Conduct Yourselves in a Manner Worthy of the Gospel

Reading an Open Bible

When Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, there were very few problems that he needed to correct. These brethren were faithfully following the Lord and were an encouragement to the apostle. So he encouraged them to continue serving the Lord in a way that would please Him. Consider the following verses:

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me” (Philippians 1:27-30).

In the passage above, Paul told them to “conduct [themselves] in a manner worthy of the gospel.” This indicates that the gospel calls us to a higher standard, and Christians must strive to live up to it. But what exactly does that mean? How can we do this today? Let us consider what Paul wrote in this passage about how we can “conduct [ourselves] in a manner worthy of the gospel.”Continue Reading

Christians Becoming a Minority Group in America (02.02.23)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re talking about the future of religion in America. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, those who profess to be Christians may be in the minority in fifty years. I talked about this in an episode a few months ago, but this week I have Kristofer Gardana with me so we can discuss the challenges and potential opportunities that Christians could encounter in the future if these projections become a reality.Continue Reading

Bible Passages That Are No Longer Appropriate in Modern Society (12.08.22)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re talking about a street preacher in the U.K. who was charged with violating the Public Order Act by citing a Bible passage about homosexuality. The prosecutor claimed that such passages are “no longer appropriate in modern society.” Unfortunately, he’s not the only one who believes this. There are even religious people who would shy away from certain passages in the Bible. We’re going to consider some points about this today.Continue Reading

Where Will Your Church Be in Twenty Years?

Church building at sunset

In this lesson,* we are going to be looking ahead into the future and trying to determine how our local congregation fits into it. My purpose is not to make any predictions or prophecies. Like Amos would say, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet” (Amos 7:14). Instead, the purpose for this lesson is to examine the direction we are going so we can plan, prepare, and adapt as best we can.

The future has always been uncertain, yet it seems as though there is even more uncertainty now than ever. There are a few reasons for this.

  1. Post-pandemic – The COVID-19 pandemic was possibly the most significant disruption we will experience in our lifetimes.
  2. Digital/virtual world – With the rise of the internet and social media, we are experiencing “the biggest communication shift in the last five hundred years.”
  3. Increasingly godless society – This means that we have less common ground with those around us and more hostility toward those who claim to be Christians.

As we go through this lesson, we are going to break it up into three parts:

  1. Conditions today – the current state of our society and the religious landscape in which we live
  2. General principles – some things that will always be true about the future of the church
  3. Specific issues – some specific things affecting the church today and will continue to do so in the future

So let us begin our consideration of this question: Where will your church be in twenty years?Continue Reading

Monthly News Roundup (02.24.22)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This is the last episode for the month of February – time for our monthly news roundup. In this episode, we’ll be talking about the group who are most likely to still be missing from the local church, the number of babies born to unmarried mothers, and global persecution in 2021.Continue Reading

Dangers on the Safe Side: Conclusion

Dangers on the Safe Side

Over the last few weeks, we have be considering the tendency to stay “on the safe side” when it comes to difficult decisions we have to make. For inconsequential matters or choices that pertain only to this life, it may be fine or even wise to do this. However, as we have seen, in the realm of spiritual matters and our responsibilities before the Lord, staying “on the safe side” is dangerous, and “erring on the side of caution” can lead to error and sin.

When it comes to spiritual matters and God-given responsibilities, we run into problems when we make decisions based upon what is most convenient, comfortable, or easy rather than what is right. To recap, the areas we have considered in the series are:Continue Reading

Dangers on the Safe Side (Part 4): Avoiding Persecution

Dangers on the Safe Side

In writing to Timothy, Paul made it clear that the life of a Christian would involve persecution: “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). During the first century and at various times and places throughout history, Christians have faced severe persecution for their faith. In this country, generally speaking, any persecution we may have encountered for our faith has been minimal. However, as our society and civil leaders become increasingly ungodly, the likelihood that we will see more severe persecution in the future becomes more of a possibility. When threatened with physical harm, imprisonment, or some other type of abuse, it is tempting to do nearly anything to stay “on the safe side” and avoid it. Yet no matter how dangerous it may become to be a faithful Christian, there are greater dangers in compromising in order to avoid persecution.

The Hebrew writer reminded the brethren of persecution they had already endured and encouraged them to remain faithful.Continue Reading