July 3, 2024

How to Fix Our Broken Nation

Statue of Liberty Fallen

Nearly a decade ago, I preached a sermon with this same title following a mass shooting. Sadly, this country is still very much in need of “fixing.” And, of course, our society is full of people with ideas on how to do this. Yet so many of the “solutions” that are suggested are misguided, incomplete, and short-sighted.

Unsurprisingly, the problems that exist in our society have increased and worsened as the people of our nation have turned away from God and His word. The only real solution is to turn to the Scriptures and follow the principles and precepts found therein.Continue Reading

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June 12, 2024

One Body, Many Members

Crowd

“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12).

“For the body is not one member, but many” (1 Corinthians 12:14).

“But now there are many members, but one body” (1 Corinthians 12:20).

“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27).

The verses above are taken from a portion of Paul’s first letter to Corinth, in which he described the church as a body made up of different parts that function together. Recognizing this should lead us to value our brethren. It should also cause us to see our own value in the church. So in this article, we will consider what Paul said in this passage about the body and the members that make up the various parts of it.Continue Reading

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May 29, 2024

Conducting Our Assemblies Decently and in Order

Worship service

When it comes to our worship services, we tend to emphasize what we are to do. As we study through the New Testament, we see certain “acts” that were part of the assemblies of the churches in the first century under the guidance of the apostles.* Yet in his first letter to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul also described the manner in which these assemblies were to be conducted.

“Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40, NKJV).

What does it mean to conduct our assemblies in this way? It is important that we understand this so we can worship God acceptably and not misapply Paul’s instruction.Continue Reading

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May 15, 2024

Living for Christ

Man with Open Bible

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was an act of love. Before His death, He told His apostles, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). This love should produce a deep sense of gratitude in us. Yet, as Paul explained, it must do more than that. It should also motivate us to live our lives for Him.

But what does it mean to live for Christ? It is more than just a belief in Him or an appreciation for what He has done. Our belief and appreciation should affect our behavior. So let us learn what it means to live for Christ. To do this, we will consider a few passages that contain analogies and instructions that help explain this concept.Continue Reading

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May 1, 2024

Do Not Grow Weary

Man with Head in Hands

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9, KJV).

In the verse above, Paul told the Galatians that they were not to “lose heart in doing good” (NASB). Yet this often happens. We become exhausted through the activities, pressures, and obligations of life. This is something that everyone faces. However, as Christians, we need to deal with this feeling appropriately and not allow ourselves to “lose heart.”Continue Reading

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April 17, 2024

Should Christians Listen to Contemporary “Christian” Music?

Contemporary worship band

Contemporary “Christian” music has grown in acceptance and popularity over the last several decades. During this time, artists in more and more genres – including rock and hip hop – have been writing songs with lyrics that are more spiritual than secular. For many religious people, this is seen as an unquestionably positive development.

Before we consider whether these songs are ones that Christians should listen to, let us start with a definition of what we mean by Contemporary “Christian” music.

“Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and stylistically rooted in Christian music. …the term is typically used to refer to pop, but also includes rock, alternative rock, hip hop, metal, contemporary worship, punk, hardcore punk, Latin, electronic dance music, R&B-influenced gospel, and country styles.” (Wikipedia)

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April 10, 2024

What Makes an Outstanding Young Person?

Paul and Timothy

During the apostle Paul’s second preaching tour, he met a young man named Timothy. Paul was so impressed with him that he wanted Timothy to accompany him on his journey (Acts 16:3). As Luke introduced Timothy in this passage, we can see that it was not just Paul who held this young man in high regard.

“Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium” (Acts 16:1-2).

What made Timothy such an outstanding young man? The passage above does not give us much information (other than the fact that he was “a disciple”), yet we learn more from Paul’s second letter to Timothy about what set him apart from others.Continue Reading

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