Bible study
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Some Thoughts on “Restudying the Issue”
Every so often, word will spread that a congregation has made a massive change. Maybe the congregation has decided to appoint female elders or deacons. Maybe the congregation has decided to allow mechanical instruments of music in worship. These and other similar issues are often made with a big statement by the elders (or by the preacher) along with words such as “after restudying the issue…”. Very often, the leaders will speak of how they have been studying this for some time, usually about a year. Immediately, many push back on that phrase, “restudying the issue.” The reason, it seems to me, is that it is almost exclusively used at…
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A Proverb and the Bible School Program
Leah and I both have a passion for a church’s Bible school program. And our passion for it works out well, because she has such a heart for mostly children’s classes, while I greatly love thinking about teens and adults. We talk often about Bible classes and we try to think about ways to do better–both with our own teaching and in the entire program of work. As we look around congregations (both where we are and other congregations we visit), we see some similar struggles. But there is often one thing that is missing that would help the program improve, and (surprise, surprise) it comes right from the Bible.…
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VBS: Valley Bible Studies
Recently, Luke was part of helping a new work get off the ground for the congregation in Salem, Virginia where he is now the Youth and Family Minister. The work is called “Valley Bible Studies” (or, VBS) and is a multi-pronged effort. Below is a document he has shared with us about the various aspects of this online work. Click here to see the website and be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app. Breaking-Down-Valley-Bible-StudiesDownload
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Who’s On the List?
It may have already been published by the time this post goes live. It was said a while back that a certain list of names would be released at the beginning of the year, though no specific date and time were given. Many in the public have been holding their breath to see who is on there. We are told that the names will include many people known throughout the world, including some very high profile people in business and politics. But the names, we are told, will also include some who we do not know, from victims of terrible things to others who were involved in various ways. As…
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A Thought about the Pearl
Over the years, including a number of times recently, I have had conversations with people who have left the denominational world in order to be “just Christians.” One of the things that is of interest to me is how so many of those who have done this speak of how they love the Truth and how they want to make sure the Lord’s church is unstained by doctrinal error. On the other hand, I have also had conversations with people who were “raised in the church,” but who now desire for the church to change. They want to see the church not be so stuck in the past and they…
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Double-Edged Knots
Some knots are necessary. If you want to keep your boat at the dock, you need to tie a sturdy knot. On the other hand, some knots are annoying. Knots in your hair or a favorite necklace can make you run late. This type of knot isn’t the only one that can make a big difference based on where it is found. Sunday in Bible class, Michael Grooms, our preacher, pointed out that shifting a couple of “nots” in the Bible makes a big difference in eternity. In Genesis 2, God clearly told Adam that if he ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil he would “surely…
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Bitterness
I am going to try to introduce this without giving away the situation, because, when you write about bitterness, you don’t want to come across as…bitter! Here goes. A number of years ago, what was probably just randomness put me in a very difficult place, emotionally. For a stretch of time, due to those random circumstances (or, “perhaps,” God’s providence!), I had to be around a number of people who had truly caused me and my family pain. The pain had been emotional and, no doubt, had led to some spiritual struggles also. Now, unbeknownst to any of us, we would have to be around some of those who caused…
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Those Kids Need to be There…Always
Recently, I watched a sermon by a friend of mine who is a wonderful Gospel preacher. It was a sermon from a couple of years ago that I was interested in hearing all of, but, as often happens, there was one little statement that was made that just stuck in my mind. In this part of the sermon, he was talking about decisions that elders had to make during the early-to-earlyish days of the pandemic. As elderships were trying to think of the best ways to proceed, they had to balance all sorts of things. He mentioned the eldership where he attends talking through those issues, as I know our…
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“What Was the First Ever Church Called?”
The title of this post is taken from a portion of a podcast I listened to on September 15, 2023. The name of the podcast is The Briefing and its host is Dr. Albert Mohler. He is well known in some religious circles. This would be especially true among those identified as “evangelical.” In case you are not familiar with Dr. Mohler, the following information is from his website. The information is very basic. but what I’m reproducing here should help you to see how he identifies himself religiously. Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary – the flagship school of the Southern…
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Is It “Self-Banned” in Your Home?
It’s so-called “Banned Books Week.” The propaganda machine is running hard again to let us know what books have been “banned” here in the United States–despite the fact that you can order any of those books from nearly any bookstore. It’s a publicity stunt, and I hope we see right through it. However, when I saw that this week was upcoming again, it made me think of the one Book that is often not allowed in many places–the Bible. Many of the libraries that are up in arms because a book about gender identity isn’t allowed in an elementary school would not dream of putting the Bible in that same…