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This is the last episode for the month of September – time for our monthly news roundup. In this episode, we’ll be talking about the number of kids growing up in two-parent families, a shrinking pool of donors for churches, and a TV preacher raising money to speed up the return of Christ.Continue Reading
We are living in anticipation of the Lord’s return. Jesus promised His apostles, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). We are looking forward to that same hope. All the faithful – living and dead – will “meet the Lord in the air” when He returns and then “we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). This is a comforting thought for the Christian (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Peter spoke of the certainty of this event, but explained that the timing of it was unknown: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). We can be assured that this day is coming, but we do not know when it will be.
Since this is the reality of our existence here on the earth, James encouraged us to be patient. In doing so, he cited the example of a farmer to make his point:
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near” (James 4:7-8).
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With the events of the past year, many are wondering if we are living in the “end times.” Are we seeing signs that would indicate that the Lord’s return is imminent. We’ll consider how many religious leaders believe this and what the Bible teaches. In this episode, we’ll also talk about moral relativism and thoughts on abortion among young people.Continue Reading
Different people look forward to different events in their future. A high school student may be anticipating graduating and going to college. A young couple may be looking forward to having children. Those who are older may be preparing for retirement. People might look forward to the weekend as a time for fishing, attending a sporting event, or just spending time at home.
These anticipated events will be different for everyone because each person has different desires, priorities, and interests. Their plans for the future are different because everyone has unique circumstances so they can expect certain things to happen (good or bad).
However, one future event that is the same for all of us is the return of Christ at the end of the world. What will happen then? How can we prepare for this day? To answer these questions, we will consider what Jesus taught about the coming of the Son of Man.Continue Reading
“Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left” (Matthew 24:40-41).
The “rapture” is a popular doctrine among “Christian” denominations. The common doctrine of the “rapture” in the religious world is rooted in the theory of Premillennialism – the idea that we are awaiting the return of Christ in which He will come back to earth and establish His kingdom. However, we are not waiting for a future kingdom; Christ is reigning now (Acts 2:29-36). His kingdom (church) was established on the day of Pentecost (Mark 9:1; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 47; Colossians 1:13).
There are different variations of the theory of Premillennialism and the “rapture.” We will discuss those in a moment. But all of them have the “rapture” occurring before the millennium. In other words, many “Christian” denominations believe and teach that Christians will be caught up sometime before the reign of Christ on earth.Continue Reading
After receiving the revelation contained in the book of Revelation, John gave a final statement from Jesus: “I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:20). John then expressed his desire for Jesus to do this: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). He wanted Jesus to come quickly.
Why would John desire Jesus to come quickly? When we think about the return of Christ in which He will judge the world and reward the faithful, why should we desire Jesus to come quickly? Furthermore, what does it say about us if this is not our desire? We will explore these questions in this article.Continue Reading
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We’re in between season 3 and season 4 which will start on October 25th. During the break we’re posting audio sermons each week instead of the regular episodes. The sermon for this week was preached on August 28, 2016 at the Eastside church of Christ in Morgantown, KY.
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Jesus Christ came to set us free from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:3-6; John 8:34-36). Yet many Christians are content to remain enslaved to it. They have been convinced that we can never defeat sin; therefore, they have resigned themselves to the belief that they will always struggle with it.
Yet the Bible does not present the removal of sin from one’s life as an unattainable ideal but as a realistic goal. Paul said there is a way of escape for every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Peter spoke of what one needs to do so that he will never stumble (2 Peter 1:10). John wrote so that we may not sin (1 John 2:1). Jesus told the woman allegedly caught in adultery, “Go. From now on sin no more” (John 8:11).
But how can we successfully remove sin from our lives? We first need to understand the reasons why we sin so we can learn how to find the way of escape. This material has been written to help each one of us overcome sin, rather than struggling with it perpetually.
The second edition also contains questions at the end of each chapter to aid in personal and group Bible studies. There is also an appendix at the end with additional articles related to sin and temptation. This book is available in paperback and digital formats.
Click here for more information and to download a sample of the book.
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