I loathe talking about hell, but to be balanced Biblically, it is a subject that must be discussed. The Old Testament writers addressed it. Jesus certainly didn’t avoid it. Paul, Peter, John, and Jude all speak about it. Some deny hell’s existence, but it is real. Many Christians know it is real, but we struggle with thinking of how many people will spend eternity there. But have you ever tried to summarize every person in hell in just one word? It’s more challenging than you think. The easy answer, I guess, would be “evil.” That is a true description, but we struggle with it, because evil is such a strong word.…

Ever feel like you can’t do anything? Can’t really encourage anyone? Don’t have anything to give? Ever feel like you just can’t really be like Jesus, because He worked miracles and gave life-changing words of wisdom? I think we all feel that way, but I want you to see that you can give three things to anyone and everyone and show Jesus to them. Ready for a deep, theological, and time-consuming list? Oh, then you’re reading the wrong post. Here are the three. If you will give these three to every person you meet, you will be amazed at what you see. 1. A listening ear. 2. An encouraging word.…

This post is going to stereotype, but that’s not the a emphasis. The emphasis is to make you think about a simple plan to change the world. It’s about generations working together. Many older folks simply cannot get out and do what they used to do. Health and other issues slow them down and they just cannot be involved like they would like. But many of them still enjoy two things: (1) interaction, and (2) giving. Many younger folks are world-changers. They want to see the world impacted for Christ, and that in a hands-on way. We see high school and college students wanting to go on mission trips to…

You just never know. Yesterday, following our Bible classes, I was having a very important discussion with two tremendous people who have been coming to Lebanon Road for a few months. The husband was wanting some advice on a way to approach a particular Bible study, so we were trying to help him gain that vital information. What I didn’t know until a few minutes later was that, while we were discussing  how to teach someone the Bible, someone was being baptized upstairs in our baptistry. Here is what is even more amazing, though. The lady who was baptized has been coming to Lebanon Road for years. I mean years…as in,…

One of the stalwart teachings of churches of Christ is that we do not need to be anything more than simply a Christian. We do not wear additional names, and we strive to not add additional practices or doctrines to the revealed will of God in Scripture. Since there is “one body” (Ephesians 4:4) and since Christ’s name is the only one given for salvation (Acts 4:12), there is no need for what is sometimes called “hyphenated Christianity.” In other words, we don’t have to be a Methodist-Christian, or a Baptist-Christian, or a Presbyterian-Christian (and on and on it goes). We simply need to wear the name “Christian,” and do…

When one considers the role of being an elder (pastor, shepherd, etc.) in the Lord’s Church, and the level of effort it takes, it is no wonder that the first qualification to be found is that of desiring the office (1 Timothy 3:1). We could speak of all the difficulties elders face, and surely there are many. But I want us each to consider that we have a role to play, too, in making the office of elder “desirable.” It is found near the end of the book of Hebrews, where the writer tells all Christians to “obey your leaders” (Hebrews 13:17). Then the verse says, “Let them [watch over…

My daughter loves bling. (Did you think you’d ever see the word “bling” on this site?) She loves the little jewelry that is made for little girls. Thankfully, it’s plastic and extremely cheap. When she starts seeing real jewelry, well, then there will be a PayPal donate button on our blog!!! Lately, she has been wearing a piece of bling that I like. It is a little red button that only has three words on it. Each time I see her with that button on her shirt, I have to “amen” the message of her button. It says, “I’m a blessing.” As her daddy, I think that’s a huge understatement,…