I met Gil, the owner, at the Christian Booksellers Association a few years ago and he just emailed me today that they have set up a special discount code for our friends. To get a 5% discount on any of their Bibles or Calendars just enter the promo code ‘WELLES’ at check out and receive 5% off your entire order.

Sometimes it’s hard to get special gifts for holidays, like Mother’s Day, but I think this one is a great choice especially since it’s now available in more formats. I’m planning on getting one for a friend who just purchased an iPad. Click here to visit their website – Personal Promise Bible.

Curious, I did a quick search on Google and found a poll showing that around 80% of the people who do not regularly attend a church said they would be very likely to come on Easter Sunday, if someone asked them.

Although I had been raised in the church, there was a season in my life that I didn’t go. In my late teens, I saw some hypocrisy in the church and when I moved out, I stopped going and put God on a back burner for quite a few years. At that time, I didn’t know the Scriptures and didn’t realize the hundreds of prophesies that Jesus fulfilled.

I even remember that a friend and I decided people were Christians because they just needed some kind of crutch. We couldn’t understand why anyone would want to go to church. Then… God started drawing me back. I even ‘felt’ an inaudible voice say ‘Welcome Home.’

Someone invited me to their church, and I couldn’t sing the worship songs for the first month. I was too choked up. They were the real deal. This was a much different church. It was not just a social gathering. Jesus is alive and He is God. People don’t have to go through life alone. What a great opportunity we have to just invite people this week since they will come, if asked. It could literally change their lives. Now I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to be a part of a good church.

HEAVEN’S ENTRANCE EXAM

A man dies and goes to Heaven. Saint Peter
meets him at the Pearly Gates and says, “Ok,
here’s how it works. You need 100 points to
make it into Heaven. You tell me all the good
things you’ve done, and I’ll award you a certain
number of points for each item, depending on
how good it was. When you reach 100 points,
you get in.”

“Okay,” the man says….”I was married to the
same woman for 50 years and never once
cheated on her, even in my heart.”

“That’s wonderful,” says Saint Peter, “That’s
worth three points!”  ”Three points?” he asks.

“Well, I attended church all my life and
supported its ministry with my tithes and
service.”

“Terrific!” says Saint Peter, “That’s certainly
worth a point.”  ”One point?!!

Hey, I started a soup kitchen in my city and
worked in a shelter for homeless veterans!”

“Fantastic, that’s good for two more points, ”
Saint Peter says.  ”Two points?!!” the man
cries.

“At this rate, the only way I’m going to get
into Heaven is by the Grace of God!”

“Bingo, 100 points!  Come on in!”

It’s a silly little joke, but the point is well taken. We come into a relationship with God because of His grace. We can never be ‘perfect’ enough to enter into His presence. Jesus died on the cross to pay our penalty and open the door for a real relationship with God. He loved us when we didn’t even acknowledge His existence!

This is a beautiful/worshipful song written by Paul Baloche and Tim Janis. Merry Christmas!

We’ve just stopped carrying guitars. I still recommend starting with nylon strings because they are so easy to play and don’t hurt your fingers as much. At the Worship Guitar Class web site, we put up a page with recommendations of good student level guitars.

You can spend thousands of dollars for a guitar, but it’s a good idea to start with a decent student guitar first. There are three good reasons. First, you can find out if playing the guitar is something you want to pursue and if it isn’t, you haven’t spent too much money finding out. Second, if you do get very involved with playing and want a better instrument, you can use the student guitar for camping trips, traveling, or the beach. Third, When you can play better, you’ll know what kind of guitar is best for your to buy of the higher end models.

Check out our recommendations for Good Student Guitars.