During my recent surgery and recovery, I have been reminded of several lessons that are important while we strive to live the Christian life. I want to share some of these with you today.
Continue reading “Looking forward with hope and excitement.”
By Brian Mitchell
Who Needs the Church? And, Who does the Church Need? Do you need the church; does the church need you? Do the lost need the church; does the church need the lost? Does your family need the church; does the church need your family? Do children, singles, young families, older families and retirees need the church; does the church need them?
Have you ever struggled with sin in your life? If you are like the rest of us, everyone who lives and breathes, then I know you have. How many times have you struggled to stop and repent of a sin only to find yourself back there again? It can be the most heartbreaking, discouraging place you could find yourself and yet we find ourselves there more often than we would like to admit. Continue reading “Creating a Pure Heart.”
In today’s article, I want to spend some time talking about how we treat each other. I am sure you know that we are called to emulate Jesus Christ in every aspect of our life. We are called to show love, grace, and mercy to everyone, especially my brothers and sisters in Christ. How we treat each other is so important that the New Testament deals with it often.
From time to time I am asked this straight forward question, “why should I go to church?” Believe it or not, most often it’s Christians who ask this question. Typically, this question comes up because you invited someone to church. Continue reading “Why should we go to church?”
Father’s Day is here. For most dads, it is just another day in the great and rewarding journey of doing the best we can for our families. Continue reading “A special man.”
In our series of articles, we are focused on basic principles that are needed to ensure the success of fellow Christians. Hopefully, we have made it clear that we need to emphasize the basics of the Christian life so that they have a better chance at success. We have emphasized that for the new Christian a drastic change has taken place. This change is so different from the life they are accustomed to living that it takes a while to adapt to this new life. In our previous article, we talked about the race set before us and how to win the prize. Continue reading “Many begin but not many finish.”
By Robert E. Guinn
Why has attendance been greatly stressed among God’s people in the past? We cannot ignore that the attendance changes between different Bible classes and worship services on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. Are elders and spiritual leaders just being “nit-picky,” or is there a deeper issue that concerns our fellow Christians when they see our lack of participation? Continue reading “The Need for Personal Study.”
Originally written by Leroy Brownlow. I find this article to be a constant reminder of the need to learn and focus on the right things. Continue reading “What We Need In The Church Today.”
God is “the fount of every blessing.” He is the center and source of every good thing (James 1:17). He gives good things to those that ask him (Matt. 7:21). He gives perfect peace to those who fix their minds upon him (Isa. 26:3). He saves to the uttermost those who obey him (Rom. 8:38). We owe everything we possess to our God; every good thing to him. He is the maker of our bodies and the giver of our spirits; and in him “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
God is to be infinitely trusted, not by the presumptuous and self-righteous, but by the humble and obedient. There are at least four reasons why you cannot go wrong by trusting God.
The first reason is because God is infinitely good. He made the world, the universe, and everything in it (Gen. 1:31). The only thing wrong in God’s creation was choice. By choice man brought in Sin and Satan. All of God’s works are perfect; done in goodness; everything evil in this world is due to our sins and the author of sin, Satan. God is good even when he chastens his children, and punishes the sinner.
The second reason why God is to be trusted to the utmost is because of his infinite power. God is infinitely able to bless and keep those who put their trust in him. He can do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we can ask or think. In Eph. 3:20-21 it says, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (ESV)
The third reason for trusting in God is based on his love. He is love. In 1 John 4:8 it says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (ESV). God is infinitely willing to save and to bless those who come to him in Jesus. He is not willing that any should perish, that that all should be saved (2 Peter 3:9).
The fourth reason for implicit trust in God is the fact that he is faithful. Our heavenly father is not forgetful about his promises. God, our creator, never forgets or betrays us. He is utterly and absolutely trustworthy. In 2 Peter 3:9 he says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (ESV) This truth is evident in all that he has done for us. His faithfulness is manifest in both his mercy and his wrath. Even the unbreakable laws of nature are evidence of God’s faithfulness. His laws are dependable.
In view of these things, Solomon was right and wise in his summation that states, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13, ESV).
Let me spell the word m-o-t-h-e-r, with a message to complement.
M is for Mature. Do you remember when mom always seemed to have the right answer, and when she gave the answer, it was with the right spirit and attitude (I remember that). Continue reading “Happy Mother’s Day”
Many people think the Bible is a good book, full of interesting children’s stories, etc., but is no better than many good books on the shelf. Friends, we need to realize that not only is the Bible a good book, it is THE Good Book. The Bible makes some incredible claims about itself, that, if true, make it the most important volume man could ever read. Let’s examine just a few of these from 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Continue reading “What Good is the Bible?”
The value of implicit trust in God cannot be accurately measured. It is demonstrated for us numerous times throughout the scriptures. One such example is Joseph. He was the young son of Jacob (later renamed Israel) who endured great trials, temptations, and perils. It all began as a young boy who was loved by his father but hated by his brothers. The dreams of grandeur and prominence didn’t help him either. Things continually got worse until finally, the brothers decided to kill him. If it hadn’t been for the dissenting words of Reuben they would have executed him and left his body in that well. Instead, they took him out and sold him to Ishmaelite’s as a slave. But this was no ordinary teenager; he was wise beyond his years and trusted God completely. Continue reading “The power of trust.”
The world around us is an amazing, interlocking system that is immeasurable. It’s vastness, intricacy, and might is awe inspiring. It reflects an almighty intelligence. The vast orbits of the planets around the sun; the orbit of the moon around our little planet, and the amazing precision of each of them demand someone or something far more powerful than us to set it all in motion. Our precise location within this universe (the goldilocks zone) is so precise that even a slight variation would be catastrophic. Continue reading “Moving from the temporary to the eternal.”
For Christians to be successful in this life of faith, we must learn to endure the hardships and difficulties that come our way. Continue reading “Learning to endure.”
Central Haywood Church of Christ 