Tag Archives: Sean Cavender

28 Jul

Tribute to Sean Cavender

MARCH 13, 1987 – JULY 20, 2023

“Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.” (Proverbs 27:9)

I confess to knowing very little about oils and perfume. Certainly, a fragrant aroma is better and more desirable than a putrid smell. Soap and deodorant are more pleasant than the lack thereof. Beyond that, I’m not the guy to speak to about fragrance. Of course, Solomon’s purpose is not to exalt the excellence of beautiful odours – this is the lesser through which he introduces the greater – the value, the sweetness, and the delight of a close friend. Read More →

28 Jul

Paul’s View of the Local Church

CHURCH ARTICLE | Sean Cavender (fondly remembered)

As the apostle Paul introduces many of his epistles, he takes the time to praise the congregation for their strengths. Some local congregations had more to be praised for than others did, but usually he could find some good to complement the local church to whom he was writing. The opening of the epistle to the Colossians is no different. Paul first states, “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Colossians 1:2). It is easy for us to look over these statements about the local churches that Paul was writing to because they are not addressed to us in the 21st century. However, we can learn several important lessons concerning the local church and how it is to be conducting itself. Read More →

17 Apr

How Christ Relates to the Church: The Headship of Jesus

CHURCH ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Wichita, Kansas

It is common to consider Jesus as our personal and individual Savior, which He is. Also, it is easy to see that Jesus is connected to God since He is God’s very Son. However, we can sometimes neglect how Christ relates to the church. We recognize Jesus’ relationships with us individually or to God, but how does He connect to the universal body of all believers? The Bible helps us to see that relationship through Jesus’ headship over the body. Read More →

28 Jan

25 Ways to Get Busy Doing the Work of Evangelism

EVANGELISM ARTICLE | William Stewart & Sean Cavender

Before ascending to heaven, our Lord instructed the apostles to be busy preaching the gospel. Mark’s account of the great commission begins, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). However, this mission was not exclusive to the apostles. In Matthew’s record of the mandate, Jesus told the apostles to “…make disciples of all the nations … teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). In this, Jesus instituted a perpetual continuation of teaching the gospel to lost souls. We see the apostle Paul applying this in 2 Timothy 2:2, “…the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Read More →

08 Oct

Sharing the Gospel of King Jesus

EVANGELISM ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Wichita, Kansas

Introduction
After His resurrection, Jesus told His apostles that “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus soon ascended into heaven and was exalted to sit on David’s throne, reigning as king over His kingdom (Acts 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11). Following this claim to kingly authority, Jesus then told His apostles to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I command you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). Throughout the book of Acts, we see the apostles work in fulfilling Jesus’ words. As the church grew and more and more people were converted to Christ, all disciples began to share the word of God with those who were not disciples of KIng Jesus (Acts 8:4). Read More →

03 Jan

Paul the Convert : Challenges and Opportunities Facing New Converts

EVANGELISM ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Wichita, Kansas

Do you remember the joy you felt immediately after your baptism into Christ? Do you remember the excitement that overwhelmed you, and you wanted to enthusiastically share the news about Jesus Christ forgiving you of your sins? You enjoyed the relief of having no more guilt, and God’s grace had removed the burden of sin.

After becoming a Christian, ideally, you will have grown and matured in your faith and service to the Lord Jesus. However, if you have been a Christian for any length of time, then you know that the emotions and joys you initially had have been battle-tested. Perhaps you have lost battles with temptation and sin that have left you cynical and hard of heart. Read More →

26 Oct

Worship On The Lord’s Day

WORSHIP ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Wichita, Kansas

John states that he was in the Spirit on the “Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10), which has been widely accepted and identified as the day Christians assembled to worship. As you read the New Testament, it becomes clear that the early church was committed to worshiping on the first day of the week. Take note of a couple passage:

“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them…” (Acts 20:7, NASB95)

“On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:2, NASB95) Read More →

06 Jul

A Tale Of Three Cities

EVANGELISM ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Wichita, Kansas

It is curious how one person can preach and teach the same thing in various places yet yield many different responses from their audience. This frequently happens in the New Testament, especially in the apostle Paul’s preaching. In Acts 17, when Paul was on his second missionary journey, he departed Philippi. he came to three cities in rapid succession: Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens. Although Paul was forced to leave those cities because of persecution, he made the best use of his time by preaching the gospel of King Jesus. Paul varied his approach based upon who his audience was. He would speak to Jews differently than to idolatrous Gentiles. Yet, the gospel was unchanged: salvation was through God’s appointed Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Read More →

06 Apr

From Defeat to Victory : Psalm 22

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas

A Cry of Defeat

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1)

These words are a cry of despair, disappointment, and defeat. There appears to be no end in sight. “Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning” is how the first verse concludes. Psalm 22 is considered a psalm of David. He portrays the faithful servant of God enduring pain and humiliation because of his enemies. It is no wonder Jesus quoted the opening words while He was on the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). Read More →