Author Archives: kgnprchr@gmail.com

01 Jan

Using Our Homes for Evangelism

EVANGELISM ARTICLE
John Hains | Smithville, Ontario

The truth of the gospel of Christ is one of the most precious gifts we will ever receive – but it’s not just for us to enjoy and hold onto selfishly – it’s for us to share with as many as we can.

It is important we utilize what we have been given from God for doing His work for His glory. Being good stewards is part of being a Christian. First Peter 4:10 encourages us, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Our homes are huge commodities to be used to God’s glory, commodities we invest significant amounts of money into each year – money the Lord has blessed us with. As good stewards of our homes, we can use them in His service. One particular service we can use our homes for is in sharing the gospel with others.

What are some ways we can use our homes for evangelism and spreading God’s truth, sharing our hope in the Lord? Read More →

01 Jan

Confess Much?

BEYOND THE BASICS
John Hines | Haynesville, Louisiana

There is an old saying, “Confession is good for the soul.” I would suggest it is not only good for the soul, it is necessary if we are going to be saved. It plays a role in our conversion, but it certainly does not stop there. Consider a few of the confessions we are called to make as Christians. Read More →

03 Oct

Justified Like Abraham

FreeImages.com/Amanda Kline

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE – Romans 4
Sean Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas

Paul’s epistle to the church at Rome declares God’s salvation and the extent of His grace. Justification is by grace through faith for all men. Paul’s primary example for how God justifies men by grace through faith is Abraham.

To understand Romans 4, it is best to see how it relates to the opening chapters of the epistle. The first three chapters of Romans prove all men have sinned (Romans 3:9, 23), all are worthy of death (Romans 1:32), and there is no defense or appeal that might rationalize our sin (Romans 3:19). All are guilty of sin and all need God’s amazing grace. Read More →

03 Oct

A Church’s Profile : Antioch

CHURCH ARTICLE
Sean Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas

The idea of profiling is sometimes met with resistance and controversy, and yet it takes place all the time. We may examine the behaviors, opinions, statements, and dress of a person and arrive at some conclusions based upon our keen observation. Sometimes we are right; other times we are wrong.

In the Bible, several examples have been preserved for us. We can read and understand what people did, why they did it, and the results of their choices. In other words, we profile them. And in doing so, we are able to accurately understand the kind of character they had. This is true for both individuals and groups of people. Read More →

03 Oct

The Difference Between Service And Worship

WORSHIP ARTICLE
William J. Stewart | Kingston, Ontario

There is a growing movement in the religious world to broaden what is commonly identified as worship. Rather than it being limited to specific activities, many are embracing the idea that worship is a lifestyle; that every moment of our existence is to be an occasion of worship. It is certainly true that we are to always be in service to God, but service and worship are not synonymous. There is an important distinction to be made. Read More →

03 Oct

Evangelizing In The 21st Century

EVANGELISM ARTICLE
Ken McDaniel | Springfield, Illinois

Did someone say, “the times they are a-changin’?” Yes, and he immortalized the phrase in a 1964 folk song that captured the sentiment of a nation undergoing radical transformation. The times were changing then and they have not stopped yet. Sadly, the revolution of “moral freedom” begun by that generation has culminated in a society that has little knowledge of God and is seemingly indifferent, leery of Christianity and “organized religion.” This is vividly illustrated by the fact that only 20% of Americans can be found in “church” on Sunday morning and between 8,000-10,000 churches a year are closing their doors.1

How does this impact our evangelistic work? Read More →

03 Oct

Distractions

BEYOND THE BASICS
John Maddocks | Toronto, Ontario

I was born in 1962. I grew up in a time when there were no cell phones, personal computers, gaming systems, nor DVD players. Yes, we had TV, but those were the days before cable TV and Netflix, so viewing options were very limited. My family did not have a colour TV until I was 9 or 10 years old. Now, you can watch whatever show or movie you want, any time you want, and you can even do that on your smartphone. If you have a research paper due, just turn on your computer and Google whatever subject it is that you are studying and you will find a world of information at your finger tips. If you want to play a game, there are any number of gaming systems available, and if you don’t have one, then you can play on your PC or your smartphone. The technological world has advanced in amazing ways in the 55 years since I was born. Read More →

04 Jul

The Poor Example of Israel

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE – 1 Corinthians 10
Sean Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas

God communicates to us and teaches us by example. Many teachers in the Bible used examples, including the Lord Jesus (cf. Luke 17:32). Concerned for the church of God at Corinth, the apostle Paul offered exhortation based upon the poor and negative example of national Israel (1 Corinthians 10). He expected the church to read his epistle and notice the sins of Israel, and how to avoid the same. Notice the statements in 1 Corinthians 10 which show who Paul is concerned for: Read More →

04 Jul

How To Grow In The Local Church

CHURCH ARTICLE
Todd Thielbar | Blue Springs, Missouri

“Dad, can I help you work?”

This is the question I am asked anytime I sit down with my laptop. The question comes from any of my three boys and I am sure my daughter will soon be asking the same question as she gets older. I admit, sometimes I get annoyed with the question because they cannot really help me with my work. Even as I am writing this article, I have our youngest boy at my side just waiting to hit the “W” on the keyboard because his name begins with a “W”. I sometimes will let them “help,” but other times I just want to get the job done, so I brush them off and distract them with something else. I am not really proud of that, but it happens. Does this sound familiar to you? I am sure you have wanted to accomplish a task and somebody wanted to help, but you knew allowing them to help would slow you down. Read More →