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My Dad was a great fellow. He was rather introverted, even bordered on being timid. But there was a kind of inner stability about him that made you know that his timidity was not a sign of anything–except the wisdom it takes to be quiet and listen. He had a philosophical bent about him and when he did say something, you could usually put it in your pocket and use it later because it was something that made good sense.
We moved to the Plains…
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Congruity is defined as "a point of agreement", togetherness, in accord, which can be in many relationships in this life, business, social, romantic or religious, the general meaning is the same. What is the difference between fellowship and congruity? Fellowship is the agreement we have with each other through Jesus Christ as we conform to His will. Congruity is the agreement we have formed with each other, because of our commonality of thought.
As we assemble for worship, we have fellowship with all believers because of commonality with Jesus Christ, However we will not likely have congruity with some that we…
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1 Thess 5:12-22
The Apostle Paul provides a plan for the church in Thessalonica to continue the growth pattern: the growth of their love of God and their love for one another.
- As a church grows there are more sheep to shepherd. It is a challenging to know all the sheep, [Acts 20:28] their situations, struggles and personalities. Shepherds must work diligently to instill a love for the Lord and for one another. Paul's instruction for the members is found in (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13) But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge…
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The church is the body of saved people (Eph. 5:23). The moment a person is saved they are added by the Lord to His church (Acts 2:47). The act that saves one automatically makes them a part of the body of saved people. However, as individual Christians, we must join ourselves to a faithful local church (Acts 9:26).
A local church is a functioning unit of Christians who have joined themselves together and have made a commitment to carry out the work God has given to the local church (evangelism, edification, limited benevolence). This work will get done, to…
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Recently I received an invitation to a facility that provided "ping pong, walking track, concerts, basketball, weights, pool table, board games, banquets, refreshments, etc." No, the invitation did not come from the local YMCA. It came from a local church.
Increasingly churches have begun to take on the atmosphere of social clubs; some do rival local health spas. Yet, I do NOT read in the Bible where "the churches of Christ" (Romans 16: 16), in their life and death struggle to preach the gospel to a lost world, ever made such social/recreational provisions for that world (or themselves). According…
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From time to time, as we listen to sermons or attend Bible classes, something will be said with which we disagree. What should we do when this happens?
First, be sure that you properly understood what was said. It might be that you simply did not hear what the other person was saying. Changing a single word can sometimes drastically alter the meaning of a sentence. Also, expressions taken out of context can lead to conclusions that were never intended. Take notes, re-listen to the recorded sermon (if available), study the Scriptures that were referenced in the lesson -…
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What can I do to improve my discipleship? I trust that these are matters all can benefit from, but I need to personalize this. I'm not simply asking, "What can I tell others to do?" but "What can I do?" Getting lost in the maze of responsibilities and thinking about what others need to do is easy. Far more difficult is the hard work of being honest with self, knowing what needs to change, and having the will to do it.
There are obvious actions and attitudes that are always on the table: more prayer, more study, more love,…
