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What Romans 8:28 Does–and Does Not–Say
There is no way for me to know how many times I have heard Romans 8:28 quoted or read. It simply has to be one of the most well-known and beloved verses in the New Testament. In that great verse, Paul wrote, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (ESV). That verse is packed with meaning, and there is no way in a short post to unpack it all. However, for some people, that verse has turned into something that turns them off of following Christ and trusting in God. The reason is simple:…
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Negative Communication
One of the fastest ways to tear a local body of Christ apart is with your mouth. If you want to split the church, use your tongue. Negativity is one of the worst things that can come upon a family of believers. If you engage in negative talk about a brother or sister in Christ, you should be ashamed. I have been guilty of this sin myself. It is easy to get pulled into this pit by your closest friends in Christ. It starts innocently, with just the remarks about a person’s habits or weaknesses. But before you know it, you stop looking for the good in people and you…
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A Tradition Unlike any Other
There is no way of knowing how many times I’ve heard that phrase – a tradition unlike any other. I’ve heard it most of those times while watching the NCAA basketball tournament on television. For years, CBS has used that phrase to try to get their viewers to watch the next “big event” after that tournament concludes – The Masters golf tournament. However, the tradition unlike any other I’m thinking about has nothing to do with golf. It has to do with a couple of guys watching the NCAA basketball tournament. Somehow, while our son was still at home, the two of us got in the habit of spending some time together watching…
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Learning Leviticus [Video]
Okay, so most of us avoid the third book of the Bible unless we “have to” read it for our daily Bible reading. Leviticus is a difficult book to read, mostly because there are almost no stories. Instead, the book of Leviticus is filled with law after law after law. But there is more to the book than just a series of laws. If you are not familiar with The Bible Project on YouTube, I hope this video encourages you to check out what they are doing. In less than nine minutes, they share more helpful information about Leviticus than you may have ever seen before. Enjoy, then check out…
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The Most Influential Woman in My Life
Today is my mother’s birthday. In Proverbs 31:28 we are told of the children of an excellent woman growing up and calling their mother blessed. On my mother’s birthday, I want to honor her by giving you just a few of the reasons that I consider my mother the most influential woman in my life. My mom taught me that, in every circumstance, God must come first. We never missed any services of the church for ball games, school functions, practices, or anything else. We were always taught that even extra church activities were more important than anything else we had going on. Back then, that just meant missing practice…
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Five Minutes with Bartimaeus
And they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; He is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprand…
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What about Local Church Membership?
Many have asked the question, “Is the organization we have in the church today similar to the Biblical standard?” If we use the commands, examples, and inferences found in the New Testament, it certainly is. One of the side questions to this matter is that of local congregational membership. Some have said that there is no “placing membership” example. Others don’t see the need. But what does the Bible say about Christians and the church? 1. It tells us we are born into a family. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and have all been made to drink into…
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A Cure for the Polly Pitiful Syndrome
A few of us are old enough and sophisticated enough remember that classic, very intellectual television show called “Hee-Haw.” For those who are not old enough to remember, “Hee-Haw” was neither class nor intellectual. One of the sets for the show was a corn field. That was most appropriate because the show was, indeed, very corny. If you do remember that show, you probably remember the recurring skit during which the following lyrics were sung: Gloom, despair, and agony on me Deep, dark depression, excessive misery If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all Gloom, despair, and agony on me. How often do you sing that song? If you’ve never…
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A Soul-Winning Strategy from an Election-Winning Politician
He surprised the pundits. He surprised his opponents. He surprised the pollsters. He won an election he was supposed to do well in, but not win. He won by a fairly substantial margin. That was not predicted. It was not supposed to happen. What was his secret? What new tool and/or strategy did he have that the others did not have? Yes, he had raised a lot of money, but so had his opponents. Yes, he had a well-organized team in place, but so did his opponents. What about modern technology? He had all of that in place, but so did his opponents. The citizens of the state got to “know” him as they saw him on television,…
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For All Lads to Leaders Participants
