A bulletin crossed my desk years ago. It contained this clip ~ “Twenty four years in the First Grade. That is how long it would take to pass if public schools met only as often as Sunday School, and if no Bible classes were missed!” The Word of God, according to a 2012 survey (Rankin), revealed that only 19% of “churchgoers” read the Bible daily. As many as 25% stated they read the Bible a few times each week. A staggering 14% indicated they read the Bible once a week. Then 22% confessed to reading the Word of God “once a month or a few times each month.” Several months ago, brother Jack Wall, brother Dale Vann and I had a long discussion about our Bible class curriculum. So much of “our literature” has to be proofed to make sure it is scriptural, and so much of the instruction has to be “weeded out,” and then the price of ready-made material is atrocious. We decided to write our own material. In asking around, I contacted Gary Summers, who responded by saying, “We’ve done that!” The elders looked over that material, ordered it, and we are now implementing Bible material that covers the Bible in 5½ years! This means our very young kids could cover the Old and New Testaments twice before High School graduation. The late brother Eldred Stevens once observed that if a person spent 20 minutes a day on any given subject for a period of 20 years, that

While in Ardmore, Oklahoma, a sister in Christ related an interesting episode about the late brother J.W. Chism. Many years before, Henry Stetson (related to the Texas hat maker of that name), came into Oklahoma preaching for the Baptists, enjoying great crowds wherever he preached. Some brethren in Ardmore approached Mr. Stetson about having a public discussion. They proposed that he meet with brother J.W. Chism. Mr. Stetson agreed to discuss the Bible plan of salvation in public debate. The first debate lasted almost a week, and centered on passages like Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Peter 3:21; etc. As the debate drew to a close, Mr. Stetson challenged brother Chism to meet for another debate in another community. Brother Chism picked up the gauntlet. On the third or fourth day of that second debate, brother Chism had just finished his second affirmative argument. Mr. Stetson walked slowly to the podium. Everybody assumed he would enter his negative speech. However, Mr. Stetson turned and spoke directly to brother Chism. He said that if brother Chism would take his good confession that he was ready to be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Obviously, the debate closed with that act of obedience to the Gospel (Romans 6:1-4, 16-18). Brother Stetson then held a meeting in that very community with almost fifty people being baptized into Christ and added to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:41-47). Brother Stetson continued as a faithful Gospel preacher for years to follow. Let us never