Christian Worker (Page 4)
Hold to His Hand – Clay Bond
We are all familiar with the song “Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand.” Considering that we so often hear people say that change is good, the concept of a Being that is unchanging is thought provoking. Sometimes change is desperately needed, but other times change equals betrayal (Ps. 119:59-60; Jer. 2:29-37). The Scriptures encourage us to be faithful on the basis of the unchanging nature of Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and…
5 Requirements to Please the Lord
Lists are helpful ways of keeping ourselves on task. We make to-do lists to manage our workload, grocery lists to help us feed our families, and chore lists to keep our home in order. As it pertains to serving God, the five precepts of Deuteronomy 10:12-13 serve as a kind of list reminding us of His requirements. First, “fear the Lord your God.” Fearing God has to do with reverential awe displayed before an awesome power and presence. It involves…
God’s Part And Man’s Part – B.J. Clarke
Does man contribute to his salvation? Does man have any part to play, any role to fulfill, in the salvation process? Does salvation arise from human activity? Some say no. What saith the Scripture? It is imperative to properly define our terms. Webster defines “contribute” as follows: “1: to give a part to a common fund or store b: to play a significant part in bringing about an end or result.” Among the definitions Webster gives for the word “part”…
Has Man Outgrown the Gospel – Allen Webster
Times change. Today’s “new” is tomorrow’s “old,” this morning’s breakthrough is this afternoon’s castaway, this year’s popular is lost in next year’s “latest.” The up-to-date is soon out-of-date. Truth doesn’t change. It reads the same today as yesterday and as it will tomorrow. It is “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Some feel they have outgrown the ancient Gospel. The idea that there is a standard which is absolute is, to them, obsolete. The concepts of sin…
I can Live with your Disapproval – Rick Brumback
I realize that I may have to start doing so simply based upon the title above. It is certainly not meant to be dismissive or cavalier. Nor is it meant to be a disrespectful statement of your relative worth as a fellow human. It is, instead, a considered statement of the value system I embrace and the cost I am willing to bear as I uphold that system. Let me explain. We are to be concerned with the thoughts of…
“ The Decline and Fall of …America?” – Carl B. Garner
Many of us can recall the atmosphere of the late ‘50s and ‘60s. A constant state of fear of atomic warfare permeated our lives. We had seen the devastation of the first bombs over Japan, and we could not get it out of our minds. We can remember the “shoe-pounding” of Nikita Khrushchev in the United Nations. It wasn’t hard to imagine him “pushing the button” that would start a war that might “end all wars.” You could find plenty…
The Wisdom to See the End
Every parent works hard to instill within their children the ability to contemplate the outcomes of their words and actions, but such an effort is not always easy. A father tells his little boy to clean up his toys, tell the truth, and follow the rules but often the little boy just wants to know “why?” Parents have something that their children do not—life experience, and with it, wisdom, and foresight. A child may not understand why Mom and Dad…
The Church Still Stands for Excellence – Don Walker
When Christ promised to build His church, He promised it would be built upon the rock—Peter’s confession, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:13). The church is built upon the solidarity of the Deity and perfection of Jesus Christ. She is a most glorious church because of her relationship with Christ. The value of the church is seen in the fact that Christ purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). And it is…
From the Director’s Desk (September 2023) – Trent Kennedy
What would the congregation say about their preacher after he left? What would the church say about the missionaries after they returned home? What about area congregations and Christians – how would they characterize the work of certain ministers? What kind of impact do we as preachers leave on people when our time working together comes to an end? When we study 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, we see the kind of impact that Paul, Silas, and Timothy had on their Macedonian…
From the Director’s Desk (August 2023) – Trent Kennedy
Each August is exciting at Southwest. As the school prepares to start a new school year, we love seeing our second-year students return from their breaks. We were especially glad to welcome back the Tabora family, who spent a month in Honduras, and Christopher Willcut, who spent the month in South America. Both of these students spent their entire break doing short-term mission work. The other students were busy preaching, reporting, seeing family, and catching up on their studies. In…
Jesus, The Master Teacher – Carl Garner
In the Greek society and culture, no profession was more respected than that of the teacher. One who had information that he was able to impart to another was on the highest rung of their social ladder. To speak of one who was a “Master Teacher” was to describe a person who had the capability of skillfully and interestingly imparting knowledge to others. While it may not always have been so, the term implied that this Master Teacher was careful…
A City Of Truth – Don Walker
“Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of Truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his had for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys…