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The headline of the Christian Chronicle, March 2007, reads, “Churches face identity crisis.” The reason for this is identified in a quote from David Duncan, pulpit minister for the Memorial church in Houston which relays that in the past Churches of Christ were distinguished by belief in church autonomy, baptism for forgiveness of sins, weekly Lord’s Supper on Sunday, public male leadership, plurality of elders and acappela singing; then brother Duncan is quoted, “Now, some congregations have given up most,…

The 12th Annual Greater Midwest Lectureship begins on Friday evening September 30 and seeks to apply the biblical teaching to some of the critical challenges and issues of today. There was a similar series of studies conducted in 1970 in Fort Worth Texas and it is obvious that the time has come to address these issues again – Thus the theme for the 2022 Lectureship is “For Such A Time As This”. A. V. Isbell, then President of Fort Worth…

The first psalm describes the character of those who are blessed by God. “He does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.” The implication of these words is that if one does walk in the counsel of the ungodly, he is cursed. The psalmist has in mind walking in the counsel of ungodly men and the blessedness of those who walk in the counsel of the godly men. Think of how this is magnified when we think of the…

No one become overweight overnight. No one shows signs of aging within an hour’s time. A man does not suddenly become disenchanted with his wife. A good leader doesn’t go bad all in one day’s time. Consider the following examples: A) King Saul started with great potential: “There was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he” (1 Sam. 9:2). But visit Saul later in life and you will find him consulting witches and committing suicide! His…

Man has reached a marvelous age. We have been given time to explore this universe we inhabit and know more about it now than ever before. Has this surpassing knowledge diminished our appreciation of our world and its Creator? Consider… The heavens declared the glory of God to David (Ps. 19:1); they manifest the wisdom of God (Prov. 8:27). Now that we have set foot on the moon, orbited the earth, and landed rovers on Mars, are we any less…

Let me share with you an experience I had just a few days ago. I have no idea what prompted it, but the lyrics of a song which I had not thought of for more than seventy years came back to me. They were written on my heart before I entered school, and for some reason, I remembered them. Where had I learned this song? In my memory I went back to the wooden frame building at West Huntsville, AL…

The words of Paul to the Corinthians reveal so much about the response to the gospel when the lost hear it. “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Cor. 1:26). Why is this true? All of mankind is invited to come to Jesus, but so many of the mighty and noble do not answer the invitation. Much can be learned by looking at those…

UNDERSTANDING TRUTH IS IMPORTANT “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). To deny God on the basis of learning is foolish as the ignorant, unlearned say the same thing—“There is no God.” We can produce numerical evidence among the learned and the unlearned that God is; as well as those who claim God is not. Numbers prove nothing! Truth and knowledge prove God is. The fact is those who deny God’s existence are governed…

IT BEGINS IN YOUR HEART “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). This text emphasizes the importance of man’s relationship to God. Our relationship with God is allimportant. We are to love God with the totality of our being (Matthew 22:37). Man’s relationship with God is the vital matter of all matters as our eternity depends upon it. Consider the psalmist’s statement, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’”…

As far as much of society is concerned truth has been placed on life support, and few really seem to care. The idea that truth is real, that it is objective and absolute is an absolutely archaic idea in a world where, philosophically speaking, relativism rules. And the people of God have not been immune to this problem. Many Christians are scurrying for cover as they struggle to be true to the truth of God’s word. They want to take…

What’s the purpose of the church? What should God’s people today truly emphasize? What are we to be all about? The book of 2 Timothy is a letter that specifically deals with our conduct and behavior as Christians (1 Timothy 3:15). Perhaps too often the church gets involved in “busyness” and becomes a “corporation” with something of a spiritual facade, but in such misdirection, we fail to properly emphasize Christ and what He desires for His people. Because of Who…

How much does God really mean to you? What we truly prize, we truly praise. And that’s precisely what should be taking place in the worship of God. In true worship, we are expressing how much God means to us (Psalm 29:2; Matthew 4:9-10). Our prizing of Him simply must express itself in praise. We express our adoration, awe, awareness, and appreciation of all God is and does through the avenues authorized in His word (John 4:23- 24). Yet it…