kgnprchr@gmail.com – Page 10

30 Oct

The Lord’s Will Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Jeremy Woodman | Kingston, Ontario

“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8, NKJV)

The preceding quote from the prophet Micah is one of the most elegant quotes in the entire Bible. Like the prophet himself, it directs and delivers plain truth to a generation that had entangled themselves with sin and complicated their lives with ritualistic religion. The lessons apply to our generation as well as his.

To fully appreciate Micah’s statement, we have to look at it in its historical context. Read More →

30 Oct

The Church as the Body of Christ

CHURCH ARTICLE | Shane Carrington | Sulfer Springs, Texas

My body used to be a well-oiled machine. I could run for miles, play full-court basketball with men half my age every week, and grasp and hold almost anything with my hands. Then I turned 50. My well-oiled machine has become somewhat rusty and creaky. This maturing body sometimes hurts and disappoints, but such is the nature of aging.

The body of Christ, on the other hand, grows stronger, more vibrant, and better equipped for the will of God regardless of how long we live in this world. This makes the “body of Christ” one of the powerful metaphors for the people connected to Jesus by faith. Read More →

29 Oct

The Collection

WORSHIP/DEVOTIONAL ARTICLE | Jim Mickells | Lewisburg, Tennessee

“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

There are a great number of things that you and I can learn from these two verses about giving. Let me share a few of them with you so we may be more aware of what God has said and how important our giving is to the work of the church. The Lord depends on us to carry out His work. Read More →

29 Oct

Walk According To Love

APPLICATION ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas

Introduction
The Lord’s church is a tremendous blessing to Christians. Having a sense of community, family, and connectedness encourages people in times of difficulty. However, even in our Lord and Savior’s church, disruptions, disagreements, and arguments can (and will) occur. It would be nice to think the only times Christians engage in a conflict would be over matters of doctrine in defense of the truth. The reality is Christians will succumb to arguing over issues that seem petty. We might rather avoid all kinds of conflict, especially with our brothers and sisters in Christ, but avoidance is usually the worst thing we could do.

Using Video and Live Streaming for Evangelism

EVANGELISM ARTICLE | William Stewart | Odessa, Ontario

In January 2020, prior to Covid19 exploding into a worldwide pandemic, we ran an article focused on Web-Based Evangelism. We emphasized the importance for local churches to have an online presence, highlighting ways to make ourselves visible in a web-focused world. We had no idea how timely the article would be. Within a couple of months, much of the world was under lockdown conditions to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. The extent to which things closed differed from region to region, but things changed everywhere – including our worship assemblies. Read More →

29 Oct

The Grief of Losing a Loved One (Part 1)

BEYOND THE BASICS | Tom Rainwater | Chittenango, New York
(Click here to go to The Grief of Losing a Loved One, Part 2)

Death is universal. If you’re married, one of you will die before the other. Time and death will take away your spouse, your parents, your siblings, your best friends – one at a time. A child or grandchild may pass before you. When a loved one leaves this life, the loss you feel will be profound. Your emotions will go into overdrive while your mind struggles with how to deal with it. Grief becomes a way of life for a while. Know that this experience is common to all people. The struggle with grief is as universal as death. Read More →

07 Jul

Effective Fervent Prayer

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | William Stewart | Odessa, Ontario

There are several occasions in Scripture where Old Testament people and events are used to provide lessons about faith in the New Testament. For example, the circumstances in Elijah’s life as recorded in 1 Kings 17-18 are the backdrop for a great lesson prayer in James 5.

In 1 Kings 17:1, Elijah foretold a drought which would come. However, James tells us he prayed for the drought (James 5:17). Why would he pray for a drought? It was a punishment upon the people of Israel for their sins (1 Kings 16:33; Deuteronomy 28:22, 24). It should have persuaded them to repent. Three and a half years later, we read of Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. God was faithful, giving his prophet victory over the false prophets of Baal. As a result, the people’s hearts turned back to the Lord (1 Kings 18:37-40). Thus, it was time for Elijah to pray for the rains to return. Notice from 1 Kings 18… Read More →

07 Jul

Effective Bible Classes: The Teacher’s Responsibilities

CHURCH ARTICLE | William Stewart | Odessa, Ontario

“…the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

The apostle Paul urged Timothy to teach others so they could teach others, who could teach others, and so on. Teaching God’s word is important, and doing so effectively is essential. No matter what the venue, whether it is a kitchen table or a lecture hall, we want to be successful teachers. Herein we will focus on ways for teachers to make their Bible classes the best possible learning environment. Read More →

07 Jul

Dangers in Worship : Self-Made Religion

WORSHIP/DEVOTIONAL ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas

One of the greatest privileges given to the children of God is the opportunity to draw near the LORD to worship Him. God is the object Whom we center everything around, most notably our worship (Psalm 150). We should always be eager to worship God and should do so with enthusiasm and zeal! We should invite others to worship the God of heaven. Our worship of God appears as a sacrifice before the throne of heaven (Hebrews 13:15). Worship will involve our emotions, but it must also engage our minds! Our prayers and singing should be the result of careful meditation of the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 14:15). We must worship God by following the truth revealed in the word of God. Read More →

07 Jul

The Necessity of Good Works for the Child of God

APPLICATION ARTICLE | Scott Long | Marietta, Pennsylvania

Like many other biblical subjects, the topic of good works generates much confusion and debate. What exactly is a “work?” What makes a work “good?” Why are good works so important for Christians? And how might “good works” generate controversy?

The simplest definition of a “work” is something one does. According to such a definition, virtually everything we do is a “work.” This fact leads us to what Paul tells us in Colossians 3:17, “whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” The conclusion is that everything we do is a work, and these works must be done according to the authority of Jesus. Read More →