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Worry, Worry, Worry
by Joshua V. Best Everyone knows the signs: sleepless nights, sick stomachs, mental breakdowns, deep depression, hiding away, high blood pressure. turning to drugs and alcohol, etc… These are indicators an individual has fallen victim to his own worry. Worry eats people alive, and Christians are not immune. It touches the lives of virtually every…
Read MoreSix Questions About Baptism
by Matthew W. Bassford This lesson was prompted by a series of questions passed to me by one of the young people in the congregation. They are all very thoughtful, and they are all on the subject of baptism. I think publicly exploring the topic is important. Others may be grappling with the same questions,…
Read MoreDangerous Preaching
by Sewell Hall A man who accepts the task of preaching the gospel accepts a dreadful responsibility. “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Application of these words may not be limited to what we commonly term local preachers, but they apply in…
Read MoreThe Fallacy of the “Phobia” Charge
by Doy Moyer Typically, by its very nature, a phobia is an irrational fear. Phobiasource tells us that real phobias are emotional or anxiety disorders causing one to experience intense irrational fear. The person’s reaction is automatic (uncontrollable), and may result in a rapid heartbeat, shaking and trembling, the feeling of need to flee, shortness…
Read MoreBible Truth About Baptism
by Matthew W. Bassford via His Excellent Word, November 14, 2016 I’d gotten some feedback about my recent preaching on evangelism that I felt merited sermons of its own. One of them was last week’s sermon. This week’s sermon is another. Basically, some of the ladies were asking the age-old question, “But what do I say?” …
Read MoreTwice Adopted
by Jefferson David Tant Those familiar with Branson, Missouri’s entertainment mecca may know the musical “Twice Adopted,” featuring ten adopted children who share their singing talent with thousands. Their story touches the heart. Randy and Linda Koenig were childless until they adopted a child from Guatemala. One thing led to another, and another, and another…
Read MoreMaking Known His Glory
by Andrew Hamilton A section of Romans caught my attention during a recent Bible study. As a quick reminder of the context, Paul spends quite a bit of Romans explaining the righteousness of God. Partway through an analysis of Israelite history, he inserts a sort of question-and-answer section to make a few points clear. “What…
Read MoreLiving with Unanswered Questions
by Doy Moyer Most of us would likely agree with the idea that the older we get, the more we realize we don’t know. The vastness of the universe, the complexity of people, and the general recognition that we just don’t have all the answers lead us to realize the need to be humble. We…
Read MoreSin, Repentance, and Judging Others
by Doy Moyer Some discussions just seem odd to me. One such oddity goes along these lines (and it seems to happen over and over, especially on social media, so this is not a reference to one particular discussion): Person A: “People who engage in this activity are in sin and need to repent.” (What…
Read MoreThe Drive Through
by Sheldon Smith This morning on the way to work, I decided to stop by McDonald’s. It was one of those newly designed restaurants with a double drive-through. There were several cars in each line. The normal process is for cars to form a single line after putting in their order. It’s kind of like…
Read More“Where the Bible Speaks, We Speak – Where the Bible is Silent, We are Silent”
by Danny Brown The Preceptor – October 2006 This famous slogan, “Where the Bible speaks; we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent” was spoken by Thomas Campbell in August or September of 1809. It is implied by those who believe and accept the principles implied in the motto that they: Believe that…
Read MoreCan One Go Without Sinning?
by Bryan Garlock (edited) John wrote, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin …” Have you ever considered the phrase, “that you may not sin”? It is true that since the flesh is weak and temptations are many, we stumble and fall from time to time.…
Read MoreIs Knowing that Baptism Is Essential to Salvation Essential to Salvation?
by Gary Eubanks This question may seem a bit obscure and requires a moment’s reflection to digest, but it actually addresses a very common and familiar situation. Anyone who knows much about Evangelicalism knows that at its heart lies the concept of salvation by faith alone. For Evangelicals, salvation comes at the point of belief…
Read MoreAre We Under “Law” or “Grace”?
by Wayne Jackson “Why do some insist that Christians are ‘under law’ today? We are not under law, but grace. The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus (John 1:17).” We must respectfully point out that the question recorded above reflects a serious misunderstanding of the nature of both law and grace.…
Read MoreBy What Authority? (Tant)
by Jefferson David Tant “When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me,…
Read MoreDo Not Love the World
by Dennis Stackhouse The fact that Christian people are to be different from those who do not follow Christ, is clearly stated for us in I John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all…
Read MoreSave Yourselves
by Terry W. Benton Only because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and only through knowledge of what He did can we engage in the activity of faith that will result in our salvation. There is a common expression these days that “there is nothing you can do, Jesus did it all…
Read MoreWhat Does Submission Look Like?
by Doy Moyer “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Imagine a person whose normal mode is to run red lights (maybe we don’t have to imagine so much). He runs this light and the next one, but then comes upon a red light and sees a…
Read MoreCourtesy
by Morris D. Norman Whatever happened to old-fashioned courtesy? Oh, it’s still around, but it is becoming rarer and rarer, even among those who call themselves the children of God. The English word means, “courtly politeness, graceful and considerate behavior toward others.” Refined people are courteous. They have respect for the rights, privileges, and feelings…
Read MoreVessels Unto Honor and Vessels Unto Dishonor
by L.A. Stauffer via Son Rays, Vol. 30, No. 23, Sept. 7 2008 Paul writes to the young preacher, Timothy, and urges him to flee immorality so that he might be a “vessel unto honor.” His reference is to Timothy’s person or body and how he should engage in honorable conduct (II Timothy 2:20-21). The…
Read MoreIs Our Faith Known?
by Dennis Stackhouse As the apostle Paul was beginning his letter to the Christians at Colossae, he made this statement in Colossians 1:3-4: “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all…
Read MoreWhat Is a Pastor?
by Jefferson David Tant The term “pastor” is a familiar term to people in most denominations. It is usually applied to the men or women who stand before the congregation and deliver a message from the Word of God as the preacher. And in many situations, the pastor is the one who has the position…
Read MoreLove Finds a Way
by Sewell Hall All Christians want to bring the lost to Christ. But each of us has some handicap that causes us to feel limited in our ability to do so. It may be a weakness of knowledge or difficulty in expressing ourselves. Perhaps it is a personality deficiency or even a lack of transportation.…
Read MoreCalm Under Pressure
by Dennis Stackhouse How can a person remain calm even when he or she is under pressure, sometimes immense pressure? Perhaps we should ask if it’s even possible to remain calm in this pressure-cooker world we live in? When we view this from the spiritual perspective we can say that it not only is possible,…
Read MoreTeaching Children About Fornication
by Mark Roberts “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (I Corinthians 6:18). Perhaps no precept of scripture is as widely ignored as this one. Our society is absolutely obsessed with sex. Advertising, movies and television, printed material,…
Read MoreWhen We Disagree
by Doy Moyer Be generous. Assume the best first. Don’t assign evil motives to other parties. They may have intended something else. Let the principles of love guide our discussions (I Cor 13:4-8). Be respectful. Don’t begin a response by insulting and insinuating that the other parties are intellectually deficient. Just address the issue without resorting to…
Read MoreOn Gay Marriage, Our Culture, and Christianity
by Jonathan Perz “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). No law, edict, dictate of man or man’s government will ever change these words! Jesus reaffirmed them (Matthew 19:4-5) and they will stand regardless of any decision of men made today, tomorrow,…
Read MoreHow to Deal with Guilt
by Ken Weliever via The Preacher’s Word Although it may be fictitious, the story is told of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, who pulled a clever, but a cruel practical joke on twelve of the best-known men in England. He anonymously wrote a short, unsigned telegram with six simple words: “All is…
Read MorePeter’s Vision and the Great Necessary Inferences
by Terry Wayne Benton Acts 10-11 Some brethren have erroneously concluded that direct command is the only way we can know the will of God for us. They attack or dismiss the idea of reasoning from statements, commands, examples, and drawing necessary inferences. But, I find it to be very obvious that God wants us…
Read MoreDoes the New Testament Authorize Deaconesses?
by Carrol R. Sutton via Guardian of Truth, November 16, 1989 The question under consideration in this study is one about which scholars are divided. Some do not hesitate to say that deaconesses are authorized in the New Testament. Others say that it is questionable and still others suggest that there is no authority in the…
Read MoreWhat Is “Lawlessness”?
by Jefferson David Tant In a well-known New Testament passage, Christ addresses a misconception that many had in that day, which is also held by many today. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will…
Read MoreHumility and Exaltation
by Dennis Stackhouse When Jesus related the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, His concluding remarks are recorded in Luke 18:14: “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Our Lord clearly…
Read MoreThe Basics of Communication: Tell, Show, Imply
by Doy Moyer We need to get past the constant criticism of CENI (Command, Example, Necessary Inference). The problem with CENI is not that it is a failed hermeneutic. The problem is that we have clouded the terminology so much that we have forgotten what basic communication is all about. CENI is fancy talk for…
Read MoreObeying God
by Dennis Stackhouse On one occasion King Saul had been given a direct command from God to utterly destroy Amalek, including men and women, children and infants, as well as all the livestock (I Samuel 15:3). However, Saul and the people spared Agag, the king of Amalek, along with the best of the sheep, the…
Read MoreLeaving the Pit
by Wilson Adams It was the most compelling argument I’ve ever heard against social drinking… A young man in his 30s stood in front of the Leaving the Pit Conference in Indianapolis on Saturday and told his story. His alcohol use began in high school and intensified in college. He hid it well. He was…
Read MoreFret Not
by Dennis Stackhouse In Psalm 37:1-6, the writer had some good advice for all of us when he said: “Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land…
Read MoreSolace in Solitude
by Andrew Hamilton Sometimes, you have one of those days. You had a stressful day at work, or you received some bad news. You have a lot on your mind. Where do you turn? “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he…
Read MoreSound Doctrine Produces Sound Churches Demanding Sound Doctrine
by Edward O. Bragwell via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 12, Dec. 1995. “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering…
Read MoreThe Impact of Our Choices
by Dennis Stackhouse Just prior to his physical death, Joshua tried to encourage the people of Israel with these familiar words: “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods…
Read MoreRecognizing Our Sin
by Dennis Stackhouse How important is it for a Christian individuals to recognize sin in their lives? It is of extreme importance because without that recognition a person will never take the necessary steps to remove the sin and get their life moving in a righteous direction once more. With that in mind, let’s notice…
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