Dale Ridge church of Christ » Michael Carter

Does God Care About the Little Things I Do?

Michael — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:00:18 +0000

Many of us have heard the cliché, “Little things mean a lot,” but do we really believe that? Do we truly realize how important little things that we do can be?

In Proverbs 30:24-28, King Solomon mentions four creatures (i.e. ant, coney, locust, and spider) that we view as being small and insignificant; yet, in God’s sight, they are considered exceedingly wise. The Bible speaks of a town just a few miles south of Jerusalem known as “the house of bread” or Bethlehem that was among the smallest and most insignificant towns in Israel but from it was born the…

The Power of Our Influence

Michael — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:00:11 +0000

As I was sitting drinking my coffee this morning, I realized just how warm the cup was. It had taken on the temperature of the coffee which it had contained. Once I had finished my coffee, I sat my cup down as I always do, and in a few minutes, I went to pick it back up to deliver it to the kitchen sink. Imagine my surprise when I found that the cup was still almost as warm as it had been when the coffee was still within it.

This example illustrates for us how our influence on…

Things to Remember

Michael — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:25:25 +0000

Remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32)
Remember the word and things Jesus has said (John 15:20; John 16:14)
Remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)
Remember the poor (Galatians 2:10)
Remember that Jesus was raised from the dead (2 Timothy 2:8)
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God (Hebrews 13:7)
Remember the words of the Apostles concerning our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:17)
Remember that Jesus will return (Revelation 3:3)

Every Member is Important

Michael — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:00:56 +0000

Can you imagine a human body that did not have a heart? A brain? A head? Eyes? We would definitely say that such a body would be incomplete and would be in need of that missing part.

Paul illustrated this point in I Corinthians 12 when comparing the human body to our Lord’s body, the church. He stressed how just as every member of the body is necessary for…

Unity in Regard to God’s Word

Michael — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:00:17 +0000

Few would probably argue against the fact that the country in which we live is divided in regard to political and moral stances. One can scarcely turn on the news without seeing this to be the present state of our nation. However, along these lines, let us more importantly ask the question: how does our Lord’s kingdom, the church, stand regarding its stance on the fulfillment of God’s will? Are we in the church united in our desire to serve God and obey Him? Let us consider the following scriptures as to Jesus’ will for His followers as well…

What Makes You Happy?

Michael — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:22:35 +0000

If we were to ask a random group of people the question “What makes you happy?” we would have an assortment of answers. Some might say their families make them happy; some their careers, some their money; some their favorite hobbies or activities; but how many would answer that “God makes me happy?” In contemplating this question, let’s take a look at what the Scriptures say that should make us happy.

In Psalm 127:5, we are told that children are a reason for happiness to a man. Children indeed bring joy and happiness into our lives, and we can

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How To Be Optimistic In A Pessimistic World

Michael — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:00:01 +0000

Focus on positive things (Philippians 4:8).
Know that Christ will give us rest if we come unto him (Matthew 11:28-30).
Remember that you are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27).
Be mindful that God loved us enough to give His Son to save the world (John 3:16-17).
Remember that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and He will return to take us to be with Him forever (John 14:1-3).

The Religion of Secular Humanism

Michael — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 11:00:24 +0000

Secular Humanism is the belief that man is his own god. Protagoras summed up this system of belief about four centuries before the time of Christ which he stated that “Man is the measure of all things.” It is a belief system that incorporates many other philosophies of life including Naturalism, Materialism, Hedonism, Atheism, Globalism, Socialism and Feminism just to name a few.

Though it presently and purposefully does not claim to be a religion, it must be recognized that it is a religion (the framers of Humanist Manifesto 1 (1933) in fact referred to it as “religious…

An Angel of Light

Michael — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:00:39 +0000

Many people in the world view our adversary, the devil, as a red creature with a pointed tail and a pitchfork in his hand who occasionally sits on someone’s shoulder trying to convince him or her to do something that is wrong. However, how does this depiction of the wicked one match up with what Scripture tells us about him?

We first read of Satan as the Serpent in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3). The serpent is described as being “more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God…

Jesus’ Crown of Thorns

Michael — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 11:00:23 +0000

It is amazing sometimes how something small can bring to mind a monumental event. As Ruth and I were working in the backyard today, Ruth pricked her finger on some thorns that I had cut off some of the brush in our yard. She was wearing gloves, but even through the gloves, she could feel the painful pricks that the thorns inflicted. I could not help but think of how Christ was forced to wear a crown of thorns when he was being tormented by the Roman soldiers as He was awaiting His crucifixion.

In Matthew 27:29-37 and…