Posts

February 8, 2011 / Joshua Riggins / Church

Concerning the Collection for the Saints

One of the very first commands God gave man was to give. Cain and Abel were asked to give a sacrifice to God, appropriate to His will. God, explaining to Cain why his offering was not acceptable, states in Genesis 4:7,

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.

Giving an offering to God was not just a matter of convenience or the “thing to do,” giving was a serious action with serious consequences. If the giving was unacceptable, God explains, “sin lies at the door.”

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February 3, 2011 / John Morris / Eternity

Lessons from Matthew 14

“The boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’ And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.” (Matthew 14:24-32)

This singular event in the lives of the disciples teaches us some important lessons about serving the Lord. Lessons for Christians, and otherwise.

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January 24, 2011 / Louis Garbi / Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit and Religious Experience

Religious experience is problematic because there is no means of verification other than one’s own “experience.” For example, an individual might claim a vision of Jesus, a voice from above, the apparition of an angel, or, Ezekiel-like, transportation to an unfolding realm. To follow such a thing, a person must have more faith in the declarer’s experience than having faith in God. Through taking the word of a man we make ourselves susceptible to that individual’s influence. Thus it becomes possible for us to enter their game or delusion, which ever it may be.

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January 18, 2011 / Richard Garbi / Doctrine

Believe? or Obey?

To be saved you must believe that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) There are many scriptures that echo this message. The confession that Jesus is both Lord and Christ is the “Rock” on which your faith must be built. (Matthew 16:15-18) You must believe!

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January 11, 2011 / Wade Stanley / Worship

The Lord’s Supper

In one of His ministry’s final acts, Jesus established a ceremony which memorializes His death. It consists of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine. The bread represents the body of Jesus, the fruit of the vine His blood. Jesus instructed the disciples to remember Him as they consumed this simple meal (Luke 22:19). Though not bodily present at the memorial’s institution, the apostle Paul later relates that a disciple proclaims the Lord’s death when they partake of this simple meal (1 Corinthians 11:26).

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November 16, 2010 / Wade Stanley / Salvation

This Little Thing Called Works

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24)

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November 9, 2010 / Kyle Stephens / The Bible

Adam & Eve

You may have heard people say that the Bible blames Eve for bringing evil into the world. That is patently untrue. Paul wrote in R0mans 5:12 that it was by the actions of one man (Adam) that sin and death entered the world. Did Eve play a part? Certainly, but the onus is place squarely on Adam’s shoulders.

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October 26, 2010 / Tad Morris / Apologetics

Carbon Dating and the Bible

How old is the Earth? This question and related subjects have been at the heart of the Bible vs. Science controversy of the last several centuries. Taken literally, the Genesis creation account and genealogical records provided throughout the Bible indicate a relatively young world, not older than 6,000 years or so. Modern Science, of course, mocks this idea of an adolescent Earth, offering a dramatically different perspective in the billions of years and beyond.

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October 19, 2010 / Joshua Riggins / Doctrine

He Promised Me the BMW!!!

Beginning in the 19th Century, and increasing in popularity right after World War II, men began to interpret a few passages of scriptures to mean that God would materially bless those who trusted in Him. This idea asserts that the man who prospers in this world is the man who puts their trust in God. In defending such a position, the following verses are pointed to (not exclusively)

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October 14, 2010 / John Morris / Worship

Worship Means Sacrifice

Americans love convenience. From microwaves to pizza delivery, from cell phones to high-speed Internet, from drive-through funeral viewings to drive-in churches, Americans make no bones about their love of convenience. And convenience is certainly nice (in its place). After all, who isn’t glad to be free from the time-consuming, back-breaking drudgery of doing things the old-fashioned way? (The good old days weren’t necessarily the good old days. Just ask those who lived during them!) Who doesn’t enjoy having more free time in each day? Who doesn’t like to be able to get information when and where he wants it? Convenience is nice. But some things just aren’t convenient. And to make them so is to make them into something they’re not.

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