[NOTE: A few weeks ago, I published a version of the following list on Facebook. It received a lot of attention, but I pulled it down due to some people taking over the comments. What follows is a slightly edited version (for grammar, not for content) of that post that I hope will make us all think. –Adam] Over the past year or so, I have seen a lot of posts by a lot of people condemning brothers in Christ by name; including large numbers who are not even at the same congregation. For some time, I have avoided calling names in the pulpit, in our bulletin, etc. I am not…

Recently, I preached a sermon on church discipline. No, it was not because the elders asked me to, nor because the congregation was preparing to withdraw fellowship from anyone (at least, not so far as I know). Instead, it was to remind people of the context in which Jesus famously stated, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). That’s right. It wasn’t in the context of worshiping in a hotel room while on vacation. It was about those difficult conversations that must take place with erring brothers and sisters. However, when we consider the process of church discipline, it is…

Why do you go to work each week? Is it because you like your job? If so, that makes the job somewhat easier. Hopefully, we can all find a vocation that we enjoy. Is the fact that you like your job enough to satisfy you? Do you work because you want to keep busy and you don’t want to be lazy or bored? Or do you work to get paid? Ah, there it is! The truth comes out! We might like our job and we may be glad that we have something to do but at the end of the week, we need a paycheck because that is how the…

It was my privilege to attend the Lads to Leaders convention in Nashville not long ago. It provided an all too rare opportunity (in my mind) for all of our family to be together. Between Donna and me, we were able to see all five of our grandchildren as they participated in various activities.  While Lads to Leaders was treasured by us as a special family time, it also proved to be a time of spiritual growth and renewal. What a blessing it was to see so many young people use their considerable talents in various avenues of service to the Lord and His people! What an experience it was to worship on Sunday…

Call it “clickbait.” Call it “exaggeration.” Call it “over the top.” Call it “hype.” Whatever you want to call it, if you are on Facebook, you have seen the posts, because our news streams are filled with them. It might be a picture of a singer walking on a large stage, but the post says, “She walked on stage and everyone thought she looked strange. But when she opened her mouth, you won’t believe what she did!” Okay, so I have clicked on a few of these. Here’s the thing: virtually none of them were all that impressive. The girl might have been an okay singer. The artist might have…

It pulled up next to the vehicle I was driving. At first, I did not notice how shiny it was. I did not notice for a minute how new it looked.  What caught my attention originally were the letters on the side of the van. Those letters spelled out the name of a congregation of the Lord’s people in our area. As I looked inside the van, I saw that one of the preachers for that congregation was driving and that the other preacher was in the passenger seat. It is not unusual for people in the community in which these two men live to spend some time in one of the two hospitals…

Put yourself back on the elementary playground. Two team captains are choosing sides, and you are standing in the group waiting. Depending on the game or your reputation, you may be trying to get noticed or hiding behind everyone else. Maybe you are simply waiting, thinking, “Please don’t let me be picked last.” Another way to word that might be, “Please let someone want me.” In reality, you are, and always have been, very much wanted. God has always wanted you. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us before the world began. Verse 5 goes on to tell us that He predestined us for adoption into His family. The…

There seems to be a great deal of fear and even pessimism concerning the church of Christ. Certainly, there are areas of the country and in the world where the church is not growing, and others where it is declining in number and influence. More than that, though, there are some who are ashamed of the church—or, at least, they act and write like it. On social media, there are constant “pot shots” taken at the church for backward, out-of-touch, or even just silly beliefs. In some pulpits, preachers castigate the way we “used to do things” as if they are nothing more than tradition. I am here today, though,…