August 14, 2024

How Much Time Should We Spend on the Lord’s Supper?

Communion Trays

In my limited personal experience in every church where I have been a member, the observance of the Lord’s Supper in the assembly has been simple and relatively brief. Even when visiting on a Sunday with other congregations, that experience has been the same.

Lately, I have been hearing of more churches rearranging their Sunday service schedule in order to have one service wholly dedicated to the Lord’s Supper and another service in which they engage in the other acts of worship (singing, praying, preaching/teaching). As of the time I am writing this, I have not visited a church that has gone to this type of arrangement. However, based upon comments I have seen online, those who have done this seem to have an overwhelmingly positive view of this new format.

This begs the question: How much time should we spend on the Lord’s Supper? In this article, I want us to consider some thoughts regarding that question.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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August 31, 2023

The Return of COVID (08.31.23)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re talking about the return of COVID. There has been a lot of talk lately of a new variant, mask mandates, and lockdowns. We went through all of this three years ago and it seemed like we were able to put this behind us, but now it seems like it’s about to be thrust upon us again. So, if all of these things come back, how should we, as Christians, handle it?
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March 15, 2023

Cold, Empty Churches

Empty church

Corydon E. Fuller, in Reminiscences of James A. Garfield, described a period in which he (the author) was working with a school in Hambden, Ohio, in 1851. In this “little village” that “enjoyed no past, and had no hope in the future,” there were two churches which he described in this way:

“The two churches stood like gladiators over against each other, shabby in their weather-beaten habiliments, faded and tattered by winter’s storms and summer’s heat. Without, they were forbidding and repulsive; within, the fires had grown cold upon their altars, and the worshipers had departed, save a few fossils who had come down from a former generation.” (Reminiscences of James A. Garfield, p. 39)

No additional information is given about these churches and how they got into this condition. However, any church could find itself in this condition in the future, no matter its current state.

The churches Fuller described were once active in their work and worship. Yet over time, their services had “grown cold,” and most of the “worshipers had departed.” Whether one condition led to the other or both happened concurrently, they were related (and can also be in our churches today).Continue Reading

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December 22, 2022

Churches Canceling Services for Christmas (12.22.22)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re talking about churches canceling services for Christmas. December 25th falls on a Sunday this year. And while most churches in the religious world place a special emphasis on this as a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus, there are a number of churches that are planning not to meet at all because of the holiday. There are some points I want us to consider about this.Continue Reading

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November 28, 2022

Answering Basic Questions (Part 11): What Is the Work of the Church?

Answering Basic Questions

Earlier in this series, we discussed the question: What is the church? A related question, and one that will come up from time to time, is about what local churches are to be doing. If you ask various people, you will likely get many different answers. This is the reason why there is an almost limitless number of activities and “ministries” offered by churches today. Is it necessary – or even good – for churches to do all of these things?

What is the work of the church? There are four points for us to consider here.Continue Reading

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November 14, 2022

Answering Basic Questions (Part 9): What Is Worship?

Answering Basic Questions

Many people equate being religious with worship, and for good reason. Worship may not be all that we do in service to God, but it must be a necessary and fundamental part of it.

What is worship? Let us consider four points about this subject.Continue Reading

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