Okay I know you are suppose to get baptized,but if you don’t and it is a sin but sins can be forgiven so even though it is a part of salvation it is necessary,but you can be forgiven for not being baptized right? Will God forgive you for anything no matter how great the sin? […]

If upon death the spirit is returned unto God then are the Christians in Heaven prior to judgement day? Please explain “Paradise” and purgatory. Thank you. Thank you for your question. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Ecclesiastes 12:7 means that we return to the presence of God, just to His care. I.E. He controls our […]

There are many people who ask this question today. It is difficult to answer such a question in so short a space as I have in the bulletin, but I am going to try to give a few practical bits of information that I hope you will find valuable as you purpose to study the […]

We all listen to the voice of someone. As humans this is inescapable. John Donne (1572-1631) wrote, “No man is an island.”? We come into this world listening to the voice of our mother and father. As children we hear the voices of relatives and friends. Growing older, we listen to teachers and preachers, newscasters […]

The question is often asked, “What is the most critical problem facing the church today?” The answers are varied, and often given in keeping with that particular man’s interest and concern, and for all the answers, all of them play a part in today’s time of discontent, unrest, and turmoil. And, when we state that […]

There is one little word in the English language that has the power to disannul every acknowledgement of truth and seemingly noble intention – that word is “but.” When someone says, “I know I ought to, but….”, you immediately know what’s about to follow. The use of the word “but” becomes a process of explaining […]

In the book of Ezra, chapters 8-10, we read concerning the return of some Israelites to their native land. When they had come out of captivity, they offered sacrifices to God (8:35). From this sacrifice they delivered some to the satraps and governors of the king as a commission. But when they did this, they […]

8) A Passage Must Be Interpreted In Harmony With Any Idioms It Contains These are the characteristics peculiar to the original languages of the Bible. The Bible was written in the common languages of man (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) and is filled with expressive idioms. Thus our understanding of the meaning of a passage depends […]

SUBJECT: Church Organization/Leadership

TITLE: Why Do We Have Elders?

PROPOSITION: We have elders to 1) Oversee 2) Counsel 3) Shepherd.

Objectives: That each would understand the role elders have in the local congregation.

INTRODUCTION:

1. Read: Acts 20:28

2. About the Text:

1) This context is the only passage of scripture in which we have all three words used to describe the office of the elder.

In Genesis 7:2, 3, how many of the clean animals get onto the ark? Is it seven, or seven pair? Ancient, modern, conservative, and liberal scholars alike are divided about 50/50 on this question. The text says, “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of […]

Date written: January 29th, 2002
Scripture ref: Heb. 11:1, 6

SUBJECT: Fundamentals Bible Class — Lesson 1

TITLE: The Meaning of Faith

PROPOSITION: To clarify the Biblical doctrine of faith as it relates to knowledge.

OBJECTIVES: The student should be able to state the meaning of Biblical faith and provide at least one scripture reference in which faith and knowledge are used together to describe the same object.

AIM: To provide a foundation for discussion in this series of fundamentals by defining the term “faith” and to show how that term has been misused and how to use it properly.

INTRODUCTION:

1. Read: Heb. 11:1, 6

We have all been to lakes and ponds to enjoy various different activities. I remember when I was a kid and my parents took me to Lake Bastrop State Park which is about 30 miles east of Austin, TX off highway 71. We would camp, fish, play miniature golf, and just enjoy being outdoors among […]

As I type this article, I am suffering from the cumulative effect of having stayed up very late for the past several evenings. What have I been doing, you may ask, to keep me up so late? Mary Lynn and I re-wallpapered the living room this past week and we have been moving around furniture […]

Good Success in the Bible – People define success in different ways. Success to some is the accumulation of goods. To another success may be academic achievement. And yet to another, success may be linked to the number of successful relationships in his life. Although one may enjoy success on several different levels, if he […]

Thanks to those who have brought to my attention that this story has been debunked. Link to story on snopes The past couple of weeks there has been a news story making its way through the media regarding an unemployed German woman. The woman evidently lost her job and went on government unemployment. In the […]

Several years ago before CDs had replaced cassette tapes there was a well known commercial on television. The commercial would show a fine crystal glass and than an opera singer shattering the glass with the intensity of her high and sustained voice. But after the glass was shattered, the camera would pull back and reveal […]

The story of Abigail (1 Samuel 25) is a story of one of the most faithful and honorable women mentioned in God’s Word! Let us learn well these lessons from this woman of integrity in the Bible. Abigail’s Foolish Husband Nabal After the death of the prophet Samuel (vs. 1), David and his men moved […]

Not long before the southern Kingdom of Judah was delivered into Babylonian captivity under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah the prophet reminded the people that they were to obey God who had delivered them from the oppressor in former days so that all would be well with them. However, we read that like their ancestry, […]

The tenth day of the seventh month of Israel’s calendar marked a day unlike any other (see Leviticus 16).  To the spiritually minded in Israel it was a day to be prepared for and longed for.

In the business world, there is a saying, “Perception is Truth.” The concept basically is this: you should react to people the way they perceive you, regardless of whether those perceptions are correct or not. The result of this type of thinking is a one-way relationship. These relationships are commonly practiced in business and “understanding” […]