Shelby County Today

September 9, 2026 - A few days ago, I came across (and re-shared) a post on social media that stated, "If it breaks God's heart, why do you think it will fulfill yours?" That single question exposes one of the great contradictions of the human heart. We often chase what God warns against, resist what God calls good, and then wonder why our souls feel restless and empty. At the core of sin is not merely disobedience it is a tragic misunderstanding of fulfillment. We assume that what God grieves over must somehow be what we need most. Scripture repeatedly challenges that assumption.

From the opening pages of the Bible, this pattern is clear. Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was "good for food," "a delight to the eyes," and "desired to make one wise" (Gen. 3:6). Everything about it seemed fulfilling. Yet what appeared promising brought separation, shame, and death. What broke God's heart did not satisfy the human heart it fractured it. That pattern has not changed.

God's commands are never arbitrary restrictions. They flow from His character and His love. When God warns against sexual immorality, dishonesty, bitterness, pride, or idolatry, He is not withholding joy; He is protecting it. Scripture says, "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness" (Ps. 103:8). A God like that does not grieve over something that would truly bless His children.

Yet we live in a culture that equates fulfillment with self-expression and immediate gratification. "Follow your heart" has become a moral compass. But Scripture offers a sobering correction: "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). A heart left to itself does not naturally pursue what is holy or healing. It often pursues what feels good in the moment, even if it leads to long-term harm.

Jesus addressed this deception directly. "Everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin" (Jn. 8:34). Slavery is never fulfilling, no matter how attractive it first appears. Sin promises freedom but delivers bondage. It whispers satisfaction but produces emptiness. That is why Paul could describe sinful living as a path that leads to shame and death rather than life (Rom. 6:21-23).

Consider how often Scripture connects God's grief with human rebellion. Before the flood, "the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart" (Gen. 6:6). Through the prophets, God lamented Israel's stubbornness, crying "Oh that My people would listen to Me" (Ps. 81:13). Even Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they rejected the very things that would bring them peace (Lk. 19:41-42). In every case, what broke God's heart also destroyed human flourishing.

This should force us to pause before rationalizing sin. When we justify bitterness by calling it "self-respect," when we excuse immorality as "love," or when we defend greed as "providing," we should ask: If this breaks God's heart, why do I think it will fulfill mine? God sees the end from the beginning. We see only the moment.

True fulfillment has always been found not in resisting God's will, but in trusting it. David declared, "In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever" (Ps. 16:11). Notice where fullness is found--not in self-rule, but in God's presence. Jesus echoed this truth when He said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn. 10:10). Abundant life does not come from pursuing what God forbids, but from embracing what God provides.

This is especially important when obedience feels costly. There are moments when doing the right thing feels like loss- ending a relationship, telling the truth, forgiving someone who hurt you, or denying a desire that feels deeply personal. In those moments, faith asks us to believe that God's heart is wiser than our impulses. Hebrews reminds us that discipline "for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11).

The cross stands as the ultimate proof that God understands our longing for fulfillment. Jesus did not call us away from sin because He is distant from our struggles, but because He entered them. He bore our emptiness, our guilt, and our brokenness so that we could find life in Him. When we are tempted to believe that sin will satisfy us, we must remember that it took the death of the Son of God to rescue us from that lie.

So before pursuing what Scripture condemns, before nurturing attitudes or actions that grieve the Spirit (Eph. 4:30), ask the hard but healing question: If it breaks God's heart, why do I think it will fulfill mine? The God who created your soul knows what it needs. Fulfillment is not found in defying Him, but in trusting Him.

By Nathan Cox

September 28, 2026 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, September 28.

This morning we focus on a Bible name, a name mentioned so many times in Scripture that theologians are not always completely certain which particular person it represents. Today we take a look at the name... Mary.

In the Old Testament we meet two Miriams, a Hebrew form of Mary. One was the sister of Moses, who introduced the baby in the basket to the princess of Egypt. But it’s in the New Testament that this name really comes to the forefront. There’s Mary of Bethany, the close friend of Christ, and the sister of Martha and Lazarus. There’s Mary, the mother of Mark, whose house was a gathering place of the early church, and may have been the setting for the Last Supper. Of course there’s Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus. She was just a girl when she became “highly favored” by God. And then there’s Mary Magdalene, who travelled with Christ, who stood at His cross, and was the first to find His tomb empty. She’s mentioned dozens of times in the Gospels, more than most of the disciples, and more than any other woman.

Often the Bible is characterized as a book dominated by men. The world, during Bible times, was certainly a male dominated culture. But when we consider all the Marys, when we remember Ruth and Naomi and Sarah and Esther and Rahab and Deborah and Hannah, when we think of Priscilla and Tabitha and Anna and Elizabeth and Phoebe and Rhoda and Joanna and Susanna and Lydia and Eunice and Lois - we’re reminded of all the women of the Bible who loved and trusted the Lord. And we’re reminded of God’s love for them, these women that He gave to us as eternal examples.

Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com

September 24, 2026 - Some years ago, I was walking through the mall and saw a display in the window of a Jewelry store. The display featured gold and silver crosses of various sizes, some with diamonds, some with birthstones and some plain. They were neatly arranged with other types of jewelry, all with a cross as their central theme. In a corner of the display was a neat little sign that said, “Easy Terms Available.”

You know, that makes us wonder if that is not what modern religion has done to the cross of Jesus Christ. Have we turned the cross into a fashionable trinket, an adornment? Something available to everyone on “Easy Terms?”

Jesus did not promise men and women an “easy” road. On the contrary, he called men and women to selfless service and daily sacrifice. He dared ask people to “forsake all” and come follow Him. You may find a cross in the jewelry store window on “easy terms.” You may even hear preachers offer you the opportunity to follow Jesus on “easy terms.” However, the cross of Jesus is not available on “easy terms.”

Here is what Jesus said in His own words, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24)

It’s something to think about... tbp

Come and Join us For Worship!
Center Church of Christ
www.centerchurchofchrist.com

September 16, 2026 - The McWilliams-Rather Cemetery Association will meet on Saturday, September 26 at 4pm.

The meeting will be held at Todd Spring Baptist Church. The church is located at 532 State Highway 147, Center, TX 75935 (in the Shelbyville area).