Some in the church have a denominational view of Ephesians 2:8-9. This writer does not question their sincerity, but their understanding and knowledge. A clear statement of their position is, “We do not contribute one whit to our salvation” (Rubel Shelly, quoted in Yokefellow, vol. 18, no. 4, p. 3). They take the phrase, “not […]

The story is told of a Christian high school senior who was honored as one of the best and brightest in his community because he provided a forceful demonstration of integrity.

A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars

After being warned by the prophet Daniel about his sinful pride (Proverbs 6:16-17; Psalm 101:5; cf. Proverbs 16:18), the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was struck with insanity. The Lord restored his mind, but only after he spent a long period of time in a field thinking he was a wild animal (Daniel 4:28-37).

During a terrible storm on the ocean, a small passenger ship rolled precariously in the roaring tempest. The furniture and anything else that could move was tied down, and the

In today’s digital world, it’s sometimes difficult to keep up with the abbreviated terminology that accompanies today’s fast-paced, youth-oriented electronic communication. For example, in the “Instant Messaging” (IM) world, the text-message language, “laughing out loud” becomes “lol.” The phrase, “By the way” becomes “btw.” And regrettably, some people are using “omg” for “Oh, my God!”

Of all the sins that man may commit, lying is perhaps the most destructive. Lies, per se, aren’t all that harmful; they’re just words, but their consequences are destructive. When people base their decisions on lies, they make bad choices which ends up destroying their and other’s lives. Moreover, lies conceal the truth, which may […]

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul encourages us, “In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

One cannot be sure as to the first questions that the children of Israel might have had about God, but surely the manner in which God created the heavens and the earth would have come up at the campfires with the pillar of fire in view. The absolute power of the God that brought them […]

Regarding church attendance, this writer questions why any faithful child of God would ever ask such a question as “Do I have to be there?” in the first place. Unless there is a compelling reason that prohibits attendance, where else and with whom else would a child of

The disciples in Acts 11:26, were first called “Christians” at Antioch somewhere about A.D. 43. They were known to each other as, and were among themselves called, (1) brethren (Acts 15:1,23; 1 Corinthians 7:12); (2) disciples (Acts 9:26; Acts 11:29); (3) believers (Acts 5:14); (4) saints (Romans 8:27; Romans 15:25). Let us ask ourselves this […]

The following bulletin article was written by Brother Morris Thurman, former preacher for the Memorial Road congregation, on June 26, 1977. It’s a great human interest story about sacrifice that bears repeating

The story is told of a thrifty man who one day decided to save money on donkey feed. Every day, he would add increasing amounts of sawdust into the donkey’s feed. Because the process was gradual, the donkey did not notice any difference as he cleaned up his

Why did God make the dinosaurs go extinct? Is it true they just didn’t evolve to their (new) environment? I appreciate this question. It shows that some are thinking and trying to struggle with the facts that surround our world. We talked a little about the dinosaurs in the last question and answer session. These […]

Practice what you preach! Christ as the master teacher (John 3:2) taught his disciples not only by word but by example (John 13:15). He demonstrated by His living how they should live before their heavenly Father. After washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:3-5), Christ explained to them the spiritual “benefits” of serving others (John 13:14-17). […]

In Matthew 18:10, we read, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” What does “that in heaven their (the child’s) angels do always behold the face of my Father […]

From the beginning it was never God’s intention that man be idle. Likely this extends from the nature of God himself. The creator works, so must the creation. The garden of Eden provided, not only provision for man, but an area of responsibility and labor. Today idleness has brought untold ruin on those who have […]

In looking at history, we see that great events have occurred around some person of great influence, i.e., Harry Truman, Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower. In times of great national distress, it is nothing short of providential that certain people have been placed in certain places with certain qualifications, i.e., George W. Bush […]

Christianity differs from all other religions of the world in that it is the only religion that has a savior. According to Matthew 1:21, this savior’s name is Jesus, “for he shall save his people from their sins.”

In rejoicing over new telescopes, and new techniques, some men of science have been delighted in seeing some things in distant space that heretofore have not been viewed – at least from that far away. One, recently, referred to the viewing of exploding stars, and thus “we have hope that we might have new information […]