There are some highfalutin names that folks use for men who publicly proclaim the Bible today. Some are called “Father So-And-So” or “Pastor So-And-So” or even “Reverend So-And-So.” When you read through the New Testament, did you ever read anything like that? Can you imagine Paul addressing a letter to “Reverend Timothy”? Timothy’s name is found about 24 times in the New Testament. This man, who…

Don’t you like it when things are made easy for you? We love meals that are “made easy” or tax filings that are “made easy” or online purchases that are “made easy.” What about when activities in a Christian’s life are made easy? A present tense (signifying ongoing activity) imperative verb (indicating a command of God) is recorded in James 5:16 – “Pray for…

Usually, we would not think that something could be both “tender” and “firm.” We might think of a piece of meat and want it either tender or firm, but not both. If something was both tender and firm, we might consider it to be deformed or undesirable. Is it possible that something could be enhanced and superior because it was both tender and firm? In…

Please think very seriously about this. The worship assembly of the church has a “worship God” (vertically-focused) emphasis to it (John 4:24). That’s obvious. But, the worship assembly of the church also has a “come together…for edification” (horizontally-focused) emphasis to it (1 Cor. 14:26). This involves EVERY avenue of worship in which we engage, including our giving. The Greek word that is translated as “contribution” in…

The command to give on “every first day of the week” (1 Cor. 16:1-2) is truly a blessing from God! We need (for our own good) to give to Him! One of the great advances in technology that has been beneficial to Christians and to congregations alike is the ability to give online. BUT, if you give online, do you worship when you do? Giving…

The yellow road sign that has only the word “CHURCH” on it always amuses me. Yellow road signs are “Caution Signs.” So, motorists are being cautioned about a “CHURCH”? I always wonder, “What’s the caution all about?” Are they being cautioned about an extremely active and zealous “church” that has lots of people there, coming and going, all the time, with great excitement for what…

It’s strange to drive down a road and see an old church building with a sign that says, “Church for Sale.” For whatever reason, the building at that location is now vacant and no longer being used. So, what is actually for sale is a “Church Building,” not the “Church.” The “church” was already bought! Paul told a group of elders that “the church of…

There are lots of things to make you smile as a Christian! There are lots of things that make church assemblies the highlight of a week! Here’s one of those things for me. We have a large (and growing) number of folks, who I affectionately refer to as our “30-minute members.” They fall into two classes. First, there are the folks who always get to services…