“Tracks in the Sand”
Acts 14 records the briefest of statements from a sermon Paul preached to citizens in Lystra. He and Barnabas had at first been regarded as gods by those listeners after Paul had healed a lame man. When the two preachers suddenly perceived that the townsfolk were about to offer sacrifice to them by killing an […]
“Wait and See” Is Often the Wrong Approach
You don’t always want to jump right into action. Sometimes it’s best to wait and see if time clears up a problem. For example, when you wake up with a headache, you don’t race to the emergency room, you take a couple of Tylenol and see what happens next. However, there are times when the […]
As Many As Were Ordained to Eternal Life
After Mark’s departure from Paul and Barnabas at Perga, the two men continued their journey to Antioch of Pisidia. It is at this point that Luke recounted one of Paul’s longest recorded sermons, which was preached in the synagogue in Antioch. Wherever these men went, they always preached first to the Jews, then to the […]
Dramas, Plays, and Skits
A trend that I have noticed over the past several years is more emphasis being put on dramas, plays, and skits than on learning lessons from the Bible in Vacation Bible Schools. Denominations have incorporated these techniques for decades, along with institutional churches, but now they are appearing among conservative churches of Christ. There are […]
Jesus, the Son of David
In the genealogy of Jesus which both Matthew and Luke record, Jesus was identified as the son of David. In His sojourn among men, He was often identified that way. Two blind beggars in Capernaum (Matthew 9:27) so spoke of Him and multitudes so ascribed Him in His triumphant march into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). In […]
The “Sons of God” and “Daughters of Men”
In Genesis 6:7 we read of God’s gross displeasure with the wickedness of men: “So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’” Just prior to […]
Unintended Consequences
When Paul and Barnabas were sent by the Holy Spirit to the work God had called them to do, Luke’s account of their journey adds “and they had John (Mark) as their attendant (minister)” (Acts 13:5). John was a natural choice to take: an incidental reference to a “certain young man followed with him, having […]
Do Christians Go Directly to Heaven at Death?
There are some who argue Christians go directly to heaven when they die. They say Hades was broken up at the resurrection of Christ, Paradise was transported to heaven, and now only the wicked go to Hades to await the resurrection. If this seems strange to you, there is good reason — the Bible does […]
Divorce and Remarriage
It is truly sad how many people you come in contact with who are unscripturally divorced and remarried. With the divorce rate in Texas at about 45%, many opportunities exist for people to transgress the will of God. Matthew 19:9 says, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be […]
The Divisive Gospel
Many people have a one-sided concept of Jesus Christ. They see Him as a great individual and a wonderful man. They see His compassion with those whom He healed and His compassion with all those whose sins He forgave. Jesus was a loving, compassionate Savior (Acts 10:38). But there was more to our Lord and […]