​By: Gary L. Hutchens

​   None is so blind as he who will not see, and none is so deaf as he who will not hear.  The apostle Paul wrote down the formula for the development of faith: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17).  Either by listening to God’s word being taught, or by personally reading the scriptures, a person has to learn- hear- the teachings of God’s word in order to develop faith in God.

By: Gary L. Hutchens

​   I remember a friend relating a story many years ago about a man who was stopped by a policeman on Thanksgiving day for some kind of traffic violation.  After some discussion the policeman asked the man if he had anything to be thankful for.  The man answered in the affirmative.  The policeman responded that the man had better be thankful that he wasn’t going to give him a traffic ticket.  Being stopped by a policeman is not something that would ordinarily conjure up feelings of thanksgiving in your heart.  But if you were guilty of some traffic violation, you surely would be thankful if the policeman let you go with just a warning.

By: Gary L. Hutchens

​   Jesus stated, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn. 8:32).  The truth of God’s word is key to the development of our personal faith (Rom. 10:17) and, consequently, to our eternal salvation (2 Tim. 2:24-26; 1 Pet. 1:22-23).  It is through the truth taught in scripture that we are guided to salvation and to live a life of faithfulness before God (2 Tim. 3:15-17).  In his work to bring about our spiritual destruction (1 Pet. 5:9), it is imperative that the devil find a means of silencing the truth.  How can the truth be silenced?

By: Gary L. Hutchens

   How many times have you gotten out of bed in the morning, gone into the restroom, looked in the mirror and quickly became upset with what you saw?  How many times have you put on an outfit, maybe a new one, looked in the mirror and again became upset with what was looking back at you?  Did you get angry or depressed?  Understand an important point of truth: whatever it is you don’t like about what you see in that mirror, It’s Not The Mirror’s Fault!

By: Gary L. Hutchens

     Without question, the greatest blessing offered to mankind is eternal salvation.  While there is no way man can earn that blessing, it certainly cost God a great deal to offer it to man.  Sin separated man from God (Isa. 59:2).  The requirement of sin is death (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23).  But since God created man in His own image and gave him dominion over all else He had created on this earth (Gen. 1:26-28), there was no living thing on this earth the death of which could suffice to cover for the guilt of man’s sin (Heb. 10:1).  And man, guilty in his own sin, certainly could never do anything to bring himself forgiveness.  God had to give up the life of His own Son on the cross to redeem man from the guilt of sin (Heb. 9:27-28).  Jesus died on the cross to pay a debt that man could never pay himself and a debt that Jesus certainly did not owe.  That is why He is our Savior!
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By: Gary L. Hutchens

​   “And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward” (Matt. 10:42).  A cup of cold water?  Something that seemingly insignificant can have eternal consequences?  Jesus said it can.  Little things, done in the right way and with the right motive, can have powerful effects.  Let me tell you a story that illustrates this truth.

By: Gary L. Hutchens

   What does the word “Almost” mean?  Almost getting a passing grade on the exam means you got a failing grade!  Almost getting that job you wanted means you did not get that job!  Almost succeeding at some endeavor means you failed at that endeavor!  Almost winning means you lost!  Almost making it across the street without getting hit by that oncoming truck means you got hit by that truck!  Simply put, Almost Won’t Get It!

By: Gary L. Hutchens

​   Most everybody lives by some philosophy of life.  Some people may not think theirs through very carefully, but nonetheless it’s pretty certain they have one.  It is that philosophy that determines an individual’s values, goals and direction in life.  What is important to him, how he lives, even how he thinks is a result of whatever overriding principle he employs to determine what his life is all about.

By: Gary L. Hutchens

​   God wants every one of us to be with Him in Heaven.  He vividly demonstrated that by sending His Son to the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8).  He is giving us time to repent (2 Pet. 3:9) and come to Him through Christ for forgiveness and salvation (Mk. 16:15-16).

By: Gary L. Hutchens

​   Happiness, or its absence, is on the mind of a great many people.  It is the subject of countless articles and books designed to educate people on how to be happy.  It is subjective by nature, largely because it is based upon personal likes and pleasures that are subject to change at most any time.  Ask twenty different people what makes them happy, and you’ll likely get twenty different answers, and those same twenty people may change their answers based upon what day of the week or time of day it is.