Posts Tagged ‘church’
Love and Respect
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 5:25-33 I. There are some topics that are joined such that you cannot have one without the other. A. Faith and obedience are two sides the same subject. 1. You can’t really have faith without obedience – James 2:14-18 2. And you can’t really have obedience without faith – Romans 4:2-5 3. It…
Read MoreThe “Come as You Are” Method of Church Growth
by Mike Johnson Churches want to grow in number, but, sadly, many improper methods are used by churches today to increase their membership. One of these is the “Come as You Are” method. This method of growth is prevalent today in denominationalism. Slogans such as “God loves you no matter what” or “We don’t judge…
Read MoreWhat Are You Doing for the Lord’s Church?
by Terry Wane Benton It is not what the church is doing for you, but rather, what are you doing for the Lord’s church? Jesus died and spilled His blood for the church. She is His bride, and she is special, purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). He expects us to keep her pure,…
Read MoreThe Separation of Church and State
by Andy Sochor Copyright: © 2015 Lee Edwin Coursey, used with permission There is an ongoing debate in our society about the “separation of church and state.” Though the phrase is not used in any of this country’s founding documents, many understand it to be a fundamental principle upon which this nation was built. However,…
Read MoreCan’t Christians meet on other days of the week?
Question: In regards to “Can I attend an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship instead of a church while at college?” My first question is on “One departure from the Lord’s church that you mention is that they have services on Tuesdays, but the church meets on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1).”…
Read MoreCan I attend an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship instead of a church while at college?
Question: Hi Jeffrey, Hope you are well. I have been a Christian for 12 years now. I am going to college this fall. I’m very excited. The college I am going to, while not a Christian college per se, has a very active Varsity Christian Fellowship complete with its own full-time pastor, full-time staff, and…
Read MoreWhat If the Lord’s Church Was up to You?
by Terry Wane Benton What if a local church of Christ in your area was totally up to you? What if the Lord was counting on you to make sure there is a sound, biblical and encouraging church that existed and continued to hold up the truth of the gospel? If it weakens or dies,…
Read MoreMeasuring Acceptability
by Whit Sasser In II Corinthians 8:12 we read, “For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” This principle of God’s word is to be respected, as well as all others. Sadly, there seem to be many areas…
Read MoreFeeling Wanted and Needed
by Terry Wane Benton We were very young (24) when we first started preaching full time or “living of the gospel” (I Corinthians 9:7-14). God providentially put us in the right place (Berney Points in Birmingham, AL) for this early training ground. We needed to feel wanted and needed in this first attempt, and the…
Read MoreU.S. Church Membership Declines to Under 50%
Source: Jeffrey M. Jones, “U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time,” Gallup News, 29 March 2021. “47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.” “The decline in church membership is primarily a function of the increasing number of Americans who express no…
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