Reconditioning instead of replacing

(Isaiah 54:6).

It’s taken awhile computer, but I’m beginning like and more. But not at first. My old one was almost 10 years old, but quite serviceable until the case cracked. It lived because of my friends, the geeks. keyboard now feels just right to my fingers.

I’ve always tried to be especially nice to two groups: the cleaning crew and the geeks. The former because who are you going to call when heat or air conditioning isn’t working, or you made a mess that needs cleaning up?

That’s not the only reason to be nice to these folks, but it’s good reason to speak to them and to give them a gift card at Christmas.

The other group is the geeks who know computers.

I think there is a spiritual application here about reconditioning vs. replacing.

MICHAEL BROOKS Columnist

Friendly computerists in our church have added memory and replaced the hard drive, a keyboard and numerous batteries; thus, the old laptop kept humming along. In fact, it still is, though now semi-retired to a lesser workload at home.

But the new computer is smaller and faster, and the

BETHLEHEM EAST BAPTIST CHURCH

Bethlehem East Baptist Church will have all Sunday school classes beginning at 9:45 a.m. Sunday morning followed by regular service at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary. We will continue with Facebook Live Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and Worship Service at 11 a.m.

CARRVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH

Regular hours of service are Sundays- 9 a.m. Sunday School and 10 a.m. Morning Worship.

Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. the church offers Children’s Gospel Project, Youth Bible Study and Adult Prayer Meeting. Regular office hours are Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The heart of the gospel message is that humanity falls short and can’t simply be reconditioned. We try to do good things, and this itself is a good thing. It’s much better to try to be good than to try to be bad! But human goodness doesn’t earn merit with God. The ancient prophet Isaiah uttered a well-known line: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags . . . and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away,”