​

1. Smile and Laugh More:  Science has found that smiling can change our mood, the mood of others, and even relieve stress.  Sometimes Christians look like some of the most unhappy people around, but remember God has filled our hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17). He has given us a reason to rejoice because our reward in Heaven is great (Mat. 5:12).  “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (Prov. 17:22). 
2. Get up earlier:  Waking up earlier and refreshed can help us get a jump start on the day, instead of laying around sluggishly in the bed all morning.  This was the practice of many biblical peoples including:  Abraham (Gen. 19:27; 21:14; 22:3), Jacob (Gen. 28:18), Moses (Exod. 24:4; 34:4), and even Jesus and the disciples taught early in the morning (John 8:2; Acts 5:21).  This is all a part of redeeming the time we have and making the most of our lives on the earth (Eph. 5:16).
3.  Try something new:  We only get to live on earth once.  Why not take advantage of the blessings of God’s creation and regularly try something new.  God’s mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22,23).  He has given us all things to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17).  If you are not a Christian, you could try a new life (Eph. 4:24). 
4. Take time for yourself:  Amidst all the stressful situations we find ourselves throughout the week, sometimes we just need a moment for us.  Jesus and the disciples felt the same way after helping so many people without rest or food.  That is why they departed to a desert place (Mark 6:31).  Spending time in prayer and meditating on God’s Word is the most valuable time we have (Luke 6:12; Psa. 119:15).
5. Exercise Daily:  The benefits of daily bodily exercise are numerous for good health.  Yet, even more important is exercising godly behavior in our lives from day to day.  “But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.  For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Tim. 4:7,8). 

~Derrick Coble
 

​A common thought is that all you need to do in order to go to heaven is be a “good” person.  But, who defines what “good” is and how do we know if we are “good” enough?  Everyone has a different idea on what “good” really means.  The dictionary defines it as: virtuous, right, and commendable, which could still be somewhat subjective to some people (m-w.com).  The general idea is that a person can “live for God” in their own way and go to heaven without being part of the church, without worshipping, and without full obedience to God’s Word.  The problem is this has never worked in the past and it will not work today.
Paul thought he was doing “good” for God but was not - (Acts 26:9)  I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  Paul was exceedingly zealous in following the traditions of the Jews which seemed to be a really good thing (Gal. 1:14). However, when he learned that he was persecuting the Lord when he should have been following Him, he realized what he was doing was not good and he changed his life (Acts 9:1-18).
Cornelius was a good person, but he was still not saved - (Acts 10:22)  And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.  Cornelius had to hear and obey the words of salvation in order to go to heaven (Acts 11:14).  Even though he was clearly a good person in the sight of God, he still had to obey the Gospel to receive “repentance unto life” (Acts 10:48; 11:18).
Philemon was a Christian man who did many good things, but he still had to obey in other areas - (Phm 1:6)  That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.  Paul admonished Philemon to act on his goodness and receive his runaway slave and newfound Christian brother, Onesimus, back in good favor (Phm. 16-21).  Forgiving as God forgives is required to be “good” for every child of God (Eph. 4:32).
God wants us to avoid evil and truly do good (1 Pet. 3:11) and wants us to go to heaven (1 Tim. 2:4).  Going to heaven requires more than doing good.  It requires fully submitting ourselves to God (James 4:7) and doing “every good work to do his will” (Heb. 13:21). God requires us to obey Him even when some things don’t seem to make sense to us.  His thoughts are higher and He is greater than we are (Isa. 55:8,9).  In the end, the lord will only save those who have been “good” and “faithful” (Mat. 25:23).  Yes, we have to be good (useful and beneficial to the Lord), but also faithful (trustworthy and reliable) in following all of His commands (Rev. 22:14).
~Derrick Coble
 

​It doesn’t matter how long a couple has been married, there should always be a desire in seeking to improve our relationship.  It is easy to take each other for granted or for marriage to simply become “routine.”  Christian men must remember the value of the woman whose price is far above rubies (Pro. 31:10), the woman who guides the house (1 Tim. 5:14), and the woman whom we love as our own bodies (Eph. 5:28).  In the same way, Christian women must reverence and love their husbands (Eph. 5:33; Titus 2:4) and be pure and willfully submissive to the leadership of the husband (Titus 2:5).  God’s plan for marriage will be successful when we follow it faithfully.   
Don’t turn each other away from the Lord.  God has always wanted purity in our relationships with Him and with each other.  That is why He did not want His people plagued by the heathen nations through intermarriage (Deu. 7:3,4).  Yet, Solomon learned this the hard way.  He loved many "strange women" who turned away his heart from the Lord (1 Kings 11:1-11).  Like Priscilla and Aquila we can be helpers together in Christ (Rom. 16:3).
Love each other second.  First place in our lives should be the Lord Himself (Mat. 22:37).  That means we love our spouses less than the Lord (Luke 14:26).  We can then continually encourage each other to seek the Kingdom of God first (Mat. 6:33).    
Understand the sacred relationship of marriage.  Marriage originated with God when He joined Adam and Eve making them "one flesh" that was never meant to be broken (Gen. 2:24; Mat. 19:6).  Husbands and wives must remember that "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge" (Heb. 13:4).  So, the "lock" is always kept in "wedlock" (1 Cor. 7:2). 
Conduct yourselves in a respectful way.  Peter wrote, "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct" (1 Pet. 3:1,2, ESV).  A Christian wife will not be "showy" in her appearance or attitude, but she will always adorn a meek and quiet spirit like faithful Sara (1 Pet. 3:4-6). "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised" (Pro. 31:30).  Likewise, a Christian husband will show himself to be a pattern in good works (Titus 2:7) and not bitter against his wife (Col. 3:19). He is self-controlled and willing to dwell with his wife in a loving and understanding way (Titus 2:6; 1 Pet. 3:7).
Look forward to an eternity in Heaven.  Although in the spiritual realm we will neither marry nor be given in marriage (Mat. 22:30), we will still know the one whom we called "our beloved" (Son. 1:16; 1 The. 2:19) on earth.  Every husband and wife should be thankful that we can walk in the light together here (1 John 1:7) and live in the light for all eternity (Rev. 21:23).    
~Derrick Coble
 

​As Halloween approaches, some Christians struggle with the thought of participating in a holiday with pagan origins.  Halloween can be connected back to the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland who believed that the souls of the dead would come back and visit their homes.  It was then that people would sometimes wear disguises so the spirits would not recognize them (Britannica.com).  Throughout the centuries, as with other holidays with pagan roots, the concept has completely changed.  Christmas began as the celebration of the sun god, Easter was associated with the goddess Ostera as a symbol of fertility and rebirth, and even New Year’s Day was associated with a Roman god to represent new beginnings (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church).  Even so, most Christians do not have a problem celebrating any of these holidays because the purpose has changed.  Halloween is simply a day of dressing up for fun and getting candy, Christmas is a festive time of gift-giving and family, Easter often includes decorating and hunting eggs, and New Year’s Day is a time of celebration remembering the past year and looking forward to the new.
It is really all about our mindset and intent.  If the intent in celebrating Halloween is to glorify evil or evil spirits, then that would definitely be wrong (Isa. 5:20).  If the intent of celebrating other holidays with pagan roots is to honor false gods, that would be wrong (Isa. 44:6; Mat. 4:10). If our mindset and intent in celebrating any holiday goes against the Scriptures at all, where we have no authority, that would clearly be wrong (Col. 3:17; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 John 9).
Even with this knowledge, some may still have reservations about celebrating Halloween (or other holidays) in good conscience and that’s understandable. The apostle Paul used the example of eating meat offered to an idol.  It did not matter if a Christian ate the meat or did not eat the meat, but what mattered was their mindset behind eating the meat.  If the meat was eaten with the intent of honoring an idol that was wrong (1 Cor. 8:7).  Therefore, first century Christians who ate the meat in good conscience were encouraged not to pressure others to eat the meat when it would violate their conscience (1 Cor. 8:12). In the same way, no one should be forced to observe any holiday if it would cause them to violate their conscience and sin (1 Cor. 8:7-12).  Each person must make that decision for himself (Rom. 14:5).  With patience and understanding all Christians can get along with or without observing holidays simply as a matter of culture (Rom. 14:3).  Whatever we do, God’s Word must always be respected and honored. 
~Derrick Coble

All Christians have submitted themselves to Christ with the commitment to follow His example and seek those things that are heavenly and not worldly (1 Pet. 2:21; Col. 3:1,2).  That means when a question arises as to how a Christian should behave or what choice one should make in a difficult situation, all must be guided by Jesus and His Word and not what is acceptable in the world.  The requirement is to come out from among the world and be separate (2 Cor. 6:17).  In other words, if you examine the life of a Christian and a sinner side by side and you don’t see any difference between their choices, influence, speech, dress, etc, then there is a glaring problem because whoever “wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).  This is the situation when it comes to moderate drinking.
Most Christians have no problem with the fact that God condemns drunkenness (1 Cor. 6:10,11; Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21); however, there are some who believe that God approves simply drinking a beer or a glass of wine and “not getting drunk.”  The current legal limit in the U.S. for a DUI conviction is .08% blood alcohol concentration. This is the equivalent of 2 drinks (2 cans of beer or two 5 oz. glasses of wine). What is interesting is that according to an Alcohol Impairment Chart (penndot.pa.gov), the government recognizes that alcohol is a problem even after having 1 drink (.04% BAC).  The chart records that by simply drinking moderately, “impairment begins.” Impairment is defined as “loss of function or ability” (m-w.com). This is actually what the apostle Paul said too when he gave the command: “be not drunk with wine” (Eph. 5:18).  The term, “drunk” indicates the process of “being filled with” alcohol in the sense of becoming stupefied or excited by it.  According to the American Medical Association, “Alcohol use—and misuse—is common in society and can carry health risks” (ama-assn.org).
It is amazing that even those in the world recognize that alcohol as a beverage (even in a moderate form) is not a good thing.  That is why there are laws and limitations put into place so that people will not harm themselves or others because their mental faculties have been diminished by it. Christians must separate themselves from alcohol. God wants us to be sober-minded “keeping our head about us” (1 Pet. 4:7), to exhibit self-control (1 The. 5:6), to abstain from those things that are known to be evil (1 The. 5:22), and be a positive influence on others by letting our light shine leading them to glorify the Father (Mat. 5:16).  None of these principles can be accomplished by drinking alcohol as a beverage in any way.
~Derrick Coble

It is a fact that every person will be in eternity someday.  For the majority, it will happen through death (Heb. 9:27).  Yet, for some it will happen in the presence of the Lord at the last day, when the living will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:51,52).  For those who have prepared themselves in obedience to the Gospel, eternity brings the joys of Heaven in the very presence of God (Rev. 21:1-4).  On the other hand, for those who are not prepared, eternity brings unending sorrow in the fires of Hell (Rev. 14:11; Mat. 25:41).  Knowing that the spiritual side of man is immortal brings many questions concerning the nature of the soul beyond this life.  One of these questions deals with the knowledge that we will possess in that eternal realm.  The Scriptures reveal at least three things that we will know in eternity.
We will know what happened on the earth.  Many take comfort in their faithful loved ones looking down upon them and watching them from Heaven.  However, the Bible indicates that in eternity knowledge of the present time on the earth is no more (Ecc. 9:5,6).  That being said, it is clear that souls in eternity do remember what happened while they were living on the earth.  The rich man in Torments was told to “remember” the good things that happened in his lifetime (Luke 16:25).  Also, Jesus pictured the Judgment Day with many pointing out the good works they did while they were on earth (Mat. 7:22).
We will know where we are and why.  Would it not be strange for you to be in a world of Paradise and not know how you got there or why you were there?  In the same line of reasoning, would you not be shocked to find yourself in horrible pain not understanding why you were suffering?  The rich man who was tormented in the flame knew the pain associated with torment and his failure to repent in this life (Luke 16:24; 30).  Furthermore, when John saw the faithful souls in Heaven under the altar slain for the Word of God, they knew why they were there and were rewarded for their faithfulness (Rev. 6:9-11). 
We will know each other.  There is no comfort in being in a place filled with strangers.  So, even though we will have a spiritual body, God will make sure that we know one another.  The Thessalonians were concerned about their loved ones who had died, but Paul indicated they would be reunited with them and they could “comfort one another with these words” (1 The. 4:18).  David looked forward to being reunited with his baby (2 Sam. 12:23) and Paul longed to rejoice with the Corinthian brethren (2 Cor. 1:14).  There is always joy in being reunited.  This joy will be experienced by all the faithful in eternity.
So, are you ready for eternity?  God has a plan for all to obey now (2 Cor. 6:2).  If we neglect Him here, think of how tragic it will be for all eternity knowing and remembering how we denied Him (2 Tim. 2:11,12).  
​~Derrick Coble

​We all want to be better people!  We want to have better thoughts, attitudes, actions, and a better outlook on life.  Many times, Christians will say, “I want to be a better Christian.”  Even though we have this desire, we don’t always know how to accomplish this. Or, maybe we do know how to accomplish it, but we don’t put forth enough effort.  Here are six ways to be better:
1.  Make a Change:  Maybe you are stuck in a rut in your life, developed some bad habits, or see things in a totally negative way, it is time to make a change.  Commit yourself to truly recognize those areas to change and do whatever is necessary to be better (Rom. 12:2).
2. Practice Humility: Humility doesn’t come naturally, so we must take time to practice it.  Humbly serving others will take our minds away from selfish attitudes and what we desire, bringing a greater blessing of peace (Phi. 2:5-8).
3. Resist the Devil:  Temptations are all around us and the Devil wants us to believe that if we follow through with our lusts our lives will be better.  In reality, life will be miserable (James 4:7).
4.  Show Interest in Spiritual things:  Are you worshipping regularly with the church?  Are you adding faith, patience, godliness into your life (2 Pet. 1:5-8)? Is your priority in putting God and the church first in your life (Mat. 6:33)?
5. Be Sincere:  Sincerity involves honesty, purity, and genuineness.  Letting these thoughts rule our lives will build a good reputation and make us better (Phi. 4:8,9).
6. Be Thoughtful: Meditating on God’s Word is one way to be thoughtful (1 Tim. 4:15) but also anticipating the needs of others in thoughtfulness will prove to make life better (Phi. 2:3,4).
When you take into all of these traits together, you will notice life is better because you are following the traits of Christ Himself: C (change), H (humility), R (resist), I (interest), S (sincere), and T (thoughtful).  He brought us a better covenant with better promises (Heb. 8:6) and as we follow Him, life is truly better!
Derrick Coble

​We live in a world that is governed by laws.  When a law is broken, there will be consequences for breaking the law, whether it is a fine to be paid, service to perform, jail time, or even death.  In a very similar way, God has always had laws for those He created.  When His law is broken, there are consequences that follow.  For instance, when the angels chose to sin (breaking God’s heavenly law) they were cast down to Torments (2 Pet. 2:4).  When Adam and Eve chose to break God’s law in the garden, they brought death into the world and were driven out of the garden and away from the tree of life (Gen. 3:6,24).  Furthermore, when Nadab and Abihu broke God’s law in worship, they were punished with immediate death (Lev. 10:1,2).  All the wicked kings of Israel and even Judah who forgot God’s law came to ruin and even made God’s people to suffer the consequences of sin (1 Kings 16:19-31; 2 Chr. 28:2; 33:2-22).  Then, when Jesus came, He brought a new law (Heb. 7:12; 8:7-13).  As with all laws, the Law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) has consequences when it is broken—spiritual death (1 John 3:4; Rom. 6:23).
With this in mind, the church of Christ is sometimes called, “legalistic.” The idea is that there is too much of an emphasis on keeping God’s law rather than grace and love.  Some would say the church should focus more on “getting along” with other religions than emphasizing the importance of keeping God’s Law in worship, fellowship, and personal life.  But, how can anyone expect to receive God’s blessings without being loyal to His commands? It is clear that God only blesses His people when they are obedient (Deu. 28:2; Rev. 22:14).  It is also clear that the New Testament is a law (Rom. 8:2; Gal. 6:2; James 1:25).  Therefore, when a person obeys the commands of the New Testament Law, that is when he will be blessed.  If not, the eternal consequences of punishment will follow (John 12:48; Luke 12:43-48).
In the end, legalism is not looking to the Scriptures for authority and using the New Testament for doctrine and practice—that is simply “holding fast the faithful word” as God desires (Titus 1:9).  However, if a person is making laws for God and acting as a modern day “Pharisee” then a true legalistic mindset has taken over (Mat. 23:23).  A righteous person will see that God has a law to follow, under His grace, and carefully follow after Him in loving obedience (John 1:17; 14:15; Mat. 5:20; Rom. 6:14). 
~Derrick Coble

If you haven’t noticed by now, with the emphasis on Jesus’ name for Vacation Bible School, the name of Jesus is the most important name of all.  Isaiah foretold that a virgin would bear a son whose name would be “Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14) and this was fulfilled in Mary giving birth to Jesus (Mat. 1:21-23). Jesus came to save people from their sins and His name would prove to be powerful:

• We have life through his name (John 20:31)
• We are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38)
• We preach the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12)
• We can speak boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 9:29)
• We put our lives on the line for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 15:26)
• We give our thanks to God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:20)
• We will all bow at the name of Jesus one day (Phi. 2:10)
• We must do everything in religion by the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17)
• We glorify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 The. 1:12)

No wonder Jesus should be the center of our lives!  His name is “far above . . .every name that is named” (Eph. 1:21) as “God as highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Phi. 2:9). Jesus is our Savior and the only way to the Father (John 14:6).  Let us hold up His great name as we follow Him alone throughout life and into eternity! “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). 
​~Derrick Coble

​When a person has an open mind he is willing to consider new ideas.  He tries to eliminate prejudice or pre-conceived thoughts about something and honestly tries to evaluate the new concept in all fairness.  In other words, when a person with an open mind hears something new, his first answer is not, “No” and his first thought is not negative or suspicious of evil.  The open-minded person seeks to learn more about what is new with interest and challenges himself to give full consideration to the new idea before making a decision.  In the Lord’s church today it is sometimes difficult for members to truly have an open mind.  This challenge comes from those who say, “This is the way we have always done it” or, “I have never seen it done like that before.”  It comes from long standing traditions on optional matters that members may often believe are not optional but, “the way it should be.”  It is needful for each Christian to remember that there are God-given “traditions” that must be kept (2 The. 2:15); yet, there are other traditions such as: using song books, meeting twice on Sunday, or ending each service with a prayer that are not to be Scripturally bound.  From God’s vantage point, being open-minded is a good thing.  In fact, the Bereans were praised for this character trait: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).  According to Strong’s the term, “noble” literally means, “well-born.”  It was used by Greeks to refer to those of noble birth; yet, was also applied to those who are of noble character and open to evidence. Luke recorded a contrast between the Jews in Thessalonica and those in Berea.  Among those in Thessalonica, only “some of them believed” (Acts 17:4); however, in Berea “many of them believed” (Acts 17:5).  What was the reason for the difference?  Those in Berea were “more noble” or, it could be said, more “open-minded” to the Truth.  The result of this good character trait was that they received the word with eagerness and examined what he said with the Scriptures—not with their pre-conceived beliefs.  Let us all truly resolve to be like the noble minded Bereans investigating and using God’s Word as the only religious guide and authority (Col. 3:17; Titus 2:15).  ~Derrick Coble