Sullen and Vexed

by Matthew W. Bassford The Israelite king Ahab is one of the most complex characters in the Bible. He isn’t a straightforward villain like Sisera or Caiaphas. There is good in him. When Elijah confronts him over the judicial murder of Naboth in I Kings 21, he repents and humbles himself. However, Ahab is doomed…

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Be Kind to All

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Be-Kind-to-All.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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The Lord’s Discipline

by Matthew W. Bassford Hebrews 12:5-13 makes a crucial but underappreciated point. The life of the Christian can be unpleasant, and sometimes, the One who is making it unpleasant is God. This is at odds with the worldly vision of God as an indulgent grandparent who does nothing but shower gifts upon us. However, it…

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Kicking Against the Goads

by Whit Sasser A goad is an animal prod — a stick that is jabbed into the hind section of, say a plowing ox, to stimulate better forward movement. Almost instinctively, the animal may be aggravated by the prodding goad and kick against it. People can be the same way. In a figurative sense, people…

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