Once men have developed to the point that they are qualified to be elders, what comes next? Elders must be appointed. After this, the congregation must work under their oversight. How does this work? And what about a congregation without qualified men to serve as elders? Let us consider these questions in this final lesson.
Continue Reading
In the United States, Memorial Day is a time to remember those who have died while serving in the armed forces. It is certainly appropriate for us to appreciate the sacrifices that have helped make it possible for us to live “a tranquil and quiet life” (1 Timothy 2:2).
In a similar way, it is good for us to remember those who died not for a country, but for the kingdom of Christ. The New Testament provides us with a record of a few such individuals. In this article we will remember these martyrs* and consider some lessons from their deaths.
Continue Reading
Benjamin Franklin (1812-1878), one of the more influential preachers in the Restoration Movement, made it his aim to preach in such a way that his message was clearly understood. Notice the following quote from a sermon he delivered on the subject of foot-washing:
“All we ask of those who may differ with us, is to give us a patient and impartial hearing, and then, if we cannot agree, it is hoped the disagreement will be greater than it was before” (They Heard Him Gladly, p. 221).
Last week we wrapped up Season 1 of the Plain Bible Teaching Podcast. The theme of this season was preaching. You can listen to the audio from all of the episodes on this page. You can also click on the link for each episode to see the show notes and download the audio files if you’d like.
Continue Reading
Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS
Any preacher who is diligently striving to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5) will want to carry out that work as effectively as possible. But how can one effectively preach the gospel of Christ? In this episode, we will consider four points explaining how this is done. These points are not based upon personal experience, human wisdom, or any sort of formal religious training. Rather, these points are taken directly from the word of God. If one wishes to preach the word of God effectively, he must learn how the Scriptures indicate that this is done.
Article: The Four C’s of Effective Preaching
If you found this episode to be useful, please share it with others. Also, if you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. This also helps others hear about the podcast. Thanks.
The Lord’s church was established on the day of Pentecost following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ (Acts 2). The Scriptures indicate that three thousand individuals responded to the preaching of the apostles on that day by obeying the gospel (Acts 2:41). As a result, God added them to the church (Acts 2:47).
There were many others in Jerusalem on this day than just the three thousand who obeyed the gospel – including many who would have heard but did not respond to the preaching done by Peter and the other apostles. What can we know about these “three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41) that contributed to their reception of the gospel? Let us consider six things we know about these individuals from the text:
Continue Reading
Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS
Just as preaching plays a vital role in salvation, the sending of preachers is also crucial. This episode discusses what it means to send preachers today, how it helps to aid in the work of preaching, and what preachers are to do in their work.
Article: “How Will They Preach Unless They Are Sent?”
If you found this episode to be useful, please share it with others. Also, if you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. This also helps others hear about the podcast. Thanks.
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.
Available in print and digital format.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
If you have further questions about using any of the material on this site, please contact me.