Progressive Baptist Church's Website
This page is designed for those members of Progressive Baptist Church who wish to share their personal inspiration. It may be a story of your own, or perhaps Pastor Bell has preached a sermon, related a story, read a poem, told a joke, or prayed a prayer that inspired you to the highest. This page gives you the opportunity to thank Pastor Bell for his inspiring words and to share your favorite inspirational message with others. This page will be updated as inspirational messages are submitted.
This inspirational page was submitted by church member Jackie Alston. Ms. Alston shares two of her favorite stories and favorite sermon from Pastor C. J. Bell. Jackie is Progressive Baptist Church's Webservant, Youth Supervisor, Mission Teacher, and Programs Coordinator. Ms. Alston has been a member of Progressive for over 20 years.
An elderly lady sat in tears as she watched her grandson prepare to embark on a new life in a much larger city. The grandmother had reared the young man from a new born baby, so she was saddened to see him leave. She pleaded with the young man to always remember his upbringing and to find time to read his Bible on a daily basis. The young man remembered the daily Bible readings quite well and vowed he would continue to read his Bible. The young man made it to the big city and did well for the first six months before falling in with the wrong crowd. Soon the fast night life led to poor work habits. He eventually lost his job, money, and friends. He was later evicted from his apartment and had no where to go. He was all alone. The young man thought briefly of going home to grandma but was too ashamed. He continued to live in poverty. He didn't have a dime in his pocket. It wasn't long before he was sleeping in the streets and begging for food. The young man had reached the lowest point in his life. He lived this way for several months, then, one day, decided to chance returning home. The man stood at his grandmother's door with a plastic bag which contained a few pieces of dirty clothes and his Bible. The young man wept as he told his grandmother how he had lived for the past several months. With tears in her eyes, the grandmother asked, "Son, why didn't you read your Bible?" The young man answered, "But grandma, I...I..." He found himself unable to tell a lie. The grandmother held his Bible open and said, "You see, right here at Psalm 23 which begins,"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." I placed three hundred-dollar bills." Here, at John 14:18, "I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you." was another three hundred dollars. And Son, four hundred dollars was right here at Luke 15:17, 18, "And when he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." "Baby, I prayed to God that you would always remember that Parable, and you did. Welcome home Prodigal Son, now, let's catch up on your reading from the Good Book." Comments: I have never given or received a Bible filled with hundred-dollar bills, but I do know of the many gifts, blessings, and prosperity found throughout the Bible. The greatest gift is the Love of God. It is so wonderful to know that when our earthly possessions and rewards pass away, there is the opportunity for an even greater reward of eternal life through Christ Jesus. All we have to do is accept it. No matter how far we stray from Our God, He is always waiting with open arms for our return.
One day, a very prosperous man walked over his land admiring all the many things he had accomplished and achieved. As he came closer to his home, he stopped at his beautiful garden. He looked at the many vegetables and fruits he had grown. As he admired the large, ripe watermelons, he heard birds chirping in the tree. He looked up into a big oak tree and shook his head with wonder. He wondered why God would make a big watermelon grow on a little thin vine and a little acorn grow on a huge oak tree.
Later that evening, the man and his family sat under the oak tree for a family picnic. An acorn fell from the tree and hit the man in the head. Before realizing it, the man said, "Oh, thank God that wasn't a...........watermelon."
Comments: Prosperity does not bring about wisdom. How foolish was the man to wonder about the works of God who made everything in the heavens and the earth. In understanding God's ways, we must realize one important thing....we can't. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55: 8, 9) "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him." (Psalm 18:30)
Comments: I loved this sermon. Pastor Bell expounded on each of the sayings of Christ. I chose to put the highlights of that sermon into "Litany on Calvary", which we read for an Easter Program in 1992. The sermon still remains my favorite. Following is the Litany written on the basis of the sermon by Rev. C. J. Bell.