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…
The Wisdom of Listening & Learning
On the whole, American culture displays a tragic lack of wisdom. One could likely identify a number of reasons why such is the case but perhaps the greatest reason is actually quite simple–people refuse to listen and learn. Wisdom desires to be heard. She “calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open square” (Pro. 1:20). She stands at the city gates and cries aloud for fools to listen to her pleading (Pro. 8:1-5). Wisdom is available to…
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…
The Poor in Spirit
In Habakkuk 2:4, the prophet declared, “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” Although this is the first time the principle is stated in these words, it is not new. It is as old as God’s dealing with man. The righteous have always and always will live by faith (Gal. 2:20). Therefore, it is important for us to understand faith, and how to develop a faith approach to living.…
6 Things to Remember When You Give
Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom..” (Luke 6:38). We know that we should give of our means to the Lord, but in an economy that seems to demand more and more of us by the month, generosity may seem untenable and maybe even burdensome. Paul addressed giving in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Note 6 principles from…
House to House School of Evangelism
Currently, evangelism is a hot topic for many congregations of the Lord’s church and rightly so. Today, many congregations close their doors each year. Therefore, this interest and desire for church growth is very encouraging. Certainly, we should like to see this hunger and thirst for evangelism, instead of apathy among our brethren. The House to House School of Evangelism is a great work that is designed to motivate congregations of the Lord’s body to seek and save the lost…
The Pain of Death
I have taken part in a number of funerals through the years. Young and old, Christians and nonChristians, those I knew well and those I didn’t know at all, family members, friends, and the dearest friend to me in life. I am no expert but experience has taught me one thing for certain– death hurts. Bildad referenced the pain of death when he called it “the king of terrors” in Job 18:14, and Job himself spoke of “terrors of the…