FUNCTIONS.PHP

function awesome_excerpt($text, $raw_excerpt) {
        if( ! $raw_excerpt ) {
            $content = apply_filters( 'the_content', get_the_content() );
            $text = substr( $content, 0, strpos( $content, '</p>' ) + 4 );
        }
        $text = preg_replace("/<img[^>]+\>/i", "", $text);
        return $text;
    }
    add_filter( 'wp_trim_excerpt', 'awesome_excerpt', 10, 2 );

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENT-RECENT-POSTS.PHP, using get_template to pull it into two template files SINGLE.PHP and FRONT-PAGE.PHP

<?php
    if ( is_single()) {
        $categories = get_the_category();
        if ($categories) {
        foreach ($categories as $category) {
            $cat = $category->cat_ID;
            $args=array(
            'cat' => $cat,
            'order' => 'DESC',
            'post__not_in' => array($post->ID),
            'posts_per_page'=>2,
            'caller_get_posts'=>1
        );
            $my_query = null;
            $my_query = new WP_Query($args);
                if( $my_query->have_posts() ) {

        while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post();
    ?>

        <div class="col-md-6">
            <div class="recent-blog-post-item">
                <?php if(has_post_thumbnail()) : ?>
                    <div class="blog-post-featured-img">
                        <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>">
                            <?php the_post_thumbnail(); ?>
                        </a>
                    </div>
                <?php endif; ?>

                <div class="blog-post-content recent-meta-text">
                    <div class="recent-meta-title">
                        <a href="<? the_permalink()?>" rel="bookmark" title="<?php the_title(); ?>">
                            <h4><?php the_title(); ?></h4>
                        </a>
                    </div>


                    <div class="recent-meta-excerpt">
                        <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
                        <a class="read-more" href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>">Read More <i class="fa fa-long-arrow-right"></i></a>
                    </div>
                </div> <!-- end recent meta text -->
            </div><!-- end recent blog post item -->
        </div>
     <?php
    endwhile;
                }
            }
        } wp_reset_query();

    } else if(is_front_page()) {

        $args = array(
            'order' => DESC,
            'orderby' => 'date',
            'posts_per_page'=>3,
            'post_type' => 'post',
            'caller_get_posts'=>1
        );

        $my_query = new WP_Query($args);

        if( $my_query->have_posts() ) {

            while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post();
            ?>

            <div class="col-md-4">
                <div class="recent-blog-post-item">
                    <?php if(has_post_thumbnail()) : ?>
                        <div class="blog-post-featured-img">
                            <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>">
                                <?php the_post_thumbnail(); ?>
                            </a>
                        </div>
                    <?php endif; ?>

                    <div class="blog-post-content recent-meta-text">
                        <div class="recent-meta-title">
                            <a href="<? the_permalink()?>" rel="bookmark" title="<?php the_title(); ?>">
                                <h4><?php the_title(); ?></h4>
                            </a>
                        </div>

                        <div class="recent-meta-excerpt">
                            <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
                            <a class="read-more" href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>">Read More <i class="fa fa-long-arrow-right"></i></a>
                        </div>
                    </div> <!-- end recent meta text -->
                </div><!-- end recent blog post item -->
            </div>
             <?php
            endwhile;
        }
    }
    wp_reset_query();
?>