Five Stages of Commitment
Every congregation is comprised of different levels of commitment and maturity. There are some members who are highly committed and very mature while others are uncommitted and immature. Between these groups are other people at various stages of spiritual growth. The goal of every congregation, including this one, should be to help as many people […]
Spiritual Markers
Joshua 4:8 says, “And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua …” Spiritual memory is crucial in your life. It would be tragic if, in your haste to grow in your faith, you neglected to leave […]
Spiritual Correctness
“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). Put that in your own computer and you will find a similar thing that I did: there are a lot of red lines under it. What does that mean? People just simply do not talk like that anymore. However, the message […]
Spiritual Conversations
The Barna Group released a study a few months ago detailing research on spiritual conversations. Social media and mobile devices have fundamentally changed the way we communicate — particularly about faith. I and many of my preaching colleagues have had scores of Bible discussions online, but we’ve found that those discussions are harder to come […]
Sound
Sound could be defined as noise, but we are not interested in noise. It is also defined as “to be well, to be in good health” (Thayer). This type of sound is found five times in Paul’s letter to Titus. Elders are to “be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who […]
“The Sons of Belial”
“Belial” occurs 16 times in the Old Testament and only once in the New Testament. It is used as an epithet of scorn and disdain, meaning “worthlessness,” and it is often translated as “sons of Belial.” The terms “men,” “man,” “son,” “daughter” and “children” are all also used with Belial. The same Hebrew word is […]
Some Thoughts About Public Prayer
We are very grateful for our men who are willing to help during the assemblies by leading the congregation in prayer. We know it can be a hard task and you are doing a good work so please keep it up! In order to improve our efforts in public prayers, please consider the following suggestions: […]
Some Good News
No matter how hard the media and Hollywood have tried to paint abstinence as outdated and idiotic, a new study shows that a solid majority of U.S. teens would like to be virgins when they marry. Sixty-one percent of America’s youth said they would like to not have sex until marriage, and 63% of respondents […]
Some Danger Signals
It’s always good to be on the lookout for when we are slipping dangerously close to spiritual peril. To that end, consider the following signals: When these things happen, watch out for spiritual decay! “And I … could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal” (1 Corinthians 3:1). Kyle Campbell
I Hope We’re on the Right Road
The comedian, Woody Allen, once said this to a Yale graduating class: “Our civilization stands at the crossroads. Down one road is despondency and despair. Down the other road is total annihilation. I hope we are on the right road.” Allen’s statement well shows the sense of futility that pervades many lives today. The biblical account […]