The book of Acts begins by reporting the actions of the apostles and the work of the Holy Spirit. Beginning in Jerusalem, the church was established and has grown rapidly. One of the first things Luke emphasizes in Acts is that Jesus 'began' teaching before his ascension into heaven. Acts 1:1-2 states, 'In my first book, I told you about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he ascended to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions from the Holy Spirit.'

WISDOM. In the realm of fictional detectives, Sherlock Holmes stands as a towering figure, renowned for his unparalleled intellect and ability to solve seemingly unsolvable mysteries. His keen observations, deductive reasoning, and unwavering belief in the power of logic have captivated readers for generations. Holmes's brilliance is rooted in his ability to observe the world with a keen eye, noticing minute details that others overlook. He possesses a remarkable capacity for deduction, using the evidence at hand to construct intricate theories and solve complex cases. Yet, when we delve into the realm of the divine, we encounter the Lord Jesus, whose wisdom infinitely surpasses even the greatest human intellect. Jesus, being God in human flesh, at times displayed not just logic and deduction but absolute omniscience. In speaking of the queen of Sheba, Jesus stated, 'She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed a greater than Solomon is here' (Matt. 12:42). Despite his self-confident pride in his reasoning skills, even Sherlock would have marveled at Solomon's wisdom. And far more, he would have deduced that Jesus was on a wholly different level. Jesus 'knew what was in man' (John 2:25). He told the Samaritan woman, 'You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly' (John 4: 17-18). In John 6:64, Jesus said, 'But there are some of you who do not believe.' Then John explains, 'For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.' Yes, Jesus knew early on that Judas was the betrayer! The Apostle Paul wrote that in Jesus 'are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. 2:3). Do you need wisdom for life and eternity? Don't look to Sherlock-like human reasoning. Look to Jesus in God's Word. He knows you and will never fail!

.

Happy whatever day you are reading this! It’s Thursday while I’m writing and I’m still wondering where Fall is. Did it get on the wrong bus? It sure ain’t in Woodston.

Come in and check us out! New books for adults/ young adults are: • “Ultra 85” by Logic • “Counting Miracles” by Nicholas Sparks New books for children are: • “Born Naughty” by Jin Wang • “Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie War” by Matthew Swanson • “The Dog and Pony Show” by Jeff Mack • “The Zebra’s Great Escape” by Katherine Rundell • “I See a Rat” by Paul Meisel • “The Good Game” by Arihhonni, David • “Crick,Crack,Crow!” by Janet Lord • “Kindered Spirits Shilombish Ittibachvfdfa” by Leslie Stall Widener • “More Dung!” by Frank Weber Your library staff, Chris Sander, Crystal Dunlap, Beth Hazen, and Jaxon Dunlap.

The Kansas Geological Survey reported another small earthquake in southern Rooks County last Wednesday, October 2. The 2.6-magnitude quake was recorded at 2:47 p.m.

Sandy Folsom: “When I tell young people I have been frying green tomatoes, they don’t know what I am talking about!” Mike and Lisa Allen of Clinton, Mo., were in Stockton on Friday, October 4, to visit his cousin, Bob Hamilton, and Dwight and Susan Schneider, and Bart and Donna Hamilton. They Allens had originally planned to come in July for Bob’s 90th Birthday Celebration, but after Bob fell and broke his hip six days before his birthday, the event was cancelled.

The dust is flying in the fields, and fall harvest and wheat drilling is in full swing. Everyone needs to take precautions and drive safely with some respect and common sense for farm machinery and trucks.

The Book of Acts is a historical narrative that continues the story Luke began in the gospel. It covers the 30 years after Jesus was taken up into heaven. During that short time, the church was established, and the Good News of Salvation was spread throughout the world. Even ordinary people who preached the Good News were empowered by the Holy Spirit to spread it all over the world.

SUPERSIZED. In the bustling fast-food world, where supersized portions reign supreme, a divine analogy emerges—a spiritual McDonald's of sorts. Just as the golden arches beckon with promises of satisfaction, God's grace extends an irresistible invitation. But unlike the temporary gratification of a supersized meal, God's grace is a never-ending feast, a spiritual supersizing that knows no bounds. Imagine a McDonald's where the fries are endless, the drinks are bottomless, and the burgers are infinitely replenished. Such a place would be a foodie's paradise, a place where hunger is permanently quenched. In the realm of genuine faith, God's grace is the ultimate supersizing. It's a divine all-you-can-eat buffet where our spiritual appetites are eternally content. The Bible speaks of God whose love is 'as high as the heavens' (Psa. 103:11) andwhosemercy'endures forever' (Psa. 107:1) This supersized grace is offered to all, yet only a relatively few receive it. It's a grace that transcends our understanding and a love that knows no limits, even in the face of our sins and shortcomings. Paul tells us that true Christians receive 'the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace' (Eph. 1:7). Jesus Himself said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.' (John 6:53-54). Clearly, He's not speaking literally here. Rather, we must spiritually 'consume' Jesus and solely trust Him. We trust a supersized Big Mac Meal to satiate our stomachs for a few hours. But by faith, we trust God's super-sized grace in Jesus to ongoingly satiate our soul with His love, mercy, provision, forgiveness, joy, victory over sin, etc. If your soul is famished, you'll find supersized satisfaction by humbly bowing at the foot of the cross!