Lately I’ve been reading books about the Revolutionary War of the United States: a Biography of Benjamin Franklin, a book on the year 1776, and now a book entitled “George Washington’s War.” In this latest book, the author points out how Washington was basically waging a war of attrition. The basic concept of this type […]
Is it right for a preacher to preach his opinion as Bible doctrine? No. I have included this question because I want to go on record as stating that I have no right to teach my opinion as Bible doctrine and neither does any other person have the right to so do. The Bible says […]
Paul the apostle wrote, “Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The law of rationality states that we ought to justify our conclusion by adequate evidence. Christianity is a religion that isn’t afraid of evaluation. In fact, Christianity invites public evaluation and examination because Christians believe the evidence holds […]
If a Christian falls away to sin and it is known both within the church and outside, is it necessary for that Christian to repent before the church? Could you please give some scriptures in answer? I have always been taught that the repentance should go as far as the sin, in other words, if […]
There is a national preoccupation among the religious today with “end times” and the things that are going to happen within the “last days.” This national hype has been fueled by the “Left Behind” book series which is a fictional account of how those who believe the doctrine of premillennialism think the “end of the […]
If baptism is necessary to salvation (meaning you cannot get into heaven without it-even though you believe, confess, and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and ask him to live in your heart) then why did Jesus tell the thief on the cross that he would be with him in heaven? The thief was […]
Your browser does not support the audio element. This is a study of Judges 17-18. After listening to this sermon one ought to be able to explain how a lack of authority in religion leads to false religious practices.
Have you ever finished a good book wishing there were more to the story? Have you ever watched a movie leaving the theater unsatisfied? Perhaps after a good meal you’ve wished there were more to come. Such things clearly provide us with momentary pleasure, but our desire for more belies our unhappiness. Why are we […]
There is no greater threat to practicing true Christianity than the doctrine of original sin (also known as the doctrine of total hereditary depravity). Briefly, this is the teaching that all people born inherit the sinful state into which Adam and Eve passed due to their sin within the Garden of Eden. As a result […]
Date written: November 19, 1994 Scripture ref: 2 Corinthians 13:5 SUBJECT: Discipleship TITLE: The Examined Life PROPOSITION: Our life ought to be an examined life because the examined life will be a life with purpose, values, and faith. OBJECTIVES: To recognize the difference between the examined life and the unexamined life. To be able tell […]
Two weeks ago we watched as the nation of Iran took 15 British sailors into captivity in the waters of the Persian Gulf. Though controverted by England, Iran believed these hostages to have crossed into their territorial waters thus transgressing the borders of their nation. What is not in dispute is that they were precariously […]
As a juror, how should a Christian consider “capital” punishment? The basic idea behind capital punishment is that it is the government that is imposing the punishment on individuals in society that have failed to respect the laws of our society. However, the term “capital punishment” has come to refer to a sentence and ultimate […]
If you have watched the news in the past week, you’ve likely seen the media attention that has been given to the death of the “pope”; it’s virtually inescapable. (I offer my personal condolences to our Catholic friends on their loss.) During this time, many in the media have been speculating on who the next […]
Have you ever heard someone say this in regard to an invitation to attend the church of Christ? I have heard it all too many times. It is one of the more popular things to say to get out of accepting the invitation. In essence, it is just an excuse, because it is clear that […]
Within the legal code of the various states within the U.S.A., one may be found guilty of being an accessory to a particular crime. If one supplies a murderer with a weapon knowing what the intent of the murderer is, then one will be found guilty of being an accessory to murder. If a person […]
There is in the popular mindset today, the idea that an individual can be spiritual without being religious. I’ve seen this concept presented in some recently read articles. I’ve also heard such touted in some television programs on the subject. And, there are many people today who have bought into this idea that one can […]
I was talking with someone the other day regarding coming to the services. The person explained that he was going to a denomination right now because his child liked going to this place. That is when this thought crossed my mind. Would I leave any other major decision in my life up to a child? […]
Satan’s Second Strike Vs. 1 – 3 – The first two verses of this chapter are virtually identical to chapter one verse six, seven, and eight (see comments on those verses). The point of this repetition is to make it clear, once again, that Satan was responsible for Job’s malady. The only difference in these […]
Recently someone asked, more or less, the following question: “How do we know that the things that were done in one church in the first century were done in the other churches as well?” That’s a good question because if we can’t know that the things practiced, say, in Corinth, were also practiced in Rome, […]
We have a song in our songbook, “Can He Depend On You?” This song speaks of God’s desire for us to be faithful. Can Jesus depend upon us as his servants?