Posts by Christian Worker (Page 7)
Why Does It Happen? – Daniel F. Cates
There is no earthshaking revelation in the recognition that discouragements come. They come in A.D. 2024 and have likewise in every year since the world was created (unless Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden for an extended period before they fell). In some of the lives of our biblical heroes, discouragements not only came but they were frequent and powerful. David’s manifold tears made his “bed to swim” (Ps. 6:6). On one occasion [likely on more that…
We’ve All Been There! – Andy Baker
I am reminded of the story of the man that approached a little league baseball game one hot, sunny afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy kept his gaze on the field and responded, “Eighteen to nothing—we’re behind.” “Woah,” said the man, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged?” replied the little boy. “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!” Discouragement is a state of mind and heart that repeatedly…
From the Director’s Desk (February 2024) – Trent Kennedy
If I could start again…that is a thought that we’ve all entertained at one point or another. For many, the realization that they need a fresh start is brought about by godly sorrow (2 Cor. 7:10) or a traumatic event (cf. Job 1-2) or burning in their bones (Jer. 20:9) or a spiritual realization (Acts 19:18-20). These types of experiences have one thing in common, they make us look to our Creator and give thought to our latter end (cf.…
If I Could Start Again as an Elder – Bill Siebert
If I Could Start Again, I would have better Bible study habits. There were many times throughout the four decades that I served the Southwest congregation as an elder that I felt I was inadequate in Bible knowledge but, looking back, I should have had a better plan to study the Bible, not just daily Bible reading, but more time each day in intensive Bible study; taken better notes while listening to the preacher; spent more time in memorizing Bible…
If I Could Start Again as a Preacher – Ronnie Scherffius
There is not one among us who, if possible, would step back into time either to restart, redo, or remove completely from our lives that which we deem unsatisfactory. Such, however, is folly. It is not possible to return to the past. Water that passes under a bridge flows ever distant. A day that vanishes to the evening returns not with the morning. Shortcomings and failures should not remain to hinder us but rather be forgotten (Phil. 3:13). We should…
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,…