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EXAGGERATION Shane Williams I heard a story recently of a woman who was talking to her preacher. She said, “I have a habit that I know is hurting my example — the habit of exaggeration. I start to tell something and I go on and on enlarging the story. People suspect that it’s not true. […]
THINGS WE’VE LEARNED Bob Craig First anniversary! We’ve learned what marriage is all about, We’re ready to testify, It’s huggin’ and kissin’ and makin’ out, That’s what marriage is all about. Tenth anniversary! We’ve learned more than we knew before, We’re experts in our line, It’s kids and bills and maybe a doubt, That […]
Trust in God & Do Good (Psalm 37:3) Mike Johnson Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” Psalm 37 encourages God’s people to avoid being upset about the prosperity and, seemingly, good life of evildoers. Instead, the Psalmist encourages various positive endeavors. Among […]
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY Mike Johnson “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” (1 Thess. […]
Church Growth (1) Introduction to Church Growth Mike Johnson What can we do to make our congregation grow? Church members often ask this question. It is essential for a church to grow. First, to even continue to exist, it must grow. A church that is not increasing over a period of time is dying. Second, […]
CHURCH GROWTH (02) Concepts of Growth Mike Johnson There are two ways a church can grow. Generally, when people speak of the growth of a church, they are talking about numerical growth. The reason for this is that we can easily observe the numerical increase, and we tend to look at this type of growth […]
CHURCH GROWTH (3) Improper Methods of Growth Mike Johnson For some congregations, numerical growth is the most crucial issue. They will do almost anything to obtain new members or retain those they already have. They take great pride in the size of their congregation, showing little concern about whether their growth methods are pleasing to […]
CHURCH GROWTH (4) Factors in Church Growth (1) Location of the Building Mike Johnson When a church does not grow, or even declines in membership, people may ask why this occurs. Why do some churches grow while others drop in numbers? Several factors can come into play. One factor can be the location of the building. […]
CHURCH GROWTH 05 Factors in Church Growth (2) “The Times We Are Living In” Mike Johnson There are many factors, which can affect church growth. Sometimes, we explain the lack of growth in a congregation by the “times we are living in.” The moral and religious climate of today can have a negative bearing on […]
CHURCH GROWTH (6) Factors in Church Growth (3) Christians Who Move into the Area Mike Johnson A church may grow for various reasons. Some churches grow because they are located in a city or in an area where many people are moving. Some of these people may be members of the Lord’s church, so the […]
CHURCH GROWTH (7) Factors in Church Growth (4) Young People Mike Johnson There are many congregations today, which have very few young people. When a group starts to dwindle, it is often left with very few children. Some young people grow up, get married, and move to another area. Others remain in the area but […]
CHURCH GROWTH (8) Why Churches Die (1) Lack of Proper Teaching Mike Johnson There are many external factors, which can contribute to a congregation’s demise. Such factors as the location of a building, the “wicked times in which we are living,” an inability to attract Christians who move into the area, and a lack of […]
CHURCH GROWTH (9) Why Churches Die (2) Not Having Needed Leadership Mike Johnson There are many external factors, which can contribute to a congregation’s demise. Such factors as the location of the building, the wicked times in which we are living, an inability to attract Christians who move into the area, and a lack of […]
CHURCH GROWTH (10) Why Churches Die (3) A Failure to Evangelize Mike Johnson There are many external factors, which can contribute to a congregation’s demise. Such factors as the location of the building, wicked times in which we are living, an inability to attract Christians who move into the area, and a lack of young […]
CHURCH GROWTH (11) Why Churches Die (4) Lukewarmness/Unfaithfulness Mike Johnson There are many negative factors, which may exist in a congregation, which pertain to the spirituality of its members. Over time, these factors will cause the congregation to die. For example, a group may die because it does not receive sound preaching and teaching. It […]
SEEKING THINGS ABOVE “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. “(Col. 3:1) Volume I Number 3 June 2020 ============================================== Table of Contents “Bless the Lord, O My Soul!” (Ps. 19) ————— Mike Johnson “Lord, I’m Just too Busy” (Audio) —————– […]
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (1) The Need for Divine Authority (Introduction) Mike Johnson “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” These questions were asked of Jesus in the Jerusalem temple by certain Jewish chief priests and elders (Mt. 21:23). Although not sincerely motivated, these questions bring out two vital principles. […]
A Study of Bible Authority (2) THE AUTHORITY OF GOD Mike Johnson Everyone is subject to authority today. Employees, for example, are subject to the rule of their employers. We are all under the laws of our government, whether we want to be or not. There is authority we put ourselves under by choice, and […]
Biblical Authority (3) The Authority of Christ Mike Johnson Many people today do not understand the importance of having Bible authority. In previous articles, we have noted that we must follow divine authority instead of trying to direct our own steps. Next, we discussed the authority of God and noted that God certainly has the […]
Biblical Authority (4) The Authority of the Apostles Mike Johnson Many acknowledge the authority of God and Christ but do not accept or understand the Apostles’ authority. Some people today say we only need the words of Jesus to guide us. Some who take this position place a great deal of emphasis on the red-letter edition of the […]
A Study of Bible AUTHORITY (5) Obedience and the Old Testament Mike Johnson One of the most vital questions in studying Christianity is the question of authority. As was noted earlier, during the life of Christ, the chief priests and elders raised this question when they asked Jesus (Mt. 21:23), “By what authority are You doing […]
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (6) Authority and the New Testament Mike Johnson The Scriptures teach the authority of God, Christ, and the apostles (Ps. 50:10-12; Heb. 1:1-2; Mt. 16:19, 17:5, 18:18; 2 Cor. 5:20; Phil. 4:9). Also, the Holy Spirit played a role as He guided the apostles “unto all truth.” Consider now the authority of the […]
Biblical Authority (7) Adhering to the Gospel Message Mike Johnson From the Old Testament, it is clear that God intends for the Scriptures to be followed and not deviated from in any way (Deut 4:1-4, 5:32-33; Josh. 1:7; Num. 22:18, 24:13; Pb. 4:26-27, 30:5-6; Lev. 18:4-5). Consider now the same concept from the New Testament. Jude (v. […]
Biblical Authority (8) Direct Command Mike Johnson How do we establish Bible authority? It seems clear from the Scriptures that God intends for us to determine biblical authority in four ways. These are direct command, direct statement, approved apostolic example, and necessary inference. (Sometimes, direct command and direct statement are combined.) A broader classification of […]
Biblical Authority (9) Direct Statement Mike Johnson The Bible teaches direct command is one form of Bible authority. (Others are approved example and necessary inference). However, other kinds of statements do not occur in the command form but still serve as our guide. They have the same force of authority as a direct command. Consider the […]
Biblical Authority (10) Approved Example Mike Johnson What should be our attitude toward the concept of “example” as an acceptable form of Bible authority? There are three possible attitudes one might have. First, a person might say that all examples are binding. However, this attitude is unlikely, and, as we will see later, this would be a […]
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (11) Necessary Inference Mike Johnson Three forms of Bible authority govern us today. These are direct commands or statements, approved examples, and necessary inferences or conclusions. Most are willing to accept direct commands or statements as Bible authority. However, some may question the concept of approved examples, and a growing number challenge the […]
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (12) Generic & Specific Authority Mike Johnson Many have failed to understand the concept of generic and specific authority. These people may realize the need for a direct command or statement, approved example, and necessary inference for Bible authority. However, confusion can undoubtedly result if they do not understand the concept of generic […]
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (13) The Silence of the Scriptures Mike Johnson What should be our attitude regarding the silence of the Scriptures? What should we do regarding situations in which the Lord says nothing? These questions are critical. Disagreement on how to regard the silence of the Scriptures has caused much division over the years. If […]
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (14) FALSE STANDARDS Mike Johnson Why is there so much division and confusion today in the religious world? Why are there so many different doctrines and so many religious groups? One reason is that many have never learned the importance of Bible authority. Some may acknowledge the need for guidance from the Bible, […]
============================================== SEEKING THINGS ABOVE “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. “(Col. 3:1) Volume I Number 4 July 2020 ============================================== Table of Contents What a Privilege to Pray ——————— Donnie V. Rader What Is Truth —————————————– Mike Johnson What Is […]