Posts from 2022 (Page 3)
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…
What Does the Lord Require of You?
In a passage considered to be one of the most comprehensive statements in the Old Testament, Micah raises the question, “What does the Lord require of you?” (Micah 6:6-8). He supplies the answer and makes important points of application, not only for the sake of Israel in his day, but for the benefit of the Lord’s church in ours. As with all of the Old Testament, it was written for our learning (Rom. 15:4). Israel’s attitude was, “God’s demands are…
Competing Voices
What should have been an overwhelming victory became a terrible tragedy. God’s command to king Saul was simple—“utterly destroy” the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:1-3)—but he did not heed the voice of the Lord (1 Sam. 15:1; 19-20; 22). Instead, he listened to his own voice (1 Sam. 15:17), and that of the people (1 Sam. 15:24). He left king Agag alive, along with other spoils of war, which he claimed were to be sacrificed to the Lord (1 Sam. 15:8-9;…
A Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:5-6) – Steven Lloyd
The prophet Jeremiah foretold the coming doom of Judah and Jerusalem, and lived to see the words of his prophecy fulfilled. Judah’s problems began early. When seen from a bird’s eye view, one strand of the Story the Bible tells can be summarized in this fashion. God begins by ruling and reigning over His creation as King. The Psalmist affirms that “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever” (Ps. 29:10). Psalm 10:16 affirms,…
Perspective
The Christian life is one of ultimate victory and yet it is not without its pains. We live in a wicked world full of difficulties which affect us in many ways. Be it economic uncertainty, wicked leadership, death and disease, the scorn of unbelievers, or any number of challenges which can easily produce fear, doubt, and uncertainty within us, we will struggle. And yet, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed;…
Peter’s Wife’s Mother – Ronnie Scherffius
“And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.” (Luke 4:38-39) Each of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, & Luke) records the occasion of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. A quick glance may leave one with the impression that the record is simply…
Why no Instruments? – Clay Bond
The Psalmist declared, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker” (Psa. 95:6). One of the greatest privileges we have as God’s creatures is that of kissing toward our Creator in the reverential adoration called “worship.” When we engage in this great blessing, it should be our utmost desire to approach God in sincerity (Josh. 24:14; John 4:24) and to worship Him with our “whole heart” (Psa. 9:1; 111:1; 138:1). The failure…
A Plea of Desperation and a Prayer of Dependence – Trent Kennedy
The second half of Psalm 42 begins with a prayer to God. In calling upon God, the psalmist uses the possessive pronoun “my.” It seems that he still has an unwavering faith in God to do what he is asking (cf. Jas. 1:6-8). When his personal pep talk in verse 5 did not ease his pain, notice where the writer turns, to God. This is the only proper perspective. In times of distress people need to turn to God. There…
Training our Children – Matt Gibson
Much information has been written on the subject of children. Although much information is available, we need the Bible for direction and doctrine. Children are precious souls needing to be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). The world’s smallest school is the home. Proverbs 1:8-9 states, “My son hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,…
Crucify the Flesh!
In Galatians 5:24, Paul wrote, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Have you ever considered the intensity of what he wrote? We are to “crucify” the flesh. Not pound, beat, or smash, but CRUCIFY! Why did Paul use this language? Paul said “crucify” because we must think about the cross. The crucifixion was a strategic effort to silence, discredit and eradicate Jesus. He was nailed to a cross and left to writhe…
Jesus, Our Way to a Better Life
The goal of our generation is to live “the good life.” This dream is not new, it has been the desire of every age and every walk of life. People search all over for what is good, but we must realize that Jesus is the only way to a good life (John 14:6). Jesus Corrects Our Misconceptions: Most people think of the “good life” in terms of material prosperity, physical pleasure, and popularity. They believe that these things will bring…