Posts from October 2022

Posts from October 2022

How Shall We Increase?

Church growth is a spiritual blessing given by Almighty God. Yet, His spiritual blessings are conditioned upon our obedience to Christ (Eph. 1:3), and He has given two conditions for church growth: sowing and watering (1 Cor. 3:6; Matt. 13:19). If we execute these conditions, God will give the increase. What is involved in sowing the seed of the kingdom? We must have the right seed, God’s word (Lk. 8:11; Matt. 13:19) because it is incorruptible, endures forever (1 Pet.…
Mighty oak tree. Sunset in the evening. The concept of wisdom and longevity

The Truly Wise – Bryan Hodge

“Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13) The truly wise demonstrate their wisdom in two ways.  First, they demonstrate it by good conduct.  True wisdom goes beyond intellectual learning.  Christians should seek to live by God’s word.  James instructed, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only…” (Jas. 1:22).  Jesus stated, “Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I…
Three confident intercultural colleagues having talk at break

Giving Good Advice – Ross Haffner

Those who are wise know that there are times when they need the advice of knowledgeable and mature Christians. “A wise man will hear and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels” (Pro. 1:5). God says we need advice, not only as individuals, but for the good of the whole society because “where no counsel is, the people fall” (Pro. 11:14). However, we should not make the mistake in thinking that any advice will…
Inca ruins

The Ruin of a Ruler

Solomon wrote, “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Pro. 16:18; KJV). Scripture provides numerous illustrations of the truth of this proverb.  Consider the Assyrian commander who asked, “Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand” (2 Kings 18:35)? He soon learned the answer when the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in…
two lovers studying the bible It is God's love for Christians.

In The Know – Bill Burk

The phrase, “In the know” means “in possession of information which is not generally known.” When it comes to the blessings we have in Jesus, the Lord wants us to know what we have. In other words, he wants us to understand what being “in Christ” means and the privileges that go along with it. The first fourteen verses of Ephesians chapter one speak of some of the things we now have in the Lord. We have been blessed (1:3);…
Two men praying for each other.

Confess Your Faults One To Another – Johnie Scaggs, Jr.

James said, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (Jas 5:16). What does it mean to “confess your faults (sin)?” And to whom should we confess our sins? These are questions that have a biblical answer.  It is becoming a trend among those who use Facebook and other media outlets to lay out one’s whole life history for the world to…

How the Church can Strengthen Her Elders

The work of an elder is among the greatest privileges that could ever be given. Indeed it is a “good work” but it is also a challenging one. Like everyone else, godly elders need to be strengthened in their work, and the church has the responsibility to fulfil that need. Hebrews 13 provides three practical ways that we can strengthen and encourage godly leaders. Remember them (Heb. 13:7). To “remember” our elders is to “keep them in mind,” and implies…

What is Church Growth?

Currently, church growth is a hot topic for many congregations of the Lord’s church and rightly so. First, because it was the desire of the first century church, and second, because today, many congregations close their doors each year. Therefore, this interest and desire for growth is very encouraging. Certainly, we should like to see this hunger and thirst for evangelism, instead of apathy among our brethren. Yet, the question must be asked, what is growth? The Scriptures teach church…

A Family that Follows the Lord

Our world is a philosophical and ideological all you can eat buffet. Because we are people of free will, we must all choose how we will live. What will our values be? How will we view humanity, the world, and God? What direction will we follow in life? This is also true for the family. God said of Abraham, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way…