Grant County church Of Christ

As the young wife prepared the ham, her new husband noticed that she cut off both ends before placing it in the pan. When he asked her "why?" she replied, "I don't know that's just the way my mother always did it."

Later he asked his mother-in-law why she cut off both ends of the ham before cooking, "I don't know," she replied, "That's just the way my mother always did it."

The next time he saw Grandma he asked her why she cut off both ends of the ham before cooking. "I never had a pan long enough to put the whole ham in so I had to cut off the ends to make it fit!" she replied.

People often do what their parents did without asking why. In religious practices this can especially dangerous. Even sincere, honest, religious folks can be religiously wrong (see Matt.7:21-24).

The noble Bereans in Acts 17:11 "Searched the scriptures daily" to find whether he things they were being taught were in accordance with God's will.

Although few would do so intentionally, parents often teach their children religious practices that cannot be found in the Bible. These practices are unauthorized and are not pleasing to God.

The Bible is very clear as to the dangers of adding to or taking away from the word (Prov.30:5-6; 2Jno.9; Rev.22:18-19).

Christianity is an individual responsibility (Rom.14:12). The sentence one receives in the final judgment will not be based on what his father or mother did, but solely upon how well or how poorly we as individuals kept God's word while we lived on earth (Rev.20:11-15).

In the Bible we have record of thousands of people who left the religion of their ancestors because they wanted to be pleasing to God (Acts 2:41). What about you? Are you willing to do whatever God requires of you to be saved, and to live the Christian life?

April 16, 1962 was my eighth birthday. One month and twelve days later, on May 28 my father passed away at age 36. His passing left my mother widowed at age 35 with four children ranging in age from 6 to 13. In spite of this tragedy my childhood was a relatively happy one.

Many of my fondest memories have to do with the church. Shortly after my father's passing mother had a family meeting with us and in that meeting she set two goals for our family. She stated very plainly, "We are going to stay together and we are going to go to church." Many times after worshipping at our home congregation, we would rush across the county to a gospel meeting at a sister congregation. She would receive such teasing remarks as, "Don't you think those children have had enough church for today?" or "Hazel, you're going to church them children to death!" She would just smile and continue to teach us all she could about Jesus and His church.

I often thank God for the fact that I was blessed with a Christian mother. She didn't "pawn" us off onto relatives. She didn't have a string of "sleep-over" boyfriends. She didn't abandon us for her freedom. She realized her responsibility and with God's help she met those awesome obligations. She was much like the woman in Proverbs 31:27 "She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness."

On Mother's day, May 13, 1990 (17 years ago today) I was preaching in Elgin, Tennessee when a Sheriff's deputy came to the church building and handed me a note. The note said that my mother was in a Life Flight helicopter on her way to the hospital. She was dead by the time I arrived. Upon the arrival of every mother's day since then I have reflected upon the great and powerful influence that a mother can have on a child.

In all of my achievements and major decisions the influence of my mother is always a significant factor. I am sure that I am a faithful child of God today, in part, because of my mother's influence.

Note: I found this little poem in my fifth grade scrap book from Mrs. Risner’s class. Thanks Mrs. Risner wherever you are. (Jerry)

Happy Mother’s Day: To all the young mothers who are still struggling with the little ones; To all the grandmothers who are struggling with the young mothers who are struggling with the little ones and to all the great-grandmothers who grin at the mothers and grandmothers struggling with the little ones and remember “when”!

Ì Joyce Fehrman is slowly recovering from her fall on April 22 and has been moved to the Stallworth Rehabilitation Center in Nashville, TN.

Ì Linda Castle came through her surgery very well on Thursday and was released from the hospital on Friday and is doing very well.

Ì Jerry Carmichael (our fulltime preacher) is in Clay City Kentucky holding a gospel meeting. Please pray for that work and his and Jean’s safe return.

In Jerry’s absence today we are delighted to have the following speakers to bring the message:

June 8-13, 2007 Door-knocking Campaign and Gospel Meeting with David Shannon from Mount Juliet, Tennessee.