The Preacher’s Work

Man with Bible Standing on the Train Tracks

When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, one of the matters he addressed was the support of preachers (1 Corinthians 9:3-14). He explained that although he did not take wages from them (1 Corinthians 9:15; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:8), he had a right to receive such support. To show that a man has a right to receive support for his work as a preacher, Paul cited three other types of work for which men may receive compensation.

Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?” (1 Corinthians 9:7).

The point of this article is not to discuss the right of preachers to be supported for their work.* Instead, I want us to notice the three illustrations that Paul used in the verse above. He did not simply pick three random occupations and say that since they have a right to receive a return on their work then preachers should be supported. Every legitimate work is worthy of pay (cf. Proverbs 14:23). Yet the inspired apostle mentioned three works that in some way resemble the role of a preacher. Let us consider these briefly.Continue Reading

What Keeps Us from Going to Battle? (Sermon #31)

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What Keeps Us from Going to Battle? (Sermon #31)

We’re in between season 10 and season 11. During the break we’re posting audio sermons each week instead of the regular episodes. The sermon for this week was preached on April 29, 2018 at the Eastside church of Christ in Morgantown, KY.

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I Have Fought the Good Fight (Season 9, Episode 10)

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I Have Fought the Good Fight (Season 9, Episode 10)

In this season, we’re discussing some lessons from Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus.

When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he was near the end of his life. The apostle was confident of his reward because of how he had conducted himself in the Lord’s service – he “fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). There are some important lessons we can learn from the apostle here.

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 Importance of Faith (Part 9): Victory

The Importance of Faith (Part 9): Victory

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).

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The Importance of Faith (Part 8): Protection

The Importance of Faith (Part 8): Protection

In additional to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16).

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Ten Years

Deep in Thought

So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting” (Ecclesiastes 11:10).

Every hour, day, and year that passes is forever lost. Once time has passed, we can never get it back. Jesus said it is impossible to “add a single hour” to our lives (Matthew 6:27).

Within the last year, I have hit three different ten-year milestones in my personal life – the tenth birthday of my oldest son; ten years working with the church in Morgantown; and, with this article, closing out the first ten years of Plain Bible Teaching. This has led me to reflect upon how much can happen in a decade. So in this article, we are going to focus on five different ten-year periods in the Bible and see what lessons we can learn.
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The Song of Moses

Passage of the Jews through the Red Sea - Aivazovsky

After crossing the Red Sea and witnessing the destruction of the Egyptian army by the power of God, Moses and the Israelites sang praises to the Lord. The song recorded mentioned several reasons why the Lord is worthy of praise. As we consider these reasons, we should also recognize that God is worthy of praise for the same reasons today.

Let us briefly consider the reasons why Moses and the Israelites praised the Lord on this occasion.
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