October 2018 – GROW magazine

02 Oct

The Regenerated Man or the Un-regenerated Man? This Is the Question.

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Jeff Asher | Nacogdoches, Texas

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This chapter has proven no small source of complication, confusion and consternation to many dedicated Bible students. Part of the difficulty lies in the English versions which are not completely unbiased in their own assumptions about the passage. Add to this the use of difficult words and repetitive phrases (some of which cannot be avoided) and even the diligent reader gets bogged down. Also, the theological systems and creeds have influenced and prejudiced the minds of many who would study the passage. The pervasiveness of such doctrines as “original sin,” “total depravity,” “limited atonement,” and “human inability” cloud the perception and impede understanding. We are just unaware sometimes of the prejudice we bring to a text. We must strive to be open-minded, seeking an honest encounter with the words on the page.

Equipping The Saints

CHURCH ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas

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Our Lord Jesus Christ gave His life to purchase the church with His blood (Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28). Those who are saved by His blood are added to His church, becoming His people and part of the spiritual family of God (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Timothy 3:15). These saints assemble regularly on the first day of the week (and at other times) to worship and spend time together studying God’s word (Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:25). At the first, the apostles took on a special role in the church at Jerusalem, preaching the word. When a complaint arose among the Jerusalem saints, the apostles called on the church to appoint seven men who would be capable of taking care of the physical needs of widows. Later, as Paul began his missionary journeys, he established local congregations, eventually organizing them with elders (Acts 14:23). Paul also addressed deacons in the church as the ones who had the responsibility to minister and serve the congregations where they were members (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13). Read More →

02 Oct

The Difference Between Emotion And Emotionalism In Worship

WORSHIP ARTICLE | William J. Stewart | Odessa, Ontario

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The story has been told of a man who visited with a local church for their Sunday assembly. Upon hearing a powerful point from the pulpit, he hollered out, “Amen!” Everyone was quiet, somewhat taken back by his outburst. Minutes later, the preacher spoke mightily of the Lord’s victory over death, which prompted the man to give a hearty, “Praise the Lord!” Others in the crowd were visibly uncomfortable with these eruptions. After this second time, someone quietly went over to the man and whispered, “Why are you shouting out like that?” The visitor replied, “I’m praising God.” In response, he heard, “Well, we don’t do that here.” Read More →

02 Oct

Our Beautiful Hope

APPLICATION ARTICLE | T. Sean Sullivan | Paragould, Arkansas

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Introduction:
The Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:15-16 makes us aware of the fact that Paul’s inspired writings can be “hard to understand.” Among the most difficult is arguably Paul’s letter to the Romans and within that letter, perhaps, chapter seven is at the top.

That being said, if we properly understand Romans 7, in its natural context, we will embrace the glorious hope of our better covenant. Yes, there are some phrases within its 25 verses that are certainly difficult, but it is the overall picture that brings us the joy of one very special word. That word is “forgiveness.” Forgiveness is a glaring contrast between the Law of the Moses (the Old Law) and the New Covenant (the Law of Christ). Read More →

02 Oct

Harvest, What Harvest? Two Obstacles to Evangelism

EVANGELISM ARTICLE | Trey Haskett | Tupelo, Mississippi

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Get in, get out, get on. Anybody else’s dad have that philosophy on road trip pitstops? Rarely were there roses, but when there were, there was little time to stop and smell them. It was about getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Accordingly, pitstops were often few and far between and when we did stop it was about getting whatever we needed and getting on our way.

John 4 records a road trip Jesus and His disciples made from Judea to Galilee. Interestingly, the apostle John, unlike most dads turned road-trip-warrior, was more concerned about the pitstop than the actual destination (only vv. 46-54 deal with their time in Galilee, the rest of the chapter is about what happened in Samaria). In recording the goings-on of what would ordinarily be nothing more than a blip on our radar, John endeavored to communicate an important message to his readers and to us about the nature of evangelism and some common obstacles that stand in our way. Read More →

02 Oct

The Christian & Social Media

BEYOND THE BASICS | Jeremy Woodman | Kingston, Ontario

via Azam Kamolov | Pixabay.com

When Christ gave the Great Commission he defined the scope of the commission as “all the world” and the message as “the gospel,” but He left the mode of communication up to the apostles. In the first century, communication was through the spoken and written word. The range of oral communication was limited and if the message didn’t produce change, it lasted no longer than the audience’s memory. Writing could reach more people and its contents lasted longer but making and distributing copies was labour intensive.

Come forward to the 20th century and the telephone, radio, and television revolutionized communications, helping to disseminate the gospel in new ways to new audiences. In recent decades the rise of the internet, higher rates of personal computer ownership, and the development of social media have revolutionized communications again. Because of social media, we can communicate cheaply and quickly with almost anyone around the world. We can create content for others to access at their convenience. These are blessings the apostles did not have and are tools we can use to fulfill the Great Commission. Read More →