Parades are important. We have all seen pictures and old news-reel footage of the end of World War II. Victory in Europe and Japan sent Americans into a frenzy of appreciation and celebration. After a long period of sacrifice, hope, and fear; Americans were free to kiss nurses and let the confetti fly. The certainty
In 1874, a preacher and medical doctor named T.W. Brents wrote a 500-page book entitled The Gospel Plan of Salvation. It would be difficult to overestimate its influence. It is an exhaustive and decisive rebuttal of Calvinism. It was not new doctrine, but it codified The Five Steps (hereafter TFS) as the best way to
One of my favorite sermons is entitled The Five Steps Is Not The Gospel. I am fond of it because I believe it is important to focus on God’s grace extended to me through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God. “The Five Steps” (hereafter TFS) are often referred to
The average temperature in Galveston, Texas is 57-degrees for the month of February. Tuesday morning it was 19, 95-percent of homes were without power, and six deaths were confirmed or being investigated as related to the weather conditions1. Unexpectedly, people were thrust into a world where the electrical power we all rely on to keep
Last Sunday was a roller coaster. The high point came when we announced the congregation meeting at North Second Street had nominated two men to be appointed as overseers for the church. David Muiznieks and Rick Patterson received overwhelming support from our flock (87 and 79-percent respectively). What a relief! After 20-years as a congregation
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”-Exodus 20:12 Paul, in Ephesians 6:2, refers to this as the “first command with a promise.” From the beginning of time, God has made plans for our wellbeing through the family structure
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”-Job 42:2 Did you marry the person you thought you would when you were 13-years old? How many of us are working the same job we had in high school? Did my favorite football team1 or basketball team win
“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you,“-Titus 1:5 We quote Matthew 7:21 quite a bit when we talk about what must be done to please God. Jesus tells us, it is not enough to call