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Digger Doug’s Underground Rocks by Apologetics PressDigger Doug’s Underground Rocks by Apologetics Press Songs written and performed by Caleb Colley. Digger Doug’s Underground Rocks is not for worship/devotional use. Join Digger Doug and Iguana Don for a rockin’ treat! Digger Doug’s Underground Rocks, a new music CD from Apologetics Press, is a collection of fun songs about science for kids. Twelve original songs...

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Headed to the Office by Glenn ColleyHeaded to the Office by Glenn Colley Spend just thirteen weeks investing in future elders in the body of Christ. This study, great for guys classes or individual study, is designed to make our young men want to be church leaders and to give them practical tools to develop the characteristics of elders listed in Titus 1 and I Timothy 3. Rich in scripture, sound...

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Pure on Purpose by Cindy and Hannah ColleyPure on Purpose by Cindy and Hannah Colley Designed for girls ages 11 and over, their moms and mentors, this series, together with its study guide makes 13 very practical lessons for girls who want to do life God’s way. Topics range from purity of thought to guarding sexual purity. It’s the lessons we’ve prayed about and worked toward for several years. Recommended...

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Amazing Migrating Animals, Designed by God by Caleb ColleyAmazing Migrating Animals, Designed by God by Caleb... For ages 7-9 Parents and Grandparents, get ahead of the game! Your kids can know the answers before their faith in God is challenged. This selection from Apologetics Press' "Advanced Readers" series explains how animal migration demonstrates God's design in nature. The 32-page book includes vivid images, fun descriptions...

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Picking Melons and Mates by Cindy ColleyPicking Melons and Mates by Cindy Colley Here it is! The children's book that's for toddlers and teens about choosing wisely. It's especially about using godly wisdom when it's time to choose a mate for life. The best thing about this book is that it has a three-week Family Bible Time Guide in the back that any parent can easily follow. The first in a Family Bible...

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The Colley House Rss

Was 2011 A Good Year For You?

Posted by Ben Giselbach | Posted on 29-12-2011

Category : Bless Your Heart

Tags: , , , , , ,

The end of the year is often a time when people perform evaluations of various sorts. It is a time when businesses conduct inventory on their year-end assets and capital; a time when households examine their finances and calculate their taxes. The end of the year is also when people are most likely to look at themselves in the mirror and decide whether they should go on a diet.

How did 2011 work for you? Did you gain or lose any weight? Did you make money or go into debt? Did it prove to be a good or bad year for you?

Questions like these are important to consider. But more importantly, how did you perform spiritually? If you managed to achieve peak physical fitness, earned a large promotion at work, or doubled your monetary investments — yet lived in a spiritually lost state — what did you gain?

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Matt. 16:26, ESV)

The need for a spiritual self-evaluation trumps everything else that we should examine during the end of the year. After all, physical well being and wealth don’t even compare to the importance of the human soul.

As 2011 comes to a close, ask yourself these questions:

1. If I were to die right now, would I go to heaven or hell?

Ultimately, you’ll go to one of those places. There’s no ‘in-between’ destination. On the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the crowd asked Peter, “What shall we do?” Peter responded, “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (2:38). Have you done this? If not, you need to right now! If you have been baptized, are you living faithfully to Christ, or have you returned to your former sinful state? Salvation is forfeited if you continue living in sin (Heb. 10:26-27; Rom. 6:1), even if you have been baptized into Christ.

2. Did I grow in my faith this past year?

Christians are commanded to grow in their faith (Eph. 4:14-15; 2 Pet. 3:18). To grow, you need to have a desire to grow (1 Pet. 2:2) and a commitment to studying God’s Word (Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 2:15). The Christian must at all times exhibit the ‘fruits of the spirit’ (Gal. 5:22-25) and wear the full ‘armor of God’ (Eph. 6:10-20).

3. Did my lifestyle conform to my purpose this past year?

Paul counted everything that didn’t help him in his Christian walk as “rubbish” (Phil. 3:8). Is there something in your life that is prohibiting you from reaching your full potential as a child of God? Are you making evangelism a priority in your life (Matt. 16:15) and pursuing your salvation with honesty and sincerity (Phil. 2:12)? We must have the mindset of fulfilling our purpose and getting to heaven “by any means possible” (Phil. 3:11).

4. What can I do to make 2012 a better year?

Even if you gain 30 pounds, or your house burns down, or you lose all of your investments, 2012 will still be a good year if your life is right with God. Here are some things that will make the next year even better than the last:

  • Resolve to attend every one of your church’s services.
  • Invite more people to church.
  • Study your Bible every day.
  • Study your Bible with your family every day.
  • Place more trust in God.
  • Pray more often.
  • Give more of your time, energy, and money to the Lord’s service.
  • Tell more people about your faith.

I hope 2011 was a good year for you. But more importantly, I hope 2012 is even better!

Go to Church? On Christmas?

Posted by Ben Giselbach | Posted on 08-12-2011

Category : Uncategorized

Tags: , , , ,

Every seven years, Christmas and New Years Day fall on a Sunday, and 2011 is one of those years. Since most families have special plans and traditions on these days, going to church may create some scheduling conflicts. Some families may even decide to skip church altogether, thinking, “Since it’s Christmas, we’ll stay home on Sunday, just this once.”

Of course, it is a good thing for families to be together, especially during the holiday season. Most families do not spend enough time together as it is. Nonetheless, our service to God must be a priority. Can a Christian justify giving God a Sunday “rain check” so he or she can have more family time on Christmas Day? I believe the Lord’s Day must take precedence, even on Christmas. Jesus said to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33, emp. added), which means that serving God – including worshiping Him on Sunday – must come “first,” even if it means having to adjust our holiday plans.

Christmas should be about spending time with our families and enjoying the blessings of our loved ones. The Lord has been good to bless us with our families and the people we love, and there are countless reasons why we should be thankful to Him. I submit that Sundays are the best Christmas Days because we have the opportunity to be with both our earthly families and our spiritual family, worshiping the Name that is above all other names.

It was the practice of the early church to meet on the “first day of the week” (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2). Jesus was raised on the first day of the week (Lk. 24:1, 7), and His church was established on the first day of the week (Lev. 23:15-17, Acts 2:1). Sundays, even Christmas Sundays, belong to the Lord. Therefore, on every first day of the week, we must make it a priority to be with our spiritual family and worship our Heavenly Father. When we decide to skip worship services because it becomes an ‘inconvenience,’ we’ve lost the ‘big picture’ of the Christian life. May we all understand and appreciate the importance of what God established and make Him the priority in life.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas as we enjoy our time with our families; giving thanks to God every Sunday for the immeasurable blessings that we have both in Him and in one another.

Getting Trashy

Posted by Ben Giselbach | Posted on 16-11-2011

Category : Bless Your Heart

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Our trash can was stolen last night. It seems humorous to me that anyone would go so far as to steal someone’s garbage bin. If someone stole my wallet, my laptop, or my T.V., I wouldn’t be as surprised (though I’d be much more frustrated). But our garbage can? Really?

Allow me to make a spiritual application. Oftentimes we categorize sin on a scale of being anywhere from ‘really bad’ to ‘not so bad.’ For example, we may excuse ourselves when we commit a ‘little’ sin, such as telling a small white lie, yet we can be quick to criticize the ‘larger’ sins that others make because they have higher consequences. We tend to view a ‘harmless’ act of sin, such as stealing a dirty trash can, as being a lesser sin, compared to a sin that negatively effects someone else, like stealing someone’s Porsche or murdering someone.

True, society does place a higher weight of punishment on the latter examples. If we measure sin based upon how society measures sin, then some sins are obviously greater than others. However, Christians must view sin differently than the world. Sin, any sin, is a serious matter, because sin is “lawlessness” (1 Jn. 3:4). All sin separates us from God (Rom. 3:23), and spiritual damnation is a result (Rom. 6:23, Jam. 1:15).

Minimizing the seriousness of some sins compared to others can be a dangerous mindset. Sins that we minimize are called “presumptuous sins” because they are presumed to be not very bad. Here are some examples:

  1. Worshipping God in a way He has not prescribed, because we enjoy our way better than His way. God wants us to enjoy ourselves, right?
  2. Divorcing you spouse and marrying someone else, because it makes you “happier.” After all, God wants us to be happy, right?
  3. Skipping a church service or activity because you’re “tired” or want to watch a ball game. God understands that we went to bed late, or that we’ve been waiting six months to see a particular ball game, doesn’t He?
  4. Viewing pornography. It isn’t hurting anyone else, is it? Besides, God made you that way, didn’t He?

The Bible is full of examples of God’s powerful response to man’s presumptuous sins. God hates sin, all sin, regardless of how bad the sin is viewed by society or popular opinion. What carries more weight to you: the opinion of God or the opinion of the world? Let each of us pray the prayer of David (Psa. 19:13, ESV):

“Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.”

Sin That Itches

Posted by Ben Giselbach | Posted on 10-11-2011

Category : Bless Your Heart

Tags: , , , ,

I remember being immune to poison ivy as a child. I could play in it for hours and never break out in a rash. However, as I aged, I slowly lost my immunity and became more susceptible to the plant’s poisonous oil. Doctors say the more you are exposed to the plant, the more you become vulnerable to its toxic oil. I know that this is true. Two weeks ago, I was doing some work outside and accidentally came in contact with a patch of poison ivy. I am still enduring the painfully itchy consequences!

In my agony, I realized that poison ivy has a lot in common with sin. Sometimes people think they are immune to the harmful effects of sin, so they simply continue in them. This logic is usually applied to the most common of sins, such as telling ‘little’ lies, viewing pornography, being lazy on other people’s time, or skipping church for a ball game. People deceive themselves into a false sense of security, even after witnessing similar sins by others spiraling out of control and seeing the lives of others ruined.

Sooner or later, sin catches up to every sinner – just like a poison ivy rash. It may lead to a wide array of consequences: broken trust, a ruined family, unfaithful children, a heartbroken spouse, a divided church, etc. Ultimately, all sin (even the ‘smallest’ sin) will lead to a lost soul (Rom. 6:23).

The devil has convinced many Christians that they may commit ‘little’ sins – especially secret ones – and not suffer any consequences. Be reminded, however, that all sin separates us from God (Isa. 59:2). The soul of the Christian is jeopardized when he/she deliberately sins (Heb. 10:26). Even the ‘smallest’ of unrepented sins can ruin the spiritual life of an otherwise dedicated follower of God (Jas. 2:10).

Do not fall for the devil’s ‘poison ivy’ trick; it is just another one of his lies. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will free from you” (Jas. 4:7).

Hiding Christ

Posted by Ben Giselbach | Posted on 08-09-2011

Category : Bless Your Heart

Tags: , , , , , , ,

This Sunday, the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center terrorist attack, a ceremony dedicating the 9/11 Memorial will take place. It is going to be a grand ceremony with numerous notable figures, including President Obama and his wife. All of the expected features of a memorial service will be present – a band, emotional speeches, patriotic songs, politicians, celebrities, huge crowds, etc. Everything will be present, except one thing: religion.

Mayor Bloomberg made the decision to ban all ‘religious leaders’ from participating in the memorial ceremony. The announcement has sparked a huge public outcry. Countless numbers of outraged people are signing petitions demanding the ban be overturned, claiming that prayer and religious observances should be an inseparable part of a ceremony memorializing the 9/11 terrorist attacks. To hide religion from this important event seems ridiculous!

However, how many times are Christians guilty of hiding Christ in their own lives? Does it seem ridiculous when a Christian ignores a single mother struggling to feed her children? When a Christian fails to invite the cashier at the grocery store to church? When a Christian doesn’t study his or her Bible every day? When a father or mother doesn’t teach their child about the scriptures?

Why are we surprised when a secular mayor in a secular city hides religion from a secular memorial, yet not surprised when a Christian hides Christ from his or her personal life?

Those who have been baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:4) have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). Christ’s example must determine how you treat your spouse, how you interact with others, how you raise your family, and how involved you are in your church. In short, Christ must become your very identity.

If people cannot determine that you are a Christian simply by observing your conduct, then you are guilty hiding Him from your life. The apostle John taught that those who claim to be in Christ “ought to walk in the same way in which He walked” (1 John 2:6). The world should know a Christian when it sees one merely by looking at how he or she lives.

Stop being a Christian only when it is convenient.

Quit hiding Christ.

Stand out.

Live a real, authentic faith.