“and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”-Acts 20:30 What is more important: Doing things that glorify me or things that glorify Jesus? Working to build up my personal reputation or a church that endures? Making disciples who follow me or the church? Hopefully… Read More »
White Knuckle Christianity
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”-Ephesians 5:1-2 Have you ever gripped something so tightly, the blood ran away from your knuckles? I have ridden a few roller coasters and was surprised to… Read More »
Bible Study With A Purpose
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”-Hosea 4:6 We have all been in “that kind” of Bible class. No one has a book. There… Read More »
Am I Seeking To Please God?
How I answer the question in the title has a huge impact on my understanding of God’s word. Doy Moyer, minister and professor with the Florida College Biblical Studies department, asked a similar question on his Facebook page this week, “Are We Looking for Questions or Answers?” The person looking to please God will take… Read More »
The LORD My God
Occasionally I make comments about the use of LORD, Lord, and God in the Old Testament. Allow me a moment to clarify. Bible translators make choices when bringing Hebrew (in this case) and Greek words into our English Bibles. This is of special note when discussing the word YHWH, the personal name of the God… Read More »
Nets, Hooks, And Jesus
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”-Matthew 4:19 The word of God has much to say about the humble profession of the fisherman. Our Lord’s first four apostles were harvesters of the sea. When Jesus called Andrew and Peter, he told them he would make them fishers of men. For the Jews… Read More »
The Last Waltz
I do not know Matthew Bassford. As you read this, he is preaching his final sermon for the Jackson Heights church in Columbia. It will almost certainly be the final sermon of his life. I do not know why Matthew and I are friends on Facebook. One of us made the poor decision to accept… Read More »
Uneasy Lies The Head That Wears A Crown
President Harry Truman had a plaque on his desk which read, “The buck stops here.” Truman was reacting to the reputation of typical politicians who would, “pass the buck” when it came to making actual decisions, standing on principle, or clearly stating an honest opinion. Truman understood how heavy those decisions could be. He was… Read More »
A Generation Who Does Not Know The LORD
“the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua…all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”-Judges 2:7-10 I don’t know who… Read More »
Mid-Year Report 2022
This is our first full reporting period of the post-COVID era1. Last year we noted an elder at a large congregation in middle Tennessee reported their attendance was down 15-percent. It is estimated only one-in-ten churches gained in numbers during 2020-2021. North Second Street actually saw a slight increase in 2021 as we got back… Read More »
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