Newkirk Church of Christ

Scott’s Thoughts

March 15, 2026

 

“For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7, ESV)

We have a piece of artwork sitting on our fireplace that conveys the concept that no person can reach their potential without help. There have been very few who could really call themselves a self-made man. When we look at history, it is filled with people who have created the first of something but faded into history because they wanted to do it themselves. On the other hand, there are a number of inventors who developed a new product but realized they needed help. They needed someone who could arrange the start-up capital or arrange for raw materials at a fair price, and the list goes on.

My Father-in-law was a brilliant man. He was not all that impressive to look at and he was extremely hard of hearing. His hearing worsened as he got older, so holding a conversation with him became difficult. His brilliance came from being able to see in his mind something that did not exist and then he built that piece of equipment. He designed a lawn mower sharpener that once it was adjusted to the mower you could sharpen the blades on your lawnmower in about thirty seconds. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? The U.S. Patent office issued him two patents, one for riding mowers and one for the push mowers.

My wife and her two sisters would have been the only heirs so some might ask the question why isn’t my wife extremely rich today? The answer is simple. He thought he could do it all himself. In his lifetime, he had several offers to produce the sharpeners that would have paid him a royalty for every one they sold. His answer was no. “You hire me to be the production manager and any and all improvements must be okayed by me. No compromise.” He didn’t think he needed help with this.

Jesus was the greatest man that has ever lived and knew He needed help. When He came of age and started His ministry, He selected twelve men to share His life and help him, and to learn his method of teaching. He selected those men to be apostles, men who would look, listen, and learn, so they could take over when Jesus was gone. Notice that those men never improved on Jesus’ method, but they employed His method with great success. We need to do the same.

The truth is none of us will live from birth to death without help. No matter how much of a self-starter we are, we will need help along the way. As in the rest of life, we all need help with our spiritual life. If we think we have made our own private deal with God, then we are traveling on the wrong road.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV)

Thanks for listening and keep on shining

—Scott

2020 Mission Trip to Kramatorsk, Ukraine

Day 1 & 2 | 10/12/20 | 10/13/20 | 10/14/20 10/16/20 | 10/17/20 | 10/18/20 | 10/18/20 10/19/20 | 10/20/20| 10/21/20 | 10/23/20  | 10/25/20 | Summary Report

 

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Time to Grow Up!

The Oxford English Dictionary describes the word grow as: “become larger or greater over a period of time.” As Christians, we need to become “larger” and
“greater” in maturity, service, and influence as time goes by. Please seriously consider these Scriptures that mention growing, increasing, and even abounding:

We are to grow in knowledge (Col. 1:10; 2 Pet. 3:18). * We are to grow in faith (2 Thess. 1:3).

We are to grow in hope (Rom. 15:13).

We are to grow in love (Phil. 1:9; 1 Thess. 3:12).

We are to grow in our daily walk with God (1 Thess. 4:1). * We are to grow in giving (2 Cor. 8:7).

We are to grow in good works (1 Cor. 15:58).

We are to grow in bearing fruit (John 15:2-8).

Christians, God expects us to go and grow! We all need to grow up (i.e. growing closer and closer to heaven’s ideals).

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble” (2 Pet. 1:5-10).

—Edd Sterchi
Broadway church of Christ
Campbellsville, KY