Do Not Love the World (Sermon #36)

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Do Not Love the World (Sermon #36)

We’re in between season 11 and season 12. During the break we’re posting audio sermons each week instead of the regular episodes. The sermon for this week was preached on August 19, 2018 at the Eastside church of Christ in Morgantown, KY.

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What to Do When You’ve Sinned

GuiltDavid was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), yet he committed a series of terrible sins in his affair with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). This can happen to us, even as God’s people – we can commit sins even though we have been called to righteousness.

We often talk about the need to overcome temptation – and we should, this is the goal (cf. 1 John 2:1). But what happens when we fail to overcome temptation? Are we without hope? No, we can be forgiven. Should we continue that errant course? Again, no, we are still to strive to do what is right. So what should we do?

In this article, we are going to notice six things we need to do after we have sinned.Continue Reading

Public Confession of Sin

Two Men Praying

Often when a sermon is being concluded, the preacher will make an invitation that includes a call for Christians to make a public confession of sin. This is typically done for sins that are public in nature. Sometimes this is simply mentioned in passing. Other times a Bible passage will be cited, but often is not read or explained.

Because we hear this so often, this sort of public confession of sin is often assumed by brethren to be necessary without giving it much thought. But is it necessary? Is it authorized? Is it expedient? In this article, I would like for us to consider the practice of Christians publicly confessing sins.Continue Reading

Abner Jones: “I Hid My Light Under a Bed of Calvinism”

Abner Jones - I Hid My Light Under a Bed of Calvinism

Abner Jones (1772-1841) was a doctor in New England who would eventually abandon his medical practice in order to preach the gospel. This journey – which resulted in him being regarded as an early figure in the Restoration Movement – began when he started questioning the Baptists for having a name, articles of faith, and church covenants that were foreign to the New Testament.

“When I presented these things before the minister…he could not recollect the passages of scripture that proved these things, but said they were necessary. The reason why he could not remember them was, because they were not in the bible.

“When I mentioned these things to my brethren, they seemed almost as much astonished, as though I had denied the bible, saying that I was wild, &c.

“At that time I viewed myself alone on the earth, not knowing of any one that believed with me” (Abner Jones: A Collection, p. 60).

Continue Reading

Great Days in History (Part 2): The Day of Jesus’ Birth

Great Days in History

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15).

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4).

After considering the day of Creation, we will now be moving to the day of Jesus’ birth. This may seem like a big jump from the first day; however, we are not skipping the Old Testament. Instead, the Old Testament is the foundation for this lesson.Continue Reading

Things Which the Lord Hates

Proverbs

The book of Proverbs contains wisdom to guide us through life. In it we are shown the way that is right and warned about the way that is wrong. In the following passage, the wise man warned about things which the Lord hates.

There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Hate is a strong word, yet that is the word given by inspiration. Therefore, we should not gloss over the items on this list; instead, we should be sure we understand what these things are and heed this warning.Continue Reading

Willing to Forgive

Forgiveness

Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4).

When Jesus taught His disciples about the need to forgive those who had sinned against them, they said, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). They recognized that it is not always easy to forgive, especially when others habitually or consistently sin against us – either “seven times a day” (Luke 17:4) or even “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22).

However, as the Lord’s disciples, we must be willing to forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us. Paul wrote, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

We are to be willing to forgive, but what does this willingness to forgive look like?Continue Reading