Often, the weekly Decency Minute scripts we place before our readers or the links we share to hear Bill Johnson narrate them might give one cause for concern or turn one to prayer. Those are very natural reactions, but have you ever considered praising God for and in the midst of these distressing circumstances? After all, the Apostle Paul did call us to give thanks in every situation (1 Thess. 5:18) and the whole Bible points to our all-powerful Creator God’s sovereignty. In every situation we can praise the Lord because He sovereignly will work all things “together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We can praise the Lord because even though these circumstances may affect us deeply, this world is not our home and it’s an opportunity for our faith to stretch and grow. Regardless the circumstances we read about or feel we are in, let us recognize that, for the believer, being IN CHRIST is our true, over-riding circumstance. And while it is true that we must live with the pressures of this world, it is also true that God calls us to be a people of praise and that He daily bestows us with immense blessings.
Let me share a little story that may help to explain what I’m talking about.
There was an old man who couldn’t carry a tune in a syrup bucket, but he loved to sing, even if it was off-key! Besides, he was also too vocal about “amening” the preacher and giving God glory. Some felt that services had degenerated into an “undignified” assembly because of the old man. He simply got too involved in the “goings on” and forgot himself. Four of the more well-to-do members decided that this old fellow was just too crude for the congregation. They appointed themselves as the ones to go and talk to the old man.
When they arrived at the old fellow’s house, he was in the field plowing with his old mule. Though it was beneath their dignity, they finally walked out through the dusty ground which soiled their fine clothes, to talk to the old timer. “Brother Jones,” they began, “we want to talk to you about your singing. We don’t mean any offense, but you just cannot sing. We wish you would try to not sing so loudly because frankly, your singing ruins our services!”
The old farmer replied, “I am sorry, but it’s just that when I look at these old clothes that I wear and then I think of them robes that God has for me, I just cannot help singing. And when I see that old shack over yonder that I live in and realize that it’s liable to fall at any time, and then I think about the beautiful palace that God has for me, I just have to sing praises to my Lord. You fellers see this old hat I got on? Well, when I see that crown in my mind that God has for me, I just have to yell that wonderful name of Jesus at the top of my lungs! As a matter of fact,” the farmer continued, “would one of you fellers mind holding my mule? I feel like singing now!”
They left him right there, singing away in the field! And as these four men left the old fellow out there singing his heart out, they viewed him in a different light. One said to the rest, “You know, his singing isn’t really all that bad.” Another said, “I never really realized how sweet his voice really is.” The third said, “I just hope that the Lord will allow me to sing in the same group that he sings in.”
Regardless what other take-aways this story may speak to us, it (and our third Decency Minute script) well illustrate Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
May Justice Return to DC and America
When President Trump revealed last week that he was putting Washington, D.C. police under federal control, the left came unglued, condemning the move as authoritarian and heavy-handed.
But Trump now has the opportunity to demonstrate how conservative policing policies can turn a city around.
Rather than sweeping violent crimes under the rug and manipulating statistics, as officials in major cities like Washington, D.C. and Chicago have been accused of, the new structure will allow the story to be told of how holding criminals accountable and defending the rights and safety of the law-abiding can dramatically improve the experience of life in a major city.
Will the Trump administration be able to turn the city’s reputation from cesspool to shining city? Could D.C. turn into the example that other large police forces look to?
God knows and time will tell.
May justice return to D.C. and America.
Christians Must Ask Questions About IVF
I’m 5 years younger than my dad. My sister and I are the same age, yet born 30 years apart. Who am I?
Though it sounds like a children’s riddle, it’s factual and couldn’t have been accomplished without today’s continually improving technology.
The answer is: Thaddeus Daniel Pierce, who’s being called the “world’s oldest baby.” Daniel was born on July 26, 2025 in Ohio, from an embryo that had been frozen for more than 30 years. He was one of four in vitro fertilization (IVF) created embryos in 1994; one of which was successfully implanted in its biological mother, while the other three were cryogenically frozen. Daniel and his two embryo siblings all survived the thawing process.
I’m thankful for the Christian couple who adopted this embryo, but, as we’ve stated before, with every new technology comes potential dangers, abuses, and questions that thinking Christians must ask.
Gratitude Must Be a Part of Prayer
A seemingly meaningless pre-season NFL game captured the attention of the nation for a reason that has nothing to do with football.
As the Detroit Lions faced the Atlanta Falcons, Lion’s safety Morice Norris suffered an apparent horrific head injury. When play resumed, instead of finishing the game, both teams gathered in a circle at mid-field to pray. That powerful moment should serve as a reminder that every breath is a result of God’s grace.
Norris, who thankfully was not seriously injured, posted another important reminder: “When you talk to God, make sure gratitude is part of your prayer. It is easy to focus only on what we need, but taking time to thank Him changes our hearts and deepens our trust. … Remember, no matter what you are going through, there is always something to thank God for, and when you do, you will feel His peace.”
Might the psalmist stir your heart and mind and mouth to praise:
Psalm 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”
Psalm 8:1-4 “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
Psalm 34:7-9 “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.”
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