More results...
Fat Doctors Who Smoke Dan S. Shipley Most have heard about the overweight smoker who, after taking his annual physical exam, was lectured at length by his doctor on the dangers of smoking and obesity. When asked by the doctor what he intended to do about these things he replied, “Sir, I’m going to go […]
Brief Exhortation “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.” (1 Thess. 1:8) Some have a bad attitude concerning personal work. They are too quick […]
Serving in My Senior Years Robert Harkrider I well remember how disappointed I was when, as a young preacher, I was told that one of our elders was “retiring” as an elder. I thought, “How could any Christian of any age ever retire?” Aren’t we responsible to do like Paul, who wrote, “I press toward […]
Walk in Wisdom Toward Outsiders Dylan Stewart In Colossians 4:5, Paul commanded Christians to “walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.” Those who have been created anew in Christ (Colossians 2:11-13, 3:10) must realize how important it is to “walk” carefully and with “wisdom toward those who are outside.” Given Christians’ […]
You Wouldn’t Have Liked John the Baptist If… David Diestelkamp If you struggle to listen to a preacher because of the way he dresses, you wouldn’t have liked John the Baptist. His clothing was rough and was neither stylish nor formal (Matthew 3:4; 11:8). If you don’t like a preacher because of his awkward social habits, […]
We Can’t Save Ourselves David Riggs “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isa. 64:6) Let us suppose that a plane crashes into the water with three men aboard, and […]
The Doctrine of the Nicolaitans Terry W. Benton Revelation 2:15 mentions the doctrine of the Nicolaitans and says that God “hates” that doctrine. Whatever it was, the church at Pergamos had members that taught this doctrine as well as the doctrine of Balaam (Revelation 2:14). Because of these doctrines in the church, God had “a few […]
Calling Upon The Name Of The Lord Kent E. Heaton Sr. In the final moments of life and with final words, a voice cries out, “Lord Jesus save me.” As an invitation is given to those who need to obey the message of salvation, a plea is given, “Accept Christ as your personal Savior […]
Paul the Aged Gary Henry “Yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you — being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ” (Philemon 9). When he wrote his short letter to Philemon, Paul was an old man. We don’t know exactly how old he was, but he […]
Are You Sure It Doesn’t Matter? Greg Gwin Imagine yourself walking into a drug store to have a prescription filled. You hand the pharmacist the form from your doctor, and then watch in amazement as he throws it in the wastebasket without even reading it. Then, without reading the label, he hands you a bottle […]
Peter Reminds Us of Our Relations Gary Smalley In 1 Peter 2:17, Peter wrote what may be considered a concise, four-point summary of the Christian’s relations to others. Please consider the Christian’s duty to live by these imperatives: “Honor all people” – Though we live in an unkind world where most people have no interest […]
Navigating Disagreements Dylan Stewart When we find ourselves in the middle of a disagreement with someone, it is important that we possess the correct attitude during these difficult situations. If we are not careful, we can escalate what started out as a minor problem and turn a disagreement into something far more destructive. Whenever we […]
Lessons in Times of Disaster Marc W. Gibson What lessons should the faithful Christian learn from times of disaster? Disaster can strike at any time or place and can start in the smallest ways (the proverbial “finger in the dike”). We must remain alert and watchful at all times, physically and spiritually (Eph. 5:15-17). The […]
The Gospel Frank Himmel The word “gospel” means good news. Mark called his book “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). It is the good news that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth and gave himself as a sacrifice on our behalf. Through His blood, we can have forgiveness […]
It’s What We Make Of It Bill Hall An old man was sitting on the porch of the community store when some settlers came by in their horse-drawn wagon. “What kind of people will we find in this area if we choose to make our home here?” asked the settlers. “What kind of people did […]
Going to a Funeral? Mark White “IT IS BETTER TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING THAN TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF FEASTING: for this is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad. […]
Don’t Be a Thief! (Eph. 4:28) Mike Johnson Ephesians 4:17-32 is one of many passages in the New Testament that speaks of a change that is supposed to occur when a person becomes a Christian. The Bible tells Christians to put off the old man, i.e., our former sinful conduct, and put on the […]
A Lesson from Luther Mike Johnson Luther was quite slow from a mental standpoint. He was well-liked in the community, and it was easy to get along with him. However, some of the young men in the neighborhood could not resist having some fun with him from time to time. At the little store where […]
Navigating Disagreements Dylan Stewart When we find ourselves in the middle of a disagreement with someone, it is important that we possess the correct attitude during these difficult situations. If we are not careful, we can escalate what started out as a minor problem and turn a disagreement into something far more destructive. Whenever we […]
Calling Upon The Name Of The Lord Kent E. Heaton Sr. In the final moments of life and with final words, a voice cries out, “Lord Jesus save me.” As an invitation is given to those who need to obey the message of salvation, a plea is given, “Accept Christ as your personal Savior and […]
A Servant’s Heart Greg Gwin Our Lord taught that if we would be truly great in His kingdom, we MUST develop a servant’s heart. “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Mt. 23:11). If we understand this truth, then we will be working more and more to acquire the attitudes and […]
It’s Always Needed Shane Williams I heard a story of a man in the mid 1950’s entering school to study engineering. A professor told the entering freshmen class to buy the best slide rule they could afford. The reason: “You will be dependent on it all your ‘professional life.’” Well, of course, it wasn’t too […]
Unread Letters Matt Hennecke A childhood accident resulted in the poet Elizabeth Barrett becoming an invalid and recluse. Despite her isolation her early poetry drew the attention of Robert Browning who began courting her. He eventually asked for her hand in marriage in 1846. But there’s more to the story. In her youth, Elizabeth had […]
TOO LATE Author Unknown An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer‑contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife, enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to […]
TRYING TO ADAPT THE CHURCH TO EVERYBODY Sewell Hall I was never an avid baseball fan and living in Atlanta has done little to convert me. One 4th of July, however, I did agree to go with a group of Christian friends to a Braves game. From the time we arrived at the field, I […]
Going to A Funeral? Mark White “IT IS BETTER TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING THAN TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF FEASTING: for this is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad. […]
That’s Not A Problem Here Heath Rogers A number of years ago I was reprimanded for preaching a rather straightforward sermon on the sin of homosexuality. The language of the sermon had upset a couple in the church, as they did not want their young children exposed to this subject. When I discussed this matter […]
What Does Preaching Accomplish? Bob Waldron The Old Testament prophet was the preacher of his day. He was inspired, but other than that, he served in the same role as preachers must serve today. There were all kinds: blunt Amos, noble Isaiah, austere Elijah. There were also different purposes served by the various prophets. Some […]
Sermon From an Old Couple Throughout the years, I have heard many wonderful sermons that I have forgotten, but one sermon I have seen, and it has remained in my heart unto this day. It happened on a Sunday morning while on my way to services at a small congregation in Munich, Germany. It was […]
The Purpose of Baptism David A. Cox “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” –– (Acts 2:38). There are two common perspectives regarding the purpose of Baptism. The first view holds that […]
Things Saul Saw When Blind John Isaac Edwards While Saul of Tarsus was on the road to Damascus, he was blinded by a light from heaven (Acts 9:1-9). During the time that Saul was blind, he saw a number of things that most people today don’t see. Let’s notice three things that Saul saw while […]
It is Easier . . . David Harkrider It is easier to compromise the truth than to stand for it. It is easier to ignore sin than to expose it. It is easier to justify the sinner than to demand his repentance. It is easier to criticize the preaching of truth than to endorse it. […]