After the worship service was over, Wes Bucknell, member of the Memorial Road Church of Christ in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, approached the minister who had preached that morning, Phil Brookman, and said, “You owe me 28 bucks.”

I’m sure Brookman wondered why.  Here’s the rest of the story.

Brookman preached that morning from 1 Corinthians 12 about how the church should function as one body with many parts.  Brookman noted how easy it is in the 21st Century for Christians to live separate lives — and to fail to see the need for the kind of unity Paul advocates.  Even shopping has become depersonalized, Brookman said.  Instead of going to Wal-Mart and interacting with other humans, one need only say, “Alexa, order toilet paper.”

Also listening to the sermon online at home (with one of her children who was sick) was Bucknell’s wife, Bethany.  When Brookman said, “Alexa, order toilet paper,” Bethany heard a polite female voice in her bedroom say, “OK.  I’ve added it to your cart.”  The voice was that of her Amazon Echo speaker.  Bethany picked up her phone.  She looked at her Amazon account and there it was: an order for a package of 60 double rolls of Angel Soft Toilet Paper.  Cost: $27.45.  She cancelled the order but not before texting a screenshot of the order to her husband who was in worship with the Memorial Road church.

That’s why Wes told Brookman that he owed him 28 bucks.

That’s impressive.  As Erik Tryggestad noted: “When Phil Brookman preaches, even Alexa listens — and dutifully obeys.” *

This illustrates the power of the spoken word.  Modern technology has also increased that power.  This can be used for tremendous good.

For example, if you own an Alexa device, you can say, “Alexa, open Billy Lambert.”  When you do so, Alexa will pull up the Getting to Know Your Bible show in which Billy Lambert preaches Gospel lessons.  You and many others can listen to Bro. Lambert preach lessons from God’s Word.  You and many others can hear how to obtain a free Bible Correspondence Course that can help the student know more about God and His Will for our lives.

The Gospel is powerful.  The Apostle Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Sin destroys, but Jesus saves!  That’s the Good News, the Gospel.  See 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.  We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  That puts us on the path to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  But God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16).  Through Jesus, we can be forgiven of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 6:23).

The Good News is that God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  God will continue to cleanse from sin – by the precious blood of Jesus – those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

This makes me want to say, “Alexa, tell everyone about the Gospel of Jesus Christ!”  You and I need to help share the Good News.

Have YOU obeyed the Gospel?  If not, won’t YOU?

Then, let’s share the Good News with others – even if it costs us 28 bucks or more.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “Alexa responds to minister’s call, orders toilet paper” by Erik Tryggestad in The Christian Chronicle email newletter, February 19, 2019, www.christianchronicle.org.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org