nets.”

A wife told her husband, “You never say anymore that you love me!”  Her husband’s reply was probably consistent with what many wives experience from their husbands, “I told you at the wedding that I loved you.  If I ever change my mind, I will let you know!”  Real love does not act like that!

We are all well-acquainted with death.  It is all around us and is the result of many different causes.  Death is not picky.  It takes young and old, the seemingly healthy and the sick, males and females, innocent and guilty.

Paul had a special relationship with the Church in Philippi.  It began when he was called in a vision from the Lord.   Luke wrote, “…we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:10).

Here I raise my Ebenezer.
Hither by Thy help I’ve come.
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God.
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood.

Congregations exist because people want to be together in their common faith.  They want to work together toward common goals.  They want to encourage each other in their spiritual walk.  They want to be an influence for good in their community pointing people to God.  They certainly want to teach the gospel and see people obey it.  Every congregation wants (or should want) to accomplish these things.  So, what kind of members do we need to do this?

When I was young, we had all kinds of animals.  I’m quite sure it was because my dad missed the farm where he grew up.  He said it was because he did not want us to miss the experience (at least as much as he could provide).  And provide, he did. 

 “I don’t care!”  Those were my exact words when Rebecca wanted us to look for a couch and she asked what I would like.  I was being honest and I thought I was being supportive and kind.  I learned at the end of the search that I was not being supportive, but she also learned that I did not care!

We start at a very young age teaching our children to say, “I’m sorry.”  We know that they will need to be able to say these words because they are going to fail and need to apologize.  It is a part of being human to fail and a part of being mature to apologize.  Two simple words; one powerful sentiment, that is, it is powerful if the person is honest and sincere.  Otherwise, these are just words on a page or in the air.

Almost a decade ago, I found the following story on the Internet. When I looked for it again today, I found it on several different websites, but none of them seem to know who authored the story. Sunday morning, we will use this story to serve as a platform for a discussion about our relationship with God and with one another in our church family. Think about that relationship as you read the story.

This is the message in Ephesians 5 starting with verse 25.  The Spirit led Paul to use the image of marriage to describe the relationship between Jesus and the Church that He established.  This is a relationship with which we have experience and therefore offers us opportunity to understand the concept better.

Consequence is a deterrent.  Parents believe this is true.  They threaten consequences for disobedience to certain rules because it works.  We know the consequences for breaking the laws of the land.  They serve as deterrents.  Even policemen sitting in their cars along the highways are a deterrent to speeding.

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ…” (Romans 12:5).  “…the church of the firstborn…” (Hebrews 12:23).  “…church of God…” (I Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:13).  And of course, “…the churches of Christ…” (Romans 16:16).  These are all identifiers in Scripture for the group of Christians who were assembling and working together at the time of the writing of the New Testament.  At first, however, they were known simply as “the Way” (Acts 22:4).