Last night I caught the last 45 minutes of “Meet the Press” on MSNBC. The show, hosted by Tim Russert, had for it’s special “Easter Sunday” show, a panel of religious experts to discuss the topic “Faith in America.” The experts were (using their own religious titles) Sister Joan Chittister of the Order of Saint Benedict; Rabbi Michael Lerner of the Beyt Tikkun Synagogue of California; Jon Meachem, managing editor of Newsweek magazine and author of the book “American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation”; Sayyed Hossein Nasr, a professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University (does that seem ironic to anyone else?); Reverend…

Sadly, to many Christians, there are only sixty-five books in the Bible…and then there’s the Song of Solomon. I once used an illustration in a lesson on the importance of Bible study that listed “10 ways you know you haven’t been studying the Bible enough.” One of them was, “You find your son reading The Song of Solomon and you ask him, ‘Where did you find this trash?'” While the Song of Solomon can be very confusing, it is also a beautiful portrait of love–as opposed to lust–when studied. The book is inspired, and we need to be studying it more. Brother David Bragg of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has written…

Often we hear it said that time passes so quickly. James reminds us that our lives are but “a vapor,” and then he explains that a vapor just “appears for a little time, and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Those of us who are parents (even new parents of now 6-month-old proofs of God’s providence) realize the value of each moment. Some people can bring that lesson home better than others, though. Please read the following short article. It has so much depth, but it will mean even more when you see who wrote it. It is entitled “My Sons, No Longer My Children.” His name is “Time.” He’s a…

[NOTE: When I first read the following article, I knew that it needed to be seen by as many people as possible. I want to thank my dad, Jim Faughn, for granting permission to have his article republished here. It was first published in the April 2 edition of The Central Messenger, the weekly bulletin for the Central church of Christ in Paducah, Kentucky. A link to the congregation’s website is located under “links” on the right-hand side of this webpage. I know you will find the following article moving and helpful. Thanks, dad.]The voice I was hearing on the news clip I was watching on television was so familiar.…

The 2005 Power Lectures, held at the Southaven church of Christ, featured the much-needed theme “Why Should I Believe the Bible?” In our time, we need lessons to increase the faith of people in the Scriptures. Many see the Bible as just another “good book.” It is that–but it is so much more! This book is long (782 reading pages, followed by many more in indexes), but it would be well worth your time. There are 36 lectures, and each takes about 20 minutes to read, so the book would make for a good start in some personal reading. Brother B.J. Clarke, who serves as the director of the lectureship,…

On Tuesday night, “The Situation with Tucker Carlson” reported on the theory of one professor that Jesus did walk on water, but the water was frozen. Here is a portion of the transcript from that show from www.msnbc.com: To those of you who doubt Jesus really walked on water, I refer you to ProfessorDoron Nof. A Florida State University professor, Nof is an oceanographerwho says Jesus may very well have walked on water, albeit the frozen kind. Nof says unusual combination atmospheric conditions in what is now NorthernIsrael could have led to ice formation on the Sea of Galilee, allowing Jesus tostroll right across….That would kind of defeat the whole…

Over the years, dozens of arguments have been given trying to justify the use of mechanical instruments of music in the worship of God. While attempt after attempt has been made, a simple turn back to the Bible shows that God never approves of such in the New Testament. To attempt to justify the usage of the instrument, one must either (1) go outside the Bible, or (2) twist the Scriptures. Many have tried each of these. One of the more common arguments “using” (really, abusing) Scripture is to make the claim that only part of the Old Testament was done away with at the cross. Some will argue that…

One professor is claiming that the Bible is correct by claiming that it is incorrect. Jesus did not actually walk on water, the professor says. Rather, the climate over the Sea of Galilee can often lead to drifting ice, so that’s actually what Jesus walked on. To the disciples in the boat, it just looked as if Christ were walking across the sea’s calm waters. Amazing what some people will do to try and downplay the miracles found in the Bible. For more on this story visit www.ajc.com (the website of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) and, under “Nation/Home” click “Science.” Hopefully, within a couple of days we will have a little…

Wendell, Dan and Mike Winkler have written excellent material for many different uses. So many congregations are using their material that it seems pointless to write a review here, but I want to focus on the “mini-series” titles they have written. For those of you who may not be familiar with the material, these three faithful Gospel preachers have written a series entitled “Life Changing Studies with an Open Bible.” They wanted to write a series of books that would take students through the entire New Testament within a period of four years. Their works on the New Testament books are filled with wonderful material and, Lord willing, I will…

[NOTE: The subject matter contained in this article is very sensitive. I would kindly ask that no young person read this article without a parent or guardian having read it first.–Adam] Sharon Stone, the actress who made herself “famous” (or infamous) by starring in “Basic Instinct,” is now acting again. This time, though, she is acting as if she were some sort of sexual expert to whom teens should turn. Her advice? Oral sex is the answer when pressured for sex. In a recent interview, Stone reported, “Young people talk to me about what to do if they’re pressed for sex.” While I don’t think Stone (who, not-so-incidentally, appears fully…