Church Blog (Page 7)

When I was growing up, there was a Lay’s Potato Chips ad campaign that ran several times. It had an extremely catchy slogan: “Betcha can’t eat just one!” As a child, I would think, “Duh! Of course, I could!” However, every time I found a Lay’s Original bag in my lunch, I never seemed to find the willpower to give it a try. We tend to overestimate our ability to resist temptation, don’t we? Especially when we are sitting in…

Anyone who has lost a loved one is interested in knowing the answer to this question. Every person will one day face death and needs assurance of heaven. All of us hope to be reunited with loved ones who have gone on before, but if we will not know each other in heaven, then the bonds made on earth are forever severed in death. The idea that we will know each other in heaven is sometimes called the doctrine of…

Far too many people have the attitude that asks, “How can a book more than 1,900 years old have any relevance in my life?” It is true that parts of the Bible are more than 3,000 years old, but it is equally true that the nature of man has not changed. Our God is eternal, and the truth that His holiness is the standard for our holiness is found in both the Old and New Testaments (Lev. 11:44: 1 Pet.…

Sometimes we begin our worship singing these words, “We are standing on holy ground . . .” Have you ever thought of the seriousness of what our hearts proclaim as we come together? To sing these words and then forget the melody they made in our hearts is to rob us of the greatest joy on earth—standing in the presence of God on His holy ground. Two people in the Bible were told by God that they were standing on…

We must carefully consider the ramifications of 1 Peter 1:15-16: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” The holiness of God demands that his people be separate from the world. “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them,…

We often sing the wonderful hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy”, but just what are we singing about? Of course, it is praise to God, but what is meant when we speak of Him being “holy”? The psalmist writes, “Exalt the LORD our God, – and worship at his holy hill, for the LORD our God is holy” (Ps. 99:9). The wise man used the same term in Proverbs 9:10: “’The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge…

Throughout its pages the bible emphasizes with forceful clarity the need for God’s people to be holy. But, why is this admonition so important? What is it about holiness that causes God to look at it so seriously? Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1 is a classic passage that answers this question in four points. First, there is an admonition. Paul said, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6:14). “Be ye not” is a present imperative, and to be…

What is your understanding of personal evangelism? When we consider this topic, we are dealing with a subject absolutely essential to the health and growth of the Lord’s church in every community. So, what is it? Simply put, personal evangelism is taking the work of sowing and watering the seed of the kingdom personally, so that God may give the increase (1 Cor. 3:6). It is a command that every Christian should be doing (Mark 16:15). Therefore, let’s consider some…

One of life’s most difficult challenges, is dealing with difficult challenges. How do we cope with tragedy, cancer, war, or dozens of other issues we encounter in life? The painful reality is that many of life’s challenges are simply beyond our control. Neither you nor I have any bearing on the ultimate outcome of the war in Ukraine. We cannot dictate economic policy in Washington, and we cannot prevent a fatality accident caused by a drunk driver. As much as…

J. W McGarvey once said, “I would esteem above every other gift that could be bestowed upon me as a preacher the power to adequately conceive what sin is and to adequately set it before the people.” Why was this so vital to brother McGarvey? He knew of the horrible nature of sin. Sin, a transgression of God law (I John 3:4), has terrible consequences. Because of the end result of sin there is a great need for evangelism. To…

James, author of the New Testament book bearing his name, wrote, “But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5). The words, “God who giveth” in the Greek text are in this order: tou didontos Theou, literally, THE GIVING GOD! So characteristic of God to give, and so much a part of his nature is giving that he is identified to…

Today is the annual holiday called by many “Easter Sunday.” Millions celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on this date. Many consider “Easter” the most holy of all religious holidays. Strangely, for some, it marks the only time they attend a worship assembly. Did you realize that the first century church did not observe a yearly celebration of the Lord’s resurrection? The word “Easter” is found only once in the King James Version of the Bible (Acts 12:4). The word, pascha,…