{"id":15565,"date":"2013-11-16T09:35:00","date_gmt":"2013-11-16T15:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?page_id=15565"},"modified":"2021-01-10T20:04:40","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T02:04:40","slug":"just-a-nail","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/moral-principles-for-young-people-volume-ii\/just-a-nail\/","title":{"rendered":"Just a Nail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t<h1>Just a Nail<\/h1>\nby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<br \/>\nbased on an old story\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Nail.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/>A church built a new building, and people came from far and wide to see it. They admired it and said it was just what the church needed. The rooms were light and cheerful, there was space to store classroom supplies, and the seating was comfortable. It didn\u2019t hurt that it looked nice, too.<\/p>\n<p>But up on the roof, a little nail heard all the praises for everything but him. No one even knew he was there! \u201cIf I am that insignificant, nobody will miss me if I quit.\u201d So the nail gave way, slid down the roof, through the gutter and into the mud below.<\/p>\n<p>That night the wind came up and it began to rain. The shingle that the nail held down loosened and blew away in a gust. Water dripped through the hole, streaking the walls and softening the plaster on the ceiling. The ceiling gave way making a mess of the pews. Water dripped down on the pulpit and ruined the Bible the preacher had left there. All this damage because one little nail decided to quit!<\/p>\n<p>And what of the nail? While holding up the shingle it was obscure, but it had a purpose and was useful. True, its position was hidden, but it was also protected from the elements. But now buried in the mud it was just as obscure, only it was also useless and unprotected. Over time it will be destroyed by rust.<\/p>\n<h2>\fFor Further Study<\/h2>\n<h3>Verses to Consider<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Psalms 122:1<\/li>\n<li>Proverbs 14:30<\/li>\n<li>Ecclesiastes 4:9-12<\/li>\n<li>I Corinthians 3:2-3<\/li>\n<li>I Corinthians 12:14-27<\/li>\n<li>Galatians 5:26<\/li>\n<li>Ephesians 2:19-22<\/li>\n<li>Ephesians 4:14-16<\/li>\n<li>Titus 3:1-3<\/li>\n<li>Hebrews 10:23-25<\/li>\n<li>Hebrews 12:12-13<\/li>\n<li>James 3:16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Questions to Ponder<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Who are the truly useless and unimportant people in life?<\/li>\n<li>Are the important members of a group, such as congregation, always the most noticeable?<\/li>\n<li>What makes a job you do important?<\/li>\n<li>When you work with other people, does it benefit you?<\/li>\n<li>Does it make a difference if you see yourself as a part of a group or separate from a group? Why?<\/li>\n<li>Why is envy wrong? What does it do to a person? What does it do to others?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/moral-principles-for-young-people\/build-me-a-son\/\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrior Lesson\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/moral-principles-for-young-people-volume-ii\/\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMoral Principles for Young People 2\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/moral-principles-for-young-people-volume-ii\/lessons-from-a-cemetery\/\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNext Lesson\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just a Nail by Jeffrey W. Hamilton based on an old story A church built a new building, and people came from far and wide to see it. They admired it and said it was just what the church needed. The rooms were light and cheerful, there was space to store classroom supplies, and the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":15531,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-15565","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15531,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/moral-principles-for-young-people-volume-ii\/","url_meta":{"origin":15565,"position":0},"title":"Moral Principles for Young People &#8211; Volume II","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 15, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Moral Principles for Young People Volume II by Jeffrey W. Hamilton 2013 Content Build Me a Son by General Douglas MacArthur Cooperation Just a Nail Death Lessons from a Cemetery Decisions Where Are You Going? Failure Often a Failure Gratitude Who Packed Your Parachute? A Time for Growing Men Greed\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/choices.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1080,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/when-was-cornelius-saved\/cornelius-received-the-holy-spirit\/","url_meta":{"origin":15565,"position":1},"title":"Cornelius Received the Holy Spirit","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 1, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Cornelius Received the Holy Spirit A variety of phrases were used to describe what happened to Cornelius and his household. The Spirit fell on them all - Acts 10:44; 11:15 The gift of the Spirit had been poured out on them - Acts 10:45 The had received the Holy Spirit\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":949,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/keys-to-understanding\/examples-for-practice\/","url_meta":{"origin":15565,"position":2},"title":"Examples for Practice","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 24, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Examples for Practice \u00a0 \u201cBut solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil\u201d (Hebrews 5:14). \u00a0 There is no end to the examples which I could present in this chapter.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10151,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/acts-of-the-apostles\/the-ethiopians-conversion\/","url_meta":{"origin":15565,"position":3},"title":"The Ethiopian\u2019s Conversion","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Ethiopian\u2019s Conversion Text: Acts 8:26-40 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0An angel appears to Philip in Samaria. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He is instructed to travel south on the road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The road goes through uninhabited areas. Not a place one would usually think to go and preach the gospel. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0On this very\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10120,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/acts-of-the-apostles\/sharing-among-believers\/","url_meta":{"origin":15565,"position":4},"title":"Sharing Among Believers","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Sharing Among Believers Text: Acts 4:32-5:11 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Life among the early believers \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The early Christians were so united that they did not consider ownership. They willingly shared all that they had. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The apostles continued to witness to the resurrection, proving their words with the power given to them. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0God blessed them\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10402,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/genesis-a-study-of-the-beginning\/the-flood\/","url_meta":{"origin":15565,"position":5},"title":"The Flood (Genesis)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Flood Reading: Genesis 6:9-8:19 Describe the ark (what it was made of, it's shape, and how large it was). How many animals were taken on the ark? How could the ark hold that much? When did the rains start after Noah entered the ark? How long did the rains\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15565"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15565\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}