EVANGELISM ARTICLE | Keith Sharp | Mountain Home, Arkansas
The world in which we live is in the darkness of ignorance and sin (John 3:19). Our neighbors are among those benighted souls. Our obligation, both individually and congregationally, is to lead them to salvation in Christ (Matthew 28:19). A primary way we do so is by being lights in the world to show them by example the way to heaven (Matthew 5:13-16). Read More
BEYOND THE BASICS | Scott Long | Marietta, Pennsylvania
Some Christians are content with a habitual, yet casual reading of the word of God. They believe that since they are not aiming to become preachers, that reading is all that is necessary. how many times have we heard someone say, “I have read the Bible seven times from cover to cover” as if to convey some deeper level of understanding? To which I say, “So what?” Paul chastised Christians for such an attitude, “I fed you with milk and not with solid food, for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able“ (1 Corinthians 3:2). They had not moved beyond the basics. But what about the Christian who wants to be a true follower of the Lord? Is reading enough for him? In no way. Reading a biology textbook does not make someone a doctor. In the same way, simply reading the Bible will not make a person become a faithful disciple. Let’s spend some time talking about why Christians must move beyond reading of the Bible into deeper studies of God’s word. Read More
EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Shane Carrington | Sulfer Springs, Texas
“We are New Testament Christians, so we do not need to study the Old Testament.”
Perhaps we have heard someone make this claim. Then we actually read our New Testaments and discover the many Old Testament references – examples, quotations, prophecies, wisdom statements, allusions, etc. – revealing our need to study the Old to receive full enlightenment regarding the New. Read More
CHURCH ARTICLE | Josh Welch | Columbus, Ohio
It was about eleven years ago when I stood up after a quick lunch with my wife and youngest infant daughter and felt a sharp pain in my side. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. I reached to pick up my daughter out of her seat to carry her to the car. It hurt to pick her up. I said to my wife, “Something doesn’t feel right.” I went to the doctor and they ran some tests. Later that night I was being carted into surgery to have my appendix removed. I have not really missed that appendix. I assume it had a purpose. Yet, not enough to be missed. However, it certainly made its presence felt when something went wrong with it. How many church members might be described as an appendix? They are there and we suppose they are doing something. You might even hear them stir up a fuss. Yet, truth be told, if they disappeared from the assembly their absence may hardly even be noticed. Read More
WORSHIP ARTICLE | B. Colton McDaniel | Springfield, Illinois
“I love to sing.” This phrase was a warmup in my high school choir, but it is also the way I really feel about singing. My earliest memories are of singing Doo-wop songs. Yet as much as I loved performing with choirs growing up and no matter how fulfilling it was to earn good ratings at state competitions, no music is as pleasing as singing praises with the people of God. This is how God designed it. He created music to be naturally enjoyable to the human ear. But on top of that, He prescribed a combination of that naturally enjoyable activity with words of edification and praise to create psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Read More
APPLICATION ARTICLE | William Stewart | Odessa, Ontario, Canada
Construction analogies are common in the New Testament. From an early age, many of us sang about the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house on the sand (Matthew 7:24-27). Jesus stressed the need for us to count the cost of following Him by speaking of a man who began to build a tower but was unable to finish (Luke 14:28-30). In 1 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul called the church “God’s building,” himself a “wise master builder” and urged us to build wisely upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2 elaborates, calling it the “…foundation of the apostles and prophets…,” and uses words like “building,” “a holy temple,” and “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” to speak of the church. These building illustrations abound. Read More
EVANGELISM ARTICLE | Sean P. Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas
The work of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest and most important things someone could ever be involved in. Preaching is simply announcing and proclaiming the words for salvation (Acts 11:14). Preaching is something that is desperately needed if souls are to be saved. There is a time and a place to talk and chat about the Bible, but there is also the ever-present need to announce the gospel. Read More
BEYOND THE BASICS | Chuck Bartlett | Newburgh, Indiana
I remember reading a comment made by a person who left the Lord’s church years ago stating, “The problem with members of the church is they don’t have confidence they are going to heaven.” This person may well have encountered Christians who felt that way, but it does not have to be that way. Let us take a closer look. Read More
EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Jeff Asher | Nacogdoches, Texas
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.
CHURCH ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas
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