Posts Tagged ‘growth’
The Growth of the Church in Jerusalem
by Dudley R. Spears via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 4, December 31, 1990 No period in the history of the Lord’s church records a greater numerical growth than the first century. There are repeated references to the reason why such phenomenal growth occurred. Men of faith claim the reason was the preaching of the apostles.…
Read MoreA Work in Progress
by David Gibson “And I am sure of this,” Paul wrote, “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). If we belong to Christ and grow in him, each of us is a work in progress. God is currently at work…
Read MorePatience in Bearing Fruit
by Zeke Flores The parable of the sower and the seed is popular, and for good reason. It’s not hard to see the various attitudes and personalities in the different soils offered in the parable. However, as Luke explains Jesus’s story, it’s the last sentence that is sometimes hardest for me. The reason is that…
Read MoreDead Wood Among the Branches
by Jack Behle via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 The teacher tenure law in our state protects teachers against being dismissed arbitrarily after teaching in a district for five years. In fact, it is very difficult to fire a tenured teacher, no matter what the reason. The law was designed to…
Read MoreGod at Work
by David Gibson Christians need encouragement! This is evident from the abundance of Bible passages designed to build up and motivate. Certainly, we need all the commands and all the warnings of the New Testament, but thank God also for all the verses that say, in essence, “Your efforts to do right are well worth…
Read MoreDo you have to figure out all your sins before becoming a Christian?
Question: I have a few questions. If you don’t mind. Do you have to figure out all your sins right away, or is this a lifelong process of seeing sin and repenting? I read What Repentance Is Not. It gave the example of someone who quit drinking because it was affecting their health. My question…
Read MoreChurch Growth
by Chadwick Brewer When considering how to help the church grow, there is a real temptation to look to the business world and copy their marketing schemes. This has been the path of many mega-churches. But God’s church is not a business. We should not look to the business world to determine how to grow…
Read MoreThe Purpose of the Local Church – Encouraging Faithfulness
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Purpose-of-the-Local-Church-Encouraging-Faithfulness.mp3 Download Audio by David Bunting Understanding Christ’s Church
Read MoreIs loving God a process over time?
Question: I understand that the process of one becoming a Christian isn’t an overnight decision many times. Of course, it can happen that way, but many begin learning about God at an early age, and as they learn more, they will be baptized into Christ at a teenage year or even older. For some, it…
Read MoreCare for the Weak
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Care-for-the-Weak.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 12:9-21 I. Even a casual reading of the Gospels brings up an noticeable and odd fact, Jesus would heal and then charge the people to tell no one. A. Why? 1. First, Jesus did not need any advertisement. His presence was sufficient. 2. Second, Jesus did not want people following just…
Read MorePersonal Goals for 2024
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Personal-Goals-for-2024.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreThe Wrong Definition of Growth
by Paul K. Williams (deceased) John Cripps asked an elder in the United States why the church where he was a member was growing. He replied, “When we stopped pounding the pulpit on the issues we started to grow.” The elder also said that the elders were divided on the subject of divorce and remarriage,…
Read MoreSupport the Weak
by Mike Johnson Paul closes the book of I Thessalonians with some very important and practical exhortations. In I Thessalonians 5:14, he “exhorts” (NASB — “urge”) the brethren to, among other things, “uphold the weak.” Christians have a responsibility to “uphold the weak.” The weak are those who are spiritually weak. Most churches have those…
Read MoreExpecting the Impossible
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Expecting-the-Impossible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 19:16-26 I. With God, all things are possible – Matthew 19:26 A. Even the saving of a wealthy man, if he desired to be saved. B. Yet, we must understand that some things are impossible for even God 1. It is impossible for God to lie – Hebrews 6:17-18 2. He cannot…
Read MoreA Lifelong Process
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A-Lifelong-Process.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreBy This Time You Ought To Be Teachers
by Jim Mickells “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” (Hebrews 5:12). The author of this book is rebuking those to whom he is writing for…
Read MoreBoredom
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Boredom.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. The child has a room full of action figures, video games, cable TV, VCR, a huge collection of video tapes, every piece of sports equipment known to man, his own telephone, a fully loaded computer with Internet access — but he doesn’t have anything to do. He’s bored. A. Boredom is…
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 MoreSpiritual Maturity
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Spiritual-Maturity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 3:8-17 I. What is your goal in life? A. Life is short. You don’t have time to accomplish everything that is available to you, so what do you desire most to obtain? B. For Paul it was to be like Christ and obtain heaven – Philippians 3:8-11 1. The design of…
Read MoreRefinement
by Terry Wane Benton All that happens to us in this life is part of refining us. Like gold is purified through the harsh fires of testing, and as testing refines and strengthens our quality of faith and character, we come out in the end with a glory that looks more like the glory of…
Read MoreGod Is at Work in You!
by Matthew W. Bassford A few months ago, my co-worker, Clay, examined Philippians 2:12-13 in a sermon, dwelling especially on v. 13. I’ve known for years that brethren have a bad habit of focusing on “Work out your own salvation,” to the exclusion of “It is God who is working in you.” However, Clay’s study…
Read MoreIdentifying a New Testament Church
by Steve Dewhirst Sentry Magazine, December 2002 Traditionally, we gospel preachers have spoken of “identifying the New Testament church” in an effort to distinguish it from the sects roundabout. But in so doing, we have sometimes obscured the true nature of the body of Christ. We begin to preach about the church Jesus said He…
Read MoreHow to Grow as a Local Congregation
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/How-to-Grow-as-a-Local-Church.mp3 by Wayne Fancher I. Teach The Next Generations Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Joel 1:3 Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation. Acts 20:32 “So now,…
Read MoreLittle by Little
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Little-by-Litte.mp3 by Wayne Fancher Exodus 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. I. Spiritual Growth Little By Little Ephesians 4:13 till we all come…
Read MoreI don’t seem to be improving. What can I do?
Question: Hello, I’ve been a Christian for about twenty years now and am a member of the church of Christ. I would appreciate if you could answer some questions and help me with some issues I am having. I’ve been examining myself lately, and I realize that I am a lukewarm Christian, at best. A…
Read MorePrecept Upon Precept, Line Upon Line
by Jeffrey Wilkes “The Bible is so difficult to understand,” an acquaintance recently asked. “Why is it written this way?” The Holy Spirit through Peter acknowledges that some things in Paul’s letters are hard to understand: “As also in all his [Paul’s] epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard…
Read MoreWhat Makes a Church Strong?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WhatMakesAStrongChurch.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreGrowing in Respect to Salvation
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/GrowingInRespectToSalvation.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreDoes God have empathy with His children when they make mistakes?
Question: Hey Mr. Jeffrey, Does God have empathy for His children if they make mistakes or if they’re growing slowly, or does He just want us to be mature and not make any mistakes at all right off the bat? If a child of God desires to grow but allows distractions and other things to…
Read MoreHas La Vista’s site helped the congregation’s visibility?
Question: Hi Brother, I really like La Vista’s website and have been trying to convince our men that, in order to increase our visibility and effectiveness in the area, we should do something similar. I’ve suggested we include God’s word on subjects such as baptism and various sins in general, and then invite those who…
Read MoreWhy didn’t I have a desire to study and go to church after I was baptized?
Question: Is the act of baptism because of not wanting to go to hell the result of repentance? I can’t say that I had a strong desire to live godly before my baptism, but at the same time, I can’t say that I was planning on continuing to sin or do evil things. I know…
Read MoreStarving Spiritually
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/StarvingSpiritually.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreGrowth
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Growth.mp3 by Alan Feaster
Read MoreHow do I grow as a Christian? How do I handle my abusive father?
Question: I’m 18 years old. I’m new to religion and seeking wise words and maybe some answers to where to start. I have a girlfriend who, after a while, convinced me to become religious. She lives far away, so she can’t really teach me much. There is also a small language barrier because what she…
Read MoreSteps for Spiritual Growth
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/StepsForSpiritualGrowth.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreCould you explain Hebrews 6:1-2?
Question: I do have a question about Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal…
Read MoreOpen My Eyes That I Might See
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/OpenMyEyesThatIMightSee.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 5:11-14 I. Discerning good – Hebrews 5:11-14 A. I can understand a person not recognizing evil, but how does a person miss good? B. The topic under discussion was seeing that Jesus was like Melchizedek 1. This was something needful and good 2. But the audience could not see it because their…
Read MoreThe Importance of Bible Study
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2015Fall4TheImportanceOfBibleStudy.mp3 by Brace Rutledge 2015 Fall Meeting
Read MoreSpiritual Growth
by Brace Rutledge The Meaning of Life Growing Up in Christ Every Member Working Together The Importance of Bible Study The Need for Prayer The Necessity of Bearing Fruit A Matter of Perspective Pressing On
Read MoreGrowing Up in Christ
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2015Fall2GrowingUpInChrist.mp3 by Brace Rutledge 2015 Fall Meeting
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