Watts' Words

  Candidly, I know that I must have learned these from 'someone' or a group of 'someones,' as they are certainly not original with me, but things that I wrote down from someone much smarter than I am.  All the same, time has a way of clarifying what truly matters. What once seemed urgent fades, and what once felt small becomes foundational. Years ago, I came across five simple truths about wise living. They’ve stayed with me—not because they are complicated, but because they are deeply true. Let me share them with you.   1. Most Important Is Not Things We live in a world that constantly tells us to gather more—more possessions, more recognition, more comfort. But wisdom quietly reminds us that the most important things in life are not things at all. Relationships matter. Character matters. Faith matters. You can fill a house with possessions and still feel empty. But when your life is rooted in love for God and people, there is a fullness that no material thing can ever...

  T he phrase “Church of Jesus Christ” has been quietly reduced in many minds to a location, a calendar event, or a weekly obligation. For some, it is a building you enter on Sunday morning and leave behind by noon. But when you listen carefully to the words of Jesus, that understanding begins to unravel. The church He described was never meant to be merely a place you go—it is something you are.   Jesus first introduces His church in a deeply personal way: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Notice what He does not say. He does not point to a structure, a schedule, or a system. He speaks of a people—living, moving, advancing. The word He uses for “church” (ekklesia) refers to a called-out assembly, not a physical location. From the very beginning, Jesus defines His church as something alive. When church is reduced to a place, commitment becomes minimal and manageable. You attend, you listen, you leave—and in man...

The other day, I found myself sitting quietly—thinking, praying, and examining what I see unfolding around me. In that stillness, a troubling thought settled deep within my heart. I marvel at how easily many people claim to “know the Lord Jesus,” and yet seem able to walk away from Him without hesitation, without grief, and without pause. It is not always done with open defiance, but often with subtle replacement—filling the space once reserved for Christ with comfort, convenience, and personal desire.   One of the clearest signs of this shift is what has happened to the Lord’s Day. Sunday, once set apart as a holy day of worship and rest unto God, has increasingly become nothing more than the “second day of my weekend.” It is now viewed as personal time—time to do what I want, when I want, without regard for the One who gave me breath, salvation, and purpose. What was once sacred has become optional. A few days ago I read a sobering and true statement: "Anything you make option...

As I began today, one of my devotional readings included a thought from "Margaret McDonald Bottome" about STEALING FROM GOD. Most Christ followers quote the Malachi 3 and leave it at that, but MS Bottome takes it to a level of thought and truth that few see. Her words spoke to me.  Most of us think of theft as taking something that belongs to another person. But there is a deeper, more subtle form of larceny that happens in the quiet of our daily lives: stealing from God. This isn't about breaking into a church; it’s about mismanaging assets that were never ours to begin with. The Misuse of Entrusted Assets We often view our  time, talents, and money  as personal property—resources we earned or lucked into. However, from a biblical perspective, these are "entrusted funds." When we funnel these resources exclusively into our own comfort, egos, or entertainment, we are essentially embezzling. If God is the source of our breath (time), our abilities (talents), and ...

The recent Supreme Court decision  in Chiles v. Salazar has once again placed before the American public a critical question: who ultimately controls speech in this country—the citizen or the state?  In this case, eight members of the Court concluded that Colorado violated the First Amendment when it attempted to prohibit a Christian counselor from engaging in conversations with clients who voluntarily sought guidance consistent with their faith and convictions. Standing alone in dissent was Ketanji Brown Jackson. Her dissent argued that the state has broad authority to regulate licensed professionals and therefore may restrict certain forms of speech when they occur within the context of counseling. But this reasoning opens a troubling door. If the government can regulate speech simply because it occurs between a counselor and a client, then what remains of the First Amendment’s protection for free expression? Once the state claims authority over what may be said in private c...

America at the Brink: From Order to Anarchy If I offer an opinion about the USA over the past 5 or 6 years, one word comes to mind, Anarchy . Anarchy is more than chaos—it is the absence of governing authority, a state where laws lose meaning and society spirals into disorder. For centuries, America stood as the antithesis of anarchy: a constitutional republic built on the rule of law. Our founders understood that liberty without law is not freedom—it is an invitation to tyranny and chaos. For over 200 years, this principle anchored our national identity. But today, as headlines scream of shootings near the White House, political assassinations, and rampant lawlessness, we must ask: Have we crossed the threshold into anarchy?   A Nation Built on Laws From the ratification of the Constitution in 1789 , America embraced a radical idea: that laws—not monarchs, mobs, or military juntas—would govern the land. This framework gave rise to the most prosperous and stable society ...