You can learn a lot from a stick of gum. Ooops, I already did that one. Well, life is a lot like bubble gum. Hey, that one is a repeat, too. How about an old chewed up piece of used gum stuck under a pew? I reckon we already had a bulletin about that.

What's up with gum, anyway? I mean, I have written probably four bulletins about it already, can't I find something new to babble on about? Well, sometimes we as Christians think that about our preacher and his lessons. We hear a lesson about faith only, and why it is silly, and we understand. Then later we hear a lesson about baptism, and there again faith only is mentioned, Or Kieran talks about those who would pervert the message, and it pops up. Over and over we hear about it.

When God instructs us to preach the word, he doesn't say to preach a different word every time. There is one faith, one teaching, just as there is one God and one Christ Often it is referred to as the word, which sounds pretty singular to me. Maybe when we think Kieran is overdoing it a little we should consider few things further.

One, the audience changes. Sure, you heard this lesson once before, maybe even years ago. So what? You don't think you've grown, personaJly and in the faith, to where this reinforcement will strike a new understanding in you? Don't you consider that perhaps this is new to some of the rest of the audience? How about Kieran himself, do you ever stop to think that perhaps he has gained greater experience and growth in himself, that he may present it in a more perfect way?

Two, the context changes. Ok, so a particular thing gets mentioned in various lessons. So what? Maybe you should focus more on what the message is that is going aJong with it. Considering the idea of "faith only" from the perspective of throwing out the bible (remember when Kieran literally tore pages from an old bible to demonstrate the attitude of those who refuse parts of what God has to say?) or from the perspective of teaching baptism (shouldn't he mention both sides of the argument?) is a very different thing.

Three, the message is good! Some of us here like sports. When the Pattiots won the championshipgame, we may have watched part of the game and then heard the end on the radio. Ok, so when the news channels showed the highlights over and over and over, did you just snap the tv off or change the channel, grumbling that you had "already seen this" and that it was old news? Please, don't kid yourself. You watched it intently every single time. People love good news. (And the last time I checked the definition of the word gospel.. !)

While you consider those thoughts, and for your sake, let me point out that I am not going to talk about a stick of gum today. I am going to talk about a whole pack of gum! <grin!> My story takes place long ago, when my dad was a young man and had a neighbor who was living on welfare and food stamps. This neighbor loved his a1cohol but was unable to buy it because of his financial state. Food stamps are only good for food, not booze. But he had thought of a way around it. He gave a $10 food stamp to his little 6 year old daughter, and told her to go to the store, to buy a pack of gum for herself. See, the store would give at least part of the change back in real money, which he could then use to buy his rotgut. And surely they would not balk at selling the pack of gum to a cute, innocent girl. They would not even associate her with purchases he had in mind.

Yes, he had it all figured out. There's a whole lesson there on how those with evil intent (ab)use the innocent for their gain, especially when they hope to deceive. But the store clerk was one notch smarter. Knowing the girl when she came in, and knowing her father, he generously gave the girl the pack of gum for free. Oh, the father was furious and went so far as to go down to the store to complain about it, but the store manager politely held his ground.

Imagine that. Generosity thwarted an evil intent. For who's sake? Because the clerk wanted the father to come and yell at him? Because the clerk wanted to look a hero in a girl's eyes? Or because being generous was the right thing to do, for everyone involved? Think about it!



Randy