Practice Makes Us More Perfect There are very few areas of expertise achieved by men apart from diligent study and practice. Olympic athletes and other individuals considered to be at the peak of physical human ability are not born that … Read More →

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For all the negative things we have to say, God has a positive for it.

Hell is for Real “Hell is for real.” When was the last time you heard someone say that? When was the last time you heard some money or power hungry televangelist teach that soul-searing truth (2 Ptr. 2:1-3; Acts 20:30)? … Read More →

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Miserable Friends I feel for Job who, when he needed comfort and compassion, got what was anything but. He rebukes his friends and goes on to express his utter feeling of abandonment and helplessness. As Christians we need to remember … Read More →

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I originally wrote this article last November for our local newspaper. At that time I observed that once all of the hubbub regarding the 2018 mid-term elections was over, the various governments in our nation could get back to the business of doing what governments are supposed to do [eye-roll]. Of course, it was soon thereafter "politics as usual" in "a deeply-divided nation" with finger-pointing, blame-shifting, and political spin and posturing happened at every opportunity.

Fundamentally, this continually happens because there are major philosophical differences about what the business of government actually is. Despite this lack of national consensus,…

"During our years of church planting, we tried to change people's perceptions about what the Sunday worship would look like," wrote Michelle Lazurek, in a recent Crosswalk.com article.

"We took out pews and replaced them with pub tables and chairs, added lights and a stage and most importantly," the award-winning author and preacher's wife said, "(we) added a breakfast bar where people could grab bagels and other breakfast foods and coffee during the service."

Lazurek admitted, "Not everyone loved these changes."

Some of the reasons she shared why they added breakfast to worship included "it brings us…

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“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17). “Continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Rom. 12:12).

            These are but two of the passages which have led our shepherds to choose prayer as a subject of emphasis in the coming year. And let’s be clear about something—the intent is not to focus on prayer in 2017 and then move on to something else in 2018. Instead, the hope is that in this coming year we can learn some things and make some changes that will stay with us throughout our lives. In February we will use our winter classes to focus on prayer and…

What do you do when you come to sections of Scripture filled with strange-sounding names, chapters like Romans 16? Because those portions of the Bible often contain very little action or instruction, we may be prone to skim over them without a lot of thought given to them (or even skip them entirely), but may I suggest that they are often a lot richer than we might think. Grab your Bible, read Romans 16, and then consider a few things we might get out of it.

“I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church…

In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.” Prov. 10:19

“He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” Prov. 17:27-28

            Having read these little tidbits of wisdom, it would probably be a worthwhile endeavor for all of us if we stopped to consider our speech habits and how much we talk. Do we…

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doc­trines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiv­ing by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1-3; emphasis added, JRG).

Since “forbidding to marry” is listed among the doctrines of demons, should Christians support the rights of homosexuals to marry? Are we under the influence of deceiving spirits when we oppose such unions?

…

Weather forecasting can be tricky, but I am going to venture out on a limb and predict that June, July, and August will bring hot weather to north Alabama. I am also going to predict that this hot weather will allow (note that I said allow, not require) many of the citizens of north Alabama to go about in rather skimpy attire.

            Obviously, I am being somewhat facetious about going out on a limb, because, unless the return of our Lord comes before summer, we will see some brutally hot days over the next few months. And unfortunately, the…

            “He has made the first obsolete” (Heb. 8:13).

            These words follow an extensive quotation from Jer. 31 in which the prophet foretold the replacement of the covenant made with Israel at Sinai with a better covenant (cf. Heb. 8:7-13). The writer would go on to say that the “better covenant, which was established on better promises” (Heb. 8:6) was put in place by the death of Jesus (Heb. 9:15; cf. Matt. 26:28 and His “blood of the new covenant”). When we put Heb. 8, 9 together with Rom. 7:1-4, Eph. 2:11-18, and Col.…