Church Blog (Page 9)

I am not sure the reason, but it seems that most of us remember the last words spoken to us by those who are deceased. Those words sometimes reflect the last thoughts of those who are dying and the final message they give to us. Consider these last words of the saints of God. The last words of Jacob were, “Bury me with my fathers in the cave…which Abraham bought” (Gen. 49:29, 30). Joseph’s final words? “God will surely visit…

Hear Romans 10:17— So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. John 6:45— It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. Believe Hebrews 11:6— But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Repent…

The beatitudes are what introduce the Sermon on the Mount. They serve as a framework or a starting place for the hearers of the message. They also serve as a reminder of the basic characteristics of a follower of God. They teach us so much about faith. They teach us how faith begins poor in spirit, with mourning and meekness. They teach us how faith grows, hungers and thirsts after righteousness. They teach us how faith matures merciful, pure in…

The writer of Hebrews could so easily see the dangers faced by those Jewish Christians. The nation that killed God’s Son turned its wrath on the church almost from the day it began. Jesus had warned them about the trials that were coming. Obviously, they persecuted those Gentiles who had become followers of Jesus, but their persecution was even more fierce on the Christians addressed in this epistle. They had begun their walk with Jesus and faced many trials which…

Is it important to remember life-changing or defining moments? Of course, it is. Keeping such things in our memories allows the substantial impact to remain with us. They keep us focused on what is important and snap us back to reality when we begin to lose our way. One of our more common methods of remembrance is to establish memorials. Memorials tend to be erected to commemorate events and interactions that left lasting impacts on those who raise them. These…

The story is told of a Christian high school senior who was honored as one of the best and brightest in his community because he provided a forceful demonstration of integrity. When his school team was given the word “auditorium” in a regional spelling bee, he glanced down to ponder his response and noticed that the word was printed on the microphone stand. He called this to the attention of the judges who responded with a more difficult word. The…

Righteous living has always been a cornerstone of godly living. Ever since the Creation, God has had the expectation of man and woman that he and she both live according to His command. However, both man and woman failed – as every man and woman have since. So, when Jesus declares, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mat. 5:20), what is He…

“and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” – Ephesians 4:24-26 Paul is encouraging the church to grow in Christian maturity and grace. One sign of that new…

Among the people of the earth, the Israelites had a special relationship with God. Even among those in the tribe of Levi had a special service which drew them into a closer relationship with God than their brothers. The descendants of Aaron were to be the priests and the rest of the tribe were to serve and participate in taking care of the tabernacle (Num. 18:1-2). God provided for them since they were exclusively working in His service. Chapter eighteen…

D o you feel like it’s harder to be nice these days? Some people today are extremely negative, extremely hurtful and extremely vile. Some people today throw niceness back in the face of those who extend it. Some people today make being nice awfully hard. Be nice anyway! When your own family members let you down, say things that hurt, forget to do things they promised to do, ignore your efforts to show kindness, dump everything on you and expect…

Are you ready for an evangelism boot camp? There was a time in our not so distant past when these types of seminars were being held all over our nation. Christians carried film strips (Jule Miller) in the back of their trunks and went house to house teaching anyone who would listen the Gospel of Christ. Now most of our training is inwardly focused and are geared towards keeping the saved, saved. Success is seen in how many sister congregations…

Paul’s words to young Timothy were so descriptive of the trials he would have to face. Those verses in 1 Timothy 4 were given to Timothy because of what was happening. The gospel was soon to be preached to every creature under heaven, and the future of the church was so promising. Paul warned Timothy that the Holy Spirit of God had clearly revealed that some would depart from the faith and begin following false teachers and the lies they…