Why would Jesus teach a message that He knows those who are listening will not understand? That is the question Matt Mac-Connell addressed this week from another very familiar passage of the Bible: Matthew 13, Parable of the Sower. In this parable we hear Jesus say, “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” (verse 13) Matthew 13 begins with Jesus going out, sitting by the lake, when great crowds of people gather to hear him. So many people came, in fact, that Jesus went out on a boat in the lake so all could hear him. It is at that point that He begins speaking the parable of a farmer going out to sow seed. Starting with verse 3, it reads: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.”

FIPRONIL. The Lord recently allowed us to spend time helping our younger son who bought his first home. In removing carpet from one bedroom, we noticed some old termite activity. Being on a concrete slab, there's a crack along the outside walls in the room. I suggested that he treat the crack with Fipronil, or similar termiticide, and when he has time, to treat the whole perimeter of his house. Fipronil is a non-repellent pesticide. That simply means the termites can't sense it. They move through the treated area searching for food and then return to the colony and unknowingly pass it around to others. It would be similar to a plague spreading from person to person. The premise is that by forming a perimeter barrier, termite colonies will self-destruct, thus protecting your home. And if done right every 8 to 10 years, you should always be protected. So what is it that protects Christians from the destructive onslaughts of Satan, our sin-filled world, and our own internal sinful desires? The Psalmist (David?) wrote in Psalm 119:11, 'Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.' God's Word is our spiritual Fipronil. The Apostle Paul wrote to struggling Christians in Ephesus, saying, 'Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand... And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God' (6:13, 17). God wisely gave us His Word as the weapon by which we attack the spiritual termites seeking to destroy our spiritual house and bring us to ruin. Even the Lord Jesus Christ wielded the sword of God's Word when fighting against Satan during His temptation in the wilderness after 40 days of fasting (Matt. 4). But unlike Fipronil that weakens over time, 'No word from God shall ever be void of power' (Luke 1:37—literal translation). How important is God's 'Fipronil' to us today?

Anthony Cole, the science teacher at Stockton High School, recently completed a Seed to STEM workshop sponsored by the Kansas Corn Commission. The Seed to STEM workshop provided 60 science teachers with classroom lessons and lab exercises to teach about corn, biotechnology, and ethanol. Each teacher received a kit with science lab materials and equipment valued at $500.00 to use in their classrooms.

June is Great Outdoors Month, and what better way than to spend the day by the lake, having fun and learning about nature? Fish and turtles were caught at the Outdoor Adventure Day Camp on Tuesday, June 6th, at the Rooks State Fishing Lake. Graham and Rooks County Game Warden Jake Brooke, K9 Kreed, Kansas Forest Service District Fire Management Officer Chris Hanson, and Kansas Wildlife and Parks Summer Intern Brendon shared their expertise with the youth.

Just a reminder to pick up your Senior pictures during the Stockon Sentinel’s business hours. We appreciate the loan of the pictures for our annual window display..

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The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) issued their latest public health advisory update due to blue-green algae last Thursday afternoon, June 15.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks issued a public health advisory update on Thursday, June 8th. Webster Lake had been added to the Active “Warning” Advisory.

Nearly 4,000 Kansas State University students have earned semester honors for their academic performance in the spring 2023 semester. Students earning a grade point average for the semester of 3.75 or above on at least 12 graded credit hours receive semester honors along with commendations from their deans.