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 supreme purpose of the Christian religion is to make men and women who are like Jesus so that they will act like Jesus. Continue reading “Faith should produce action.”
Today, I want to talk to you about interference. Does Christianity interfere with your life? Does it get in the way and keep you from doing certain things you would like to do? Is faith something that gets in your way, prevents you from making that decision of commitment? Continue reading “Interferences and being Christian.”
This is the last book of the Old Testament and it is a great one. I have spent the last week studying and reading this little book and it was not a waste of time. As I studied and meditated on this book, it became clear that God was calling His people back to Himself and back to genuine faith. Continue reading “Malachi”
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!”
The book of Zephaniah is an interesting and challenging little book. It was written by Zephaniah somewhere between 640-620 B.C. Continue reading “Zephaniah. A matter of sin and hiding.”
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”
The name “Amos” literally means “burden bearer” and it speaks to how he felt about his message and its content. Continue reading “Amos and genuine religion.”
Roughly twelve years after Ezra had successfully rebuilt the temple and restored the worship of God, Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. Together they were a formable team that restored the political and spiritual state of Israel.
Continue reading “Nehemiah: a story about the power of hard work.”
The books of First and Second Chronicles were originally one book. Together they tell the story of God’s people from the earliest of times to the years following the return from exile in Babylonia. Most think they continue the story of First and Second King’s, but it does not. Actually, they lay the foundation for the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah, and as such, are often the among the last books of the Hebrew Scriptures. Continue reading “1 & 2 Chronicles: A story about the lessons learned from history.”
The book of the Kings continues the story from the books of Samuel and is intended to be read as a continuous story. In the Hebrew Bible, the book of kings is a single book with a great message. Within its pages, we read about the death of King David, the reign and death of Solomon, the building of the Temple, and the eventual division of the kingdom. Continue reading “1 & 2 Kings A story about the consequences of unfaithfulness.”
(Today’s article was inspired by a video and article I read Friday morning)[i].
Talk about an oxymoronic title. The epitome of isolation and loneliness connected with what should be the exact opposite of alone. Continue reading “Lone Wolf Christianity.”
The story of First Samuel begins with a godly woman named Hannah and her husband. Her story is one of disappointment, provocation, and an overwhelming desire for a son.
Continue reading “1 Samuel: A story about the dangers of desire.”
Last week we spoke about the book of Joshua. A wonderfully encouraging book filled with stories of victory and courage. There are times when we can relate to Joshua but often we find ourselves more closely connected with the book of Judges. Judges tells us the story of life. A life filled with ups and downs, victories and defeats. An honest and humbling picture of life as we know it.
Continue reading “Judges: a book about the ups and downs of life.”
For most Christians, Joshua is a favorite book to read. Perhaps it’s because we have just finished the Pentateuch (5 books of law) and we’re excited to read something less dry. Maybe it’s because the book is an action-packed book filled with all kinds of battles.
Central Haywood Church of Christ 