In this category, you will find many inspirational stories to be used for your Church Bulletins, Church Newsletters and/or Inspirational E-mails.
One of the more difficult things for someone on a weekly basis is to prepare content for the church bulletin or newsletter.
Usually, it’s a tug-of-war trying to get information from department or ministry leaders concerning the events taking place soon. Plus, the attempt to get an article from the Pastor can be an adventure due to the busy-ness of their schedule.
We want to do our part by adding a new category called “Church Bulletin Articles”. These will be brief and inspirational and may be used within the context of the church communications to the congregation via e-mail, bulletin or newsletter.
Perhaps some of them would even work as Sermon Illustrations! Stop back often as we plan to build the selection in the weeks and months ahead.
In reality, all our letters can be easily modified for that purpose. So, some of the content will be similar to our letters, while most of it will be new stories.
Hattie May Wiatt, a six-year-old girl, lived near Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia, USA. The Sunday school was very crowded. Russell H. Conwell, the minister, told her that one day they would have buildings big enough to allow everyone to attend. She said, ‘I hope you will. It is so crowded I am afraid to go there alone.’ He replied, ‘When we get the money we will construct one large enough to get all the children in.’
Two years later, in 1886, Hattie May died. After the funeral Hattie’s mother gave the minister a little bag they had found under their daughter’s pillow containing 57 cents in change that she had saved up. Alongside it was a note in her handwriting: ‘To help build bigger so that more children can go to Sunday school.’
If you are a parent, you know the joy that comes when a child needs our help. They run into our arms with a problem or with tears because of an injury. We long and love to help them. But when we need comfort, do we always go to our heavenly Father? Or do we seek other means of consolation?
Psalm 68:5 says, He is “a father to the fatherless.” 1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” He has not only identified Himself as our Father, but He tells us how He acts as our Father.
World famous Billy Graham, inspiration for millions, started out with very humble beginnings. He loved playing ball. He grew up on a dairy farm. He loved his mom and would try to please her with small gifts like hand picked flowers. He became a fuller brush salesman, trying to persuade people to take the brushes in his case, as he would one day persuade people to take the gospel. As a young man, he gave his life to Christ at a revival and announced to his mother, “Oh, mother, I've been saved tonight.” After that his life was transformed with Billy showing behavior changes and a zeal for God.
Our current culture is not grounded in a social structure of forgiveness. It seems as though the Biblical truth of mankind's sin and its remedy of forgiveness by the Creator is not on many people's radar. For example, if someone in the political arena is discovered to have said something offensive recently or in years past, they are pounced upon and condemned as a bad person. The “cancel culture”, on the left and right, stand ready at the guillotine with a cry of “Off with their heads!” Slips of the tongue, unintended snubs, as well as truly inappropriate comments are all thrown together into the bubbling cauldron of offenses. Even if the guilty party apologizes, it's not enough.
What does it look like to trust God in faith during a tough time? We all know that we have a spiritual enemy. When the enemy comes against us, is God really our Deliverer?
In Isaiah 36 and 37, King Hezekiah was tested when Sennacherib, King of Assyria, came against Judah. King Hezekiah's first move was to take the letter from the King of Assyria and “spread it out” before the Lord. He didn't go to the armory and count all of his weapons of war, he spread out the problem before the Lord.
