Posts by Christian Worker (Page 6)
If I Could Start Again as a Teenager – Wade Webster
I grew up in a small, rural town in Alabama. There were woods to hunt, lakes to fish, and plowed fields to search for arrowheads. There were no cell phones. There was no internet. Pornography was not just a click away as it is for teens today. I grew up in what is known as the Bible Belt – a belt-like swath across the State of Alabama and the South where religion was especially strong. It could have been called…
If I Could Start Again as a Father – Carl McCann
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4). Contextually, John is most likely referring to Gaius (and others whom John knew) and his faithful obedience and devotion to God. As a father of three grown children (along with their spouses), I can understand the joy of faithful children. However, our thoughts are centered on the idea of what I would do differently in raising my children. Sober reflection upon the past…
If I Could Start Again as a Husband – Dave Rogers
Regret has been a perpetual refrain for humanity since our beginning; I have no doubt Adam and Eve must have thought, “If only we could go back to the garden, we’d never touch that fruit again!” I sometimes wonder if Nicodemus’ words in John 3:4 held a wistful tinge of “If only I really could be born again.” I have been greatly blessed to have been the husband of only one wife in my lifetime. For nearly 44 years Luann…
If I Could Start Again as a Christian – Troy Spradlin
Have you ever considered your life and thought, “If I could start all over again, I would …”? I believe we all do that at some point or another, perhaps quite often. It is natural to allow retrospect to dictate what might have been if given the chance. Usually, we apply this thought to something unkind we may have said or done to someone, a bad decision we made, or the outcome of a certain direction in life. So, what…
From the Director’s Desk (January 2024) – Trent Kennedy
Some Christians love to be spoon-fed long after they pass the newborn stage. Correspondingly, some preachers love to keep spoon-feeding Christians even when they should have matured long past that stage (cf. Heb. 5:12-14) We all understand that if a thirty-year-old is still being spoon-fed, something has not developed correctly. At times, this can happen because of mental or physical handicaps. However, if we were to see a grown man being spoon-fed and coddled by his mother, a grown man…
Two Basic Rules for Reading the Bible – Steven Lloyd
Another hallmark of the literary approach to the Bible is its emphasis on the unity of books and passages. Literary critics look for literary wholes. A pioneer in the literary approach to the Bible rightly commented that ‘no principle of literary study is more important than that of grasping clearly a literary work as a single whole.’ A literary approach to the Bible is thus characterized partly by attention to unifying patterns in biblical texts. (Words of Delight, p. 21).…
Shortcuts for Bible Study – Kevin W. Rhodes
Anyone who studies the Bible has longed for tips that could reduce the effort needed to exegete a passage, prepare a lesson plan, or write a sermon. When an especially difficult passage or topic comes along, the time crunch feels truly oppressive, mocking your efforts and exposing your weaknesses. The expectation for the preacher to know every answer exacerbates the problem, pressuring ministers to find an answer more quickly than wisdom warrants. However, pride and impatience can rear their heads,…
Building Your Devotional Life – Neal Pollard
Maybe you have resolved repeatedly to become a better, more faithful Bible student, person of prayer, or simply one who truly desires to build a closer relationship with God. While a lot of that will be personal and peculiar to you as an individual, you may lack direction about how to get started or give yourself the best chance to succeed in that goal. Perhaps these few suggestions can prove helpful to strengthening your daily connection with your Creator. Adjust…
From the Director’s desk (December 2023) – Trent Kennedy
Jesus trained his apostles. Moses trained Joshua. Elijah trained Elisha. The list could go on, but the Bible is clear that the task of training men to lead, to preach, and to minister is an important one (2 Timothy 2:2). The primary training ground for leadership is the home, but the church has a great role to play in furthering this cause. It is our belief that the Southwest School of Bible Studies can help local congregations in this endeavor.…
“And When He Gave Thanks….” – Justin Gonzalez
Jesus the Christ is the supreme example that all men should follow. Paul said “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). Paul understood that Christ is the example to be followed in all things. John writes that the Christian should abide in Him and “walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). When looking to Jesus for our example, in order to do as He did and live as He lived, we see His use of…
“Justified in the Spirit” – Trent Kennedy
Jesus Christ is exhorted in First Timothy as our hope (1:1), our Lord (1:2), as the epitome of grace, faith, and love (1:14), our Savior (1:15), our mediator (2:5), and the one who will come again (6:14). This epistle and the New Testament certainly proves that He is worthy of our praise, adoration, and honor. In the short, Spirit-inspired song of praise through the pen of Paul (1 Tim. 3:16), there is a phrase that draws the present-day reader’s attention:…
The Purpose of Gospel Preaching – Clay Bond
These words, spoken so long ago, reflect what God wants more than anything. His desire is for His creation to hear His spoken word which is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). In our age, God has designated Gospel preaching to be the means by which His…