Church Articles – Page 2

05 Jul

The Church in Corinth: Congregational Profile

CHURCH ARTICLE | John Hines | Haynesville, Louisiana

“There’s no such thing as a perfect church.” This idea can be espoused as nothing more than an excuse for sin and the overlooking of sin. While all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), one cannot help but notice something about various local congregations mentioned in scripture. In Revelation, for example, some of the churches are rebuked. Others are not, with the Lord recognizing their faithfulness (Revelation 3:7-13). Does this mean they never had problems? No, but apparently, they had dealt with any issues they faced in a scriptural manner. And now? The Lord does not tell them they need to repent. Instead, they conduct themselves in a way that Jesus commends. Read More →

03 Jan

Pondering Philippians : Congregational Profile

CHURCH ARTICLE | Scott Long | Marietta, Pennsylvania

The Circumstances

Robbed of his freedom for teaching the gospel, Paul sits in chains. It is not the first time (and it might not be the last*). Yet, as a true bondservant of God, rather than bemoan his circumstances, Paul rejoices in the twin blessings of access to teaching the “Praetoreum guard” and increased preaching by the brethren, though some “preach Christ even from envy and strife.” Even in his chains, Paul has cause to remember his beloved Macedonian brethren and pray for them. Read More →

26 Oct

A Church That Prays Together

CHURCH ARTICLE | Keith Sharp | Mountain Home, Arkansas

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). The life of a Christian may be summarized in one word, “faith,” i.e., trust. The deepest expression of that dependent trust in God is prayer. The Lord once spoke a parable to teach “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). Jesus spoke about a widow who persistently troubled an unjust judge until he finally granted her request. The parable emphasized the surety that a just and merciful Father will speedily hear His children. The Master concluded, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Read More →

06 Jul

The Bride Of Christ

CHURCH ARTICLE | Wayne Goff | Kansas City, Missouri

The Union
Ephesians 5:25-33 describes the relationship of the church (God’s people) to Jesus Christ (Head). While comparing this relationship to an earthly marriage, the Scriptures teach us that Jesus Christ is the Head of His bride and Savior. The corresponding obligation of Christ’s bride is to be subject to Jesus Christ in everything. This obligation is explained further (vv. 25-27) to be due to the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for His bride! He loved her, and He died for her. He cleansed her with His blood through the washing of water by the word. If these sacrifices were not enough, Paul states even further that Christ sacrificed Himself for her that He might present her to Himself a glorious, spotless bride that is holy and without blemish! Read More →

06 Apr

The Work and Worship of the Local Church

CHURCH ARTICLE | T. Sean Sullivan | Paragould, Arkansas

Introduction:
An understanding of the Lord’s church is essential not only for its current members but for all souls who in any way seek eternal life in Heaven. The desire of any soul to be involved in the local church is met with a “pattern” provided in the form of “sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13). From this “pattern of sound words” we can find, or form, a local church to function in. Read More →

04 Jan

What Is the Church?

CHURCH ARTICLE | Jeff Asher | Nachogdoches, Texas

via ulrichw | Pixabay.com

Church is one of several words that entered our language through the influence of the King James Bible. In his rules for the translators, King James I of England desired “the old ecclesiastical words to be kept.” Therefore, ekklesia was never actually translated but transliterated, sort of. Church comes into English from the Scottish kirke, which is derived through Germanic influences from a shortened form of the Greek kuriokon meaning “belonging to the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:20; Revelation 1:10). Complain, as many do, about the word, it is nevertheless a scriptural designation (cf. Matthew 2:6; Romans 9:25–26; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Matthew 16:18). However, it is not a translation. Read More →

30 Oct

The Church as the Body of Christ

CHURCH ARTICLE | Shane Carrington | Sulfer Springs, Texas

via ulrichw | Pixabay.com

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 →

07 Jul

Effective Bible Classes: The Teacher’s Responsibilities

CHURCH ARTICLE | William Stewart | Odessa, Ontario

via ulrichw | Pixabay.com

“…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 Apr

Effective Bible Classes: The Student’s Responsibilities

CHURCH ARTICLE | Jacob Hudgins | Little Rock, Arkansas

via Aaron Burden | Unsplash.com

Bible classes are a great environment for Christian growth. Yet we often struggle to get meaning and benefit from classes. We blame teachers (or workbooks or fellow-students) for the disconnect and rarely consider ourselves.

As a student, what can I do to make Bible classes great? Read More →

07 Jan

The Church as the Kingdom

CHURCH ARTICLE | Jesse Flowers | Baytown, Texas

via Johannes Plenio | Unsplash.com

The word of God presents the church of our Lord in descriptive and marvelous terms. The description that is used more than any other in depicting the church to us in the Bible is “kingdom.”

The expression “the kingdom of God” is used approximately sixty-nine times in the New Testament. Most of those occurrences are in the four gospel accounts, with only fifteen instances outside of those first four books. The expression “the kingdom of heaven” is used thirty-two times in the New Testament, all of which are exclusive to the Gospel of Matthew. Read More →