Unity

What We Need in the Church Today

[353 words] More knocking on doors and less knocking on each other. The great commission demands that we busy ourselves in taking the gospel to others (Mark 16:15). The Bible says, “speak not evil of one another” (James 4:11). It is so much better to be busy doing good rather than evil. More sound heads…

Me, or We?

[458 words] The story is told of an encounter between a high school principal and a young ninth grader. The principal noticed the young man in the hallway with a very defeated and frustrated look on his face. He asked the young man, “Is everything okay?” The boy replied sternly, “No. I don’t understand all…

Going to Church

  [345 words] Many reasonably good people seldom, if ever, “go to church.” Meeting with others to study the Bible, God’s word, and to publicly worship Him is something easily ignored in our busy world. To these, church is where you go for a wedding or a funeral, but little more.  The early Christians didn’t…

Parking on Someone Else’s Nickel

  [266 words] In the old days, cities regulated downtown parking with meters. You park, drop in a nickel or dime and get some time on the meter. Then you’d go into the store and be sure to be back before the meter ran out of time. However, occasionally, you could find a spot with…

Yellow Jackets in the Church

  [282 words] I hate yellow jackets. Over the years, I’ve had many encounters with them. They are aggressive, mean and they hurt everyone they touch. Have you ever been around someone who is a “fault-finder?” All they can do is point out flaws and faults in folks. They, like yellow jackets, hurt whoever they…

Are You Helping this Church to Grow?

  [210 words] It Is Easy For The Church To Grow When We… Have a deep concern for the lost. Enter the worship with preparation and enthusiasm. Are interested in intense Bible study. Work together on church projects. Encourage those who are serving the Lord. Dedicate ourselves to keeping our lives pure. Express brotherly love…

Church Shutdown

  [261 words] If you follow national news, you know that from time to time our leaders and representatives in Washington cannot come to terms on how to fund federal operations. This can sometimes lead to a “government shutdown,” which means many federal agencies stop performing their functions and services. Why does this happen? Usually…

That the World May Believe

  [320 words] Perhaps the Bible’s greatest enemy is preaching; preaching that makes the Bible appear to be a book of conflicting, contradictory doctrines. Robert Owen, the notorious atheist said in controversy with Alexander Campbell that the reason he was an atheist was because he had read so many conflicting doctrines all of which claimed…

Why Christians are One in Christ

  [69 words] • We have the same Lord (Romans 10:12; Ephesians 4:5). • We were redeemed by the same blood (Ephesians 1:7). • We obeyed the same gospel (Romans 1:16; Galatians 1:6-9). • We were added to the same church (Acts 2:41,47). • We are heirs of the same promises (Acts 2:39). • We…

Let’s Do It!

[200 words] One of the great things about the Lord’s church is that it is made up of such a diverse group of individuals. Each member brings unique personalities, gifts, and talents into the fold. Some have abilities to do one thing well, and others have different abilities to do other things well. Now, each…

Rally to Us There

[273 words] “And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, ‘The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there…'” (Neh. 4:19-20). Nehemiah,…

Bear With One Another

[449 words] In Scripture, the word “bear” means to tolerate one another, to bear with them, to patiently endure their personal tendencies/idiosyncrasies and weaknesses. That is a lot easier to talk about than to practice. I like the old saying that goes like this: “To live above, with saints we love, that will be glory.…

I Need You and You Need Me

[293 words] Have you ever felt alone? If so, you understand how this one emotion can create a roller coaster of negative thoughts and feelings in one’s life. We hate being alone. Sure, there are times we probably prefer to be alone; after all, sometimes you just need to get away. However, at its very…

The Snowball Effect

[398 words] Much of the news this week concerned the snow storm affecting the northeastern section of the USA. Though it was responsible for approximately two feet of snow in some areas, it did not reach the extreme levels that were predicted and anticipated. I am thankful that it did not result in widespread harm…

Members Who Weaken The Church

The strength of the church lies in her supernatural elements, her sure foundation, her divine cornerstone, and her resilient spirit. The weakness of the church lies in her human elements. The church is weak in proportion as her membership is weak, uninformed, insincere, or derelict in the performance of duty. NON-ATTENDING MEMBERS: They are found…

We Need Each Other!

[264 words] There is an indelible and universal truth as it pertains to the church. We need each other. In fact, the Bible is adamantly clear that without the contribution of each member, the church does not properly function. Thus is the substance of Paul’s discussion in 1 Corinthians 12. The church in Corinth struggled…

What We Share

Racism is sinful. Racism is foolish. Racism is illogical. Instead of a discussion of our differences, let us take the time to focus on what all men share. We share a common heritage / ancestry (Genesis 3:20; 9:1). Ever y man, woman and child on the planet is a genetic relative. We share a common…

Parking on Someone Else’s Nickel

In the old days, cities regulated downtown parking with meters. You park, drop in a nickel or dime and get some time on the meter. Then you’d go into the store and be sure to be back before the meter ran out of time. However, occasionally, you could find a spot with time left on…

Cityslickers and Rednecks In the Same Pew

The church is made up of people who are different. In the New Testament people from all kinds of backgrounds were converted and became members of the same congregation. Paul said what mattered is that they were Christians. In Christ he said there is “neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor…

Unity

God’s word is truth (John 17:17) and when we are all grounded in the truth of God’s word unity will be the result (Ephesians 4:1-15). Truth does not cause division because truth is constant. Division comes when someone blows the winds of false doctrine and topples Christians who are not grounded in truth. They are…