Dee: Our interview today is with Mark Smith, owner of the Middleton Christian Bookstore. Mark, many folks have never visited a Christian bookstore. Would you tell us what items your store carries besides Bibles and church supplies?

Mark: Yes, I would love to do that. We have, in addition to Sunday School curriculum and Bibles, a large collection of Christian music and CD's, cassettes, song books, plaques and pictures, coloring books, and a variety of miscellaneous gift items. I might add that there are numerous translations of the Bible. Some translations that are easier to understand and some with many study helps. We also carry a large inventory of books: fiction and non-fiction.

Dee: Do you have games?

Mark: Yes.

Dee: And jewelry?

Mark: Not too much, but yes, some.

Dee: At one time or another, most of us need some answers to life's situations, such as loneliness, depression, worry, sickness, family problems and others. Can you help us find scriptural answers to our problems at a time when we really need those answers?

Mark: That's an excellent question, Dee. The Christian book store can provide help for people interested in finding help for life's problems. We carry many specific tools and aids that can help anyone who is honestly searching for truth. For instance, a Bible concordance lists various verses in God's word and how they pertain to certain subjects. They can be very beneficial.

If a person doesn't know what word would lead them to verses they need, we have a book where subjects or topics are listed.

Dee: So we could look up words like 'anger', 'divorce', 'abortion', 'war', and on and on to see where in the Bible it is addressed.

Mark: Yes. Nave's Topical Bible is especially good to look up subjects to see what God has to say about it. There are also Bible dictionaries. And Halley's Handbook Commentaries are particulary helpful in helping us understand certain verses in the Bible.

Dee: Something Mark won't tell you, but I will, is: If there's something you need to know, but don't know where to look or just haven't been able to find it, Mark (and I'm sure other people in other Christian bookstores) will steer you to the materials you really need.

It's a great ministry you have here. In the fourth chapter of Philippians, we are all told to bring our requests to God with thanksgiving and then to think on things that are good. What products do you have that will help us to gain the peace of mind God promises when we follow this scripture?

Mark: Most importantly I would emphasize God's word because as we think and dwell on the Word of God, it's going to help us withstand the attacks of our advesary, the devil. It's going to help us even overcome temptation. There are other things that will also help us, such as good clean reading. There are many gifted authors in fiction.

Dee: You have adventure and romance. Good clean inspirational material.

Mark: Sure. Many things which help us people in a variety of ways.

Dee: Thank you Mark for the interview and for all who make this form of ministry available to the rest of us.

I encourage each of you who have not visited a Christian bookstore to drop in one and browse. You're in for a treat.