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This week we’re talking about the size of churches and whether or not a church can become “too big.” In a recent video, a “megachurch” pastor charged those who are critical of larger churches as being “hypocrites.” Why did he say that? And why would anyone think that a church can become too large? We’re going to talk about that today.Continue Reading
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This week we’re talking about churches facing a decrease in giving. One of the major factors leading to this is the high rate of inflation we are currently experiencing in this country. This is affecting every household, so it makes sense that it would also affect local churches that depend upon their members giving on the first day of the week to carry out their work. We’re going to talk about a few things churches ought to do in light of this reality.Continue Reading
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This week we’re talking about church mergers. It seems to be more common today to hear about two different congregations joining together to become one local church. Why is this becoming more common? And are mergers like this a good idea or bad idea? We’re going to talk about that today.Continue Reading
“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
“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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This week we’re talking about preachers and their work with a local church. I recently joined brother Osamagbe Lesley Egharevba, a gospel preacher in Nigeria, for a series of video interviews discussing the work of a preacher. These three videos are on his YouTube channel, but he was gracious enough to allow me to share some of the clips from our discussions here. So this episode is going to contain some of the highlights from those interviews in which we discuss the work of a preacher in the local church, particularly when the congregation is without elders. Unfortunately, this is the condition a lot of local churches are in today, so I believe this discussion is relevant.Continue Reading
As the world around us grows more corrupt and people become more ungodly, faithful disciples of Christ will stand out. We may even become targets of ridicule, harassment, and persecution. This will make it tempting for us to try to hide our distinguishing characteristics as Christians in order to blend in with the world.
However, there are blessings that come from being different from the world as we strive to be what God wants us to be as His people. When the apostle Peter wrote his first epistle, he reminded Christians that they were “a peculiar people” (KJV) or “a people for God’s own possession” (NASB).
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession [a peculiar people, KJV], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Let us briefly notice how Christians are different from the world and why that is a blessing for us.Continue Reading
What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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