In the beauty of life in the mountains, the call to foster family, community, and care for one another is both a challenge and a necessity. As followers of Christ, we are called to the family of God and without this focus we will drift apart simply due to time restraints and distance from each other. If we can embrace the teachings of the principals set forth in Scripture and actively try to foster a sense of community and family, we can become a true beacon of hope and love.
Continue reading “Strengthening The Family Of God.”
The church stands as a beacon of hope in a hopeless world. It is a sanctuary where individuals come together to experience the love that stands at the center of the Christian faith. This love is reflected in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (all scripture quotations are from the ESV). It is within the church that this commandment is lived out, providing a place of love where all are welcome.
Continue reading “The Heart And Purpose Of Church.”Be Not Afraid
By Clifton Angel
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15, KJV). This passage is often quoted to encourage memorization of Scripture and the knowledge of God’s Word. While these are very important, and the principle may be present in the passage, the context provides a very different meaning. 1 Peter 3:15 is not about memorizing Scripture. Continue reading “Be Not Afraid”
Thanksgiving is a great holiday. It is great for many reasons although I have to admit that I am still grateful for the food. Most of all, I am grateful for the time with family. However, I am still grateful for leftovers that will last for days. Despite our fondness of food, Thanksgiving has to be more than food. Continue reading “What are you thankful for?”
The prophets Haggai and Zechariah joined forced in 520 B.C. to encourage the rebuilding of the temple following Babylonian captivity. Continue reading “Haggai and getting to work.”
In the mid-1800’s, a young Irishman named Joseph Scriven was engaged to be married to a young lady. On the day before the wedding, he rode out to meet his fiancé at a river. Upon arriving, he was devastated to learn that her horse had been startled and thrown her into the water, where she drowned. He said later, “The bottom of my world seemed to disappear.” He turned to God and leaned upon him for strength. Continue reading “What a Friend!”
Most people experience varying degrees of social anxiety in new situations. When inviting our friends to visit Sunday morning worship services, one thing we can do to make them feel more comfortable saying “yes” is to simply let them know what to expect when they arrive at the church building. Continue reading “Making Our Invitations to Worship More Effective.”
Those who ridicule God’s command to be baptized in order to be forgiven would do well to consider at least seven occasions when God used water to separate those who followed Him from those who rejected Him. Continue reading “God’s Seven Water Tests”
We live in a society that basically believes, “It’s all about me.” Almost every message that advertisers use promotes “me.” Check them out and see if I’m right. Pamper yourself. Please yourself. Protect yourself.
The book of Daniel is an interesting and challenging book since it includes many visions and prophecies. It was originally written in two languages. It appears that chapters 2-7 were written in Aramaic while the rest was written in Hebrew. Continue reading “Daniel: the prophet in the king’s court.”
Ezekiel was a vital prophet for Israel and Judah while in captivity. Continue reading “Ezekiel: the prophet with the people.”
I was talking to a Christian a few years ago about his commitment to God. He said he didn’t go to worship services much because God had “touched him.” He stated that he takes his granddaughter to services, but he had not been in three weeks. He was raised in the church; however, the church wasn’t what he expected? I then asked him what did he expect?
What do you expect from God? Continue reading “What Do You Expect From God?”
Up to this point, we have looked at each book of the Bible with the hopes of creating a better understanding of each book. My goal is to create a curiosity within each person that would drive them to read these wonderful books even more. Sometimes these articles have acted as introductions and at other times they were more about helping us to better understand the message of the book. Continue reading “Introduction to the Prophets.”
The baptism of Jesus is an important subject we need to study. As our example in all things (1 Peter 2:21) Jesus’ baptism should set the precedent for our attitude toward baptism. Continue reading “The Baptism of Jesus”
For many years, I read the Psalms as historical works of poetry that were theological in purpose. I believed their primary purpose was to reveal something about God. Now don’t misunderstand me; Psalms teaches us a lot about God and our relationship to Him but that is not their purpose. Continue reading “Psalms: a window into the heart of man.”
Central Haywood Church of Christ 