Are you looking forward to the restrictions imposed because of COVID-19 being lifted? Many people anticipate the day that live worship services return and gathering together becomes easier. But many websites are warning that after the coronavirus passes, there will be no “return to normal.” Life for us has changed forever. What will a sermon…
The word “scattered” describes the nation of the Jews throughout their history. The word occurs in the Old Testament to describe God’s involvement in the moving of people. (Interestingly, it is a word that Jesus uses in His parables, especially that of the sower.) Some of the relevant OT Scriptures include Genesis 11:4, Deuteronomy 4:27,…
If you pick up a Bible study or commentary on the important teachings of the book of 1 Corinthians, or if you listen to a sermon series studying through the book, you are most likely to hear that the church in Corinth was a problem church – a church that wasn’t very grounded in the…
From the days that I sat at the Seminary listening to seasoned, biblical scholars, sound doctrine stirs me. The professors were people who knew the Scriptures and taught them with confident authority. How do we teach the content of sound doctrine to others in the church? There are so many different opinions about Scripture, how…
Does your church offer any educational programs on Sunday mornings anymore? Is your leadership concerned with biblical illiteracy in the church? The Sunday school program, once considered “the finest integrated church growth tool on the market,” is no longer thriving, and is often seen as a relic from the past on the edge of extinction….
There is an old Greek proverb that speaks about being stressed: You will break the bow if you keep it always bent. Just finished listening to a series of sermons about stress in our lives. It wasn’t a bad collection of messages. But to be honest the series left me … ummm … stressed. The…
Traditions aren’t what they used to be, are they? Some things are just not necessary because they are no longer needed. I don’t have to sing all sixteen verses of Just as I Am as a hymn of invitation at the end of every church service. I don’t have to listen to my favorite music…
Have you studied or read through the entire Sermon on the Mount before? Did it strike you different? Most of us have studied parts of the sermon – perhaps the beatitudes or the Lord’s Prayer. But most of us have not given a great deal of time or effort in studying the entire passage. Sometime…