Is the Church of Christ a Cult? #1
The mere mention of the word “cult” conjures up dreadful images in our mind. Most people would probably think of Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy or Charles Russell. In the United States attention to cults increased during the early 1970s when groups began aggressively recruiting young people and others became centers of controversy. Since that […]
The Joy of Giving
While on earth, Jesus gave one of the most powerful and motivational statements on giving that can be found throughout the Bible: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will […]
The Vineyard of the Lord
In two parables of Jesus, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), and the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:28-31), one point among many is that the kingdom of heaven is a place for work, not idleness. As we do our work in the vineyard of the Lord, we demonstrate God’s […]
Whatever Happened to Hamble Hills?
Much of my childhood memory is tied up with churches of Christ. I remember attending worship services as a small child. My grandmother and I would walk to the little white country church building (we lived only a few hundred yards from it). We would get there 30 minutes beforehand. My grandmother loved to talk […]
I Stand Amazed
It is not uncommon to have brethren come to me after hearing a sermon preached, saying, “I haven’t heard a sermon like that in forty years.” What can be inferred from such a statement, or what can be said when one declares, “I didn’t know that was in the Bible?” Evidently, some are not studying […]
The Lord’s Church vs. Denominations
There are several significant differences between the Lord’s church, as revealed in the New Testament, and religious denominations. We are going to examine four of them. First, they differ in their nature. The Lord’s church contains only those who are saved by God’s direction (Acts 2:47). It contains those who have been “called out” of […]
Five Ways to Stay Small
God wants a congregation to grow because it is winning the lost to Christ and helping them to reach others. Most churches start small. The problem is that some stay small. The even bigger problem is that sometimes that smallness is due to distorted thinking (although often well intentioned). What does that thinking look and […]
God and Baal
In the land of Canaan, the land that God gave to Israel, the worship of Baal was very prevalent. The Israelites, ignoring the command of God, left people in the land and idolatrous worship developed. Judges 3:7 reports, “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forget the Lord […]
The Accomplishments of Jesus
Secularly speaking, there was nothing intrinsically spectacular about the birth of Jesus or His life. Jesus was born in lowly circumstances (Luke 2:7). Jesus never acquired wealth or political power (Matthew 8:20; John 18:36). Jesus possessed no unusual beauty or magnetism (Isaiah 53:2). He made many enemies, some of whom were very influential (Matthew 22:15-16, […]
Millennials are Leaving Religion
Every congregation that I’ve talked to has the same lamentation: they’re losing young people. And the greatest is that they won’t come back. For a long time, I thought this was simply too pessimistic, but now I’m not so sure. Four in ten millennials (anyone born between 1981 and 1996) now say they are religiously […]
