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Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Morehouse College Graduates' Student Loans to Be Paid Off by Billionaire

A Graduation Gift

As the 396 members of the 2019 graduating class of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia assembled
for their commencement exercises, they were excited about graduating from college and entering the
next phase of their lives. Some of them plan to continue their education; others are entering the
work force. All of them eventually desire to find employment that will enable them to live
comfortably and to pay their bills - especially their student loan debt.

Robert F. Smith, the billionaire investor who founded Vista Equity Partners, stood to address the
graduates and their friends and family members. In his speech, he surprised the graduates with news
of a gift for each of them. Smith told the crowd that he and his family would pay off the entire
graduating class' student debt. "This is my class, 2019," he said, personally claiming the
graduating seniors as his own. "And my family is making a grant to eliminate their student loans."

It took a moment for that wonderful news to sink in. But when it did, the crowd erupted in jubilant
applause. "Everyone jumped up, cheered. People were crying. It was just the most amazing thing,"
said graduate Ernest Holmes.

It is not yet known how much student loan debt the class of 2019 has incurred, but recent classes
have graduated with roughly $10 million in total debt. For a class the size of this year's class,
that would equate to roughly $25,000 per graduate.

But now, thanks to the generosity of a philanthropist, these graduates won't have to carry that
burden.

John Silvanus Wilson Jr., a Morehouse alumnus who was the college's president from 2013 to 2017,
called the gift "an extraordinary investment" that was "simply an act of high grace."

"This was a liberation gift, meaning this frees these young men from having to make their career
decisions based on their debt," said current Morehouse President, David A. Thomas. "This allows them
to pursue what they are passionate about."

Robert F. Smith stated in his address that he hopes the graduates will be passionate about "paying
it forward," helping future generations. *

What a wonderful gift! It pictures an even greater gift that has been offered to each and every one
of us.

Because of our sins, each of us owes an incredible debt to God. Our debt is so great that none of
us has the ability to repay it.

But God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the debt of our sin.
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of
His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

"He paid the debt He did not owe
I owed the debt I could not pay
I needed someone to wash my sins away;
And now I sing a brand new song, 'Amazing Grace'
Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay."
-- Ellis J. Crum

God will forgive the debt of sin and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men
(Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John
1:7-9).

He will pay YOUR debt if only YOU will accept His offer on His terms.

Won't YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Morehouse College Graduates' Student Loans to Be Paid Off by
Billionaire" by By Audra D. S. Burch, David Gelles and Emily S. Rueb of The New York Times,
www.nytimes.com.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

ideas for funeral sermons

FUNERAL SERMON – LARRY PASLEY – JACKSON ST. CHURCH OF CHRIST – 1856 JACKSON ST. ALEXANDRIA LA 71302 – larrypasley@suddenlinkmail.com

 

SERMON:  THE CERTAINTY OF DEATH

 

INTRO:  POEM  "I AM DEATH"

       

        I AM DEATH---I PREY ON ALL MANKIND.

        I COME AT THE DARKEST HOUR, WHEN THEY KNOW NOT.

        I STILL THE HEART BEAT AND THE LIFE BLOOD STOPS IT FLOW.

        I ROB MEN OF THEIR FUTURE AND TURN FAIR BEAUTY TO DUST.

        I TAKE MEN FROM THE LIVING AND PLACE THEM IN THE GRAVE.

        I SEND HIM FORTH TO FACE ETERNITY IN ANOTHER WORLD.

        YOU CANNOT AVOID MY STEALTHY CALL, FOR I WILL COME.

        YES BE PREPARED TO MEET ME---I AM DEATH.

 

   I.  WE SHALL DIE!

 

       A. (Eccl 9:5)  For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.

 

       B. (Heb 9:27)  And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

 

  II.  OUR TIME ON EARTH IS SHORT.

 

       A. (Psa 90:9-10)  For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh. {10} The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

 

       B. (Job 14:1-2)  “Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. {2} He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.

 

       C. (James 4:14)  whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

 

III.  WE NEED TO USE OUR TIME WISELY.

 

       A.  (Psa 90:12)  So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

 

       B. (Eph 5:15-16)  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, {16} redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

 

       C.  (John 9:4)  “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

 

PRAYER:

 

More free funeral sermons: https://www.abiblecommentary.com/funeralsermons.pdf

 

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

A Persistent Love

A Persistent Love

Keith Wishum recently shared an example of persistent love from the annals of American history:

Bess Wallace had known him since they first met at school when she was five. But she wasn't
particularly impressed with the gangly boy with the glasses. After graduation, she left with no
regrets.

The young man felt differently about Bess. "I thought she was the most beautiful and the sweetest
person on earth," he said, and he determined to win her heart. For a year, he showered her with
attention and a flood of letters. Then he proposed.

She declined.

Still he refused to give up. For 8 more years, he continued writing and visiting, proclaiming his
love to Bess. Because she was affluent and he was not, he launched into a variety of business
ventures trying to earn his fortune and impress her. Through 2 years of combat in WWI, he continued
his letters to her, carrying her picture in his pocket.

Over the years, Bess slowly came to love her persistent suitor and eventually promised to marry him
upon his safe return from war. In June of 1919, she became his bride: the bride of Harry S. Truman,
who would later become the 33rd president of the United States.

Truman practiced a persistent love. Not many men continue to love even when rejected. Not many
endure career failures in hopes of impressing a woman. Few would devote nine years of attention and
effort in hopes of being loved in return.

God would.*

God's love for us is so persistent that He sent His one and only Son to save us. "Although [Jesus]
existed in the form of God, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped (i.e., a
thing to be held on to for advantage, ESV note), but emptied Himself, taking the form of a
bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled
Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-8 NASB).

Jesus' death on the cross was the only sufficient payment to redeem us from our sins (1 Peter 3:18).
God gave His Son and Jesus gave His life to save us. He has revealed in His word how we may receive
the blessings that come through Christ's atoning sacrifice. His desire is that the message of
salvation through Jesus continue to be shared throughout the world (Matthew 28:18-20).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts
16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans
10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He has
promised to continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John
1:7).

He continues to give us opportunities to accept His offer of salvation and eternal life. "The Lord
is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not
willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). He continues
to call us through the Gospel message (2 Thessalonians 2:14). He is waiting, longing, for more to
answer His call. That's persistent love.

If you haven't obeyed the Gospel, He's waiting on YOU. He loves you and wants you to be saved. He
demonstrated His great love for you by giving His Son to die for your sins (Romans 5:8).

Won't YOU accept His offer on His terms?

-- David A. Sargent

* From "A Word from Williams Road" by Keith Wishum, minister of the Williams Road church in
Americus, Georgia. 4/30/19.

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