“Jesus is my Savior, Not my Religion”
This phrase is making the rounds on the Internet among professed Christians, and it is quite troubling. The sentiment is expressed in charts, videos, and Facebook status updates. The trouble with these faddish phrases is that they sound great, but the biblical underpinning is sadly lacking, and will pull unsuspecting Christians into error. The message […]
The Prince of Peace
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Isaiah 9:6 is a wonderful prophecy of Jesus, referring not only to His birth, […]
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, […]
The Body of Christ
There are a lot of terms used in the New Testament to describe the Lord’s church, and there a lot of insight to be gained from knowing these terms better. One example is the term “body.” Ephesians 1:22-23 teaches that the church is Christ’s body (Colossians 1:18, 24). Although there are many members in the […]
Where Would Jesus Place Membership?
What Paul Said About the Church
It is interesting to see how someone’s opinion is valued after they become famous. All you have to do is see how music and movie stars, once they reach stardom, are asked their opinion on issues like raising children, global warming, and politics. But when you get right down to it, they are only human […]
Where do we Find New Converts?
A recent survey of several churches of Christ turned up some interesting statistics about the people who are being converted to Christ. The first trend considered is racial. Although some Christians may unfortunately look down on minorities, there were about equal numbers of men and women who became Christians. And people from different races were […]
Christ our Refuge
Under the Levitical system, God appointed or sanctified cities for the purpose of protecting those who had accidentally slain a fellow Jew. Of the 48 cities assigned to the Levites, six were designated as cities of refuge, three on either side of the Jordan River (Numbers 35:6-7; Joshua 20:7-8). In the ancient Near East if […]
Noah’s Ark and the Church
As the Hebrew writer points out in the 11:7, the story of Noah is one of great faith, and how Noah saved himself and his household. But what about the object that Noah was saved by? What about the ark? As we examine Genesis 6:14-16, we clearly see how great a task this was for […]
Important Facts About First-Time Guests
You may be the most skilled preacher and your church may have excellent Bible classes, but your first-time guests will never know unless they make a second or third visit. Healthy and growing churches pay close attention to the people they count as members, as well as those people who are not yet a part […]