November 6, 2013

The Church is Not a Charity

The title of this article may seem odd to you. It seems that most people – both religious and non-religious – view churches as, at least in part, charitable organizations. Many churches have programs and “ministries” that are designed to provide aid to the poor in their communities. Often these churches also conduct “mission trips” to various parts of the world to provide food, clothing, medicine, and more to those in third world countries. Such practices are so common that people with either ongoing or immediate financial needs seek assistance from churches in their communities.

The congregation where I preach has no program, no funds, and no intention to provide such charitable help to those in the community. The reason for this is not that we have no concern for the poor. Instead, it is because we are concerned with following the pattern found in the New Testament (cf. 2 Timothy 1:13; Colossians 3:17). Below are the reasons why the church is not a charity.
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September 23, 2013

Audio: The Church and its Money

Each first day of the week we take up a collection. This money is then used by the church. The method of collecting funds in our text is the only way we find that is authorized in the New Testament. However, instead of focusing on that point in this lesson, we’re going to focus on how to handle the money after it has been collected.
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August 5, 2013

Making Wise Investments (Part 3): The Pearl of Great Value

Making Wise Investments (Part 3): The Pearl of Great Value

In the previous lesson, we considered the value of the truth – the word of God – and why we should buy it and not sell it. In this lesson, we will consider something so valuable that Jesus talked about the wisdom in one selling everything that he owned in order to buy it. The thing which He said was so valuable was the kingdom.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).

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July 30, 2013

The Separation of Church and State

Church and American Flag

There is an ongoing debate in our society about the “separation of church and state.” Though the phrase is not used in any of this country’s founding documents, many understand it to be a fundamental principle upon which this nation was built. However, the debate springs from the differences people have in interpreting this phrase. As Christians, our concern should not be which position is the “conservative” or “liberal” position. Our concern should be what the Scriptures teach. So in this article, we will examine what the word of God says on this topic.
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June 20, 2013

The Mission of the Church

Church building

There are many different churches all over the world. Why do these churches exist? What is their mission? That answer will vary from church to church as men fashion their churches according to their own desires. We will consider a few possible answers later in this article.

But what is the mission of the church of our Lord? The answer to this question will not be found in human opinion or tradition, but in the word of God that has been revealed to us in the Scriptures. So let us see what the Scriptures say about the mission of the church.
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May 8, 2013

What Do the Numbers Tell Us?

Chart

There is often a great deal of emphasis placed upon numbers in a congregation – membership, attendance, converts, etc. This is somewhat natural. We tend to want some way to gauge success or progress in our efforts. Yet numbers rarely tell the whole story and, in many ways, can even be deceiving. Rather than being quick to jump to conclusions based upon numbers, we should look to God’s word to gauge our success in carrying out His will.
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March 13, 2013

The Body, Bride, and Church of Christ

Jesus offers an invitation to all men: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He is able to offer this rest because of His work in reconciling man and God through the cross (Ephesians 2:13-16). After we obey the gospel by putting on Christ in baptism (Romans 6:3, 17), we are to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

What do we call those who have obeyed the gospel? Individually, we call them Christians (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). But what about the universal body of all those who have become Christians? There are a few different terms used in the New Testament. In this article we will consider three – the body, the bride, and the church of Christ.
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