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When the Almighty adds a believer to the church of Christ through his/her baptism into Christ, the new member will want to tell his/her friends about this new and exciting commitment (Acts 2:47; Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:1-4). The friends or family of this new member may grimace or scowl at hearing their loved one becoming…

This past holiday season, celebrations of all types have been shown through television, social media, and newspapers. Numerous people prepared to celebrate and focus on the positive rather than the difficult situations that surrounded communities throughout the country. One common element seen in these celebrations was alcohol. The drink represented an outlet for stress, a…

The ‘progressive’ faith of the 21st century popularly portrays an individual who does not need the institutionalized church to define his/her system of belief. Likewise, those individuals who ascribe to this non-institutional faith view Christ as one that does not care if a person goes faithfully and dutifully to the worship service, but rather cares…

During the Roman Era and the Middle Ages, the Christian world almost completely accepted the teaching that one had to confess and repent of every and any sin in order to be saved. Even after being saved, most Christians understood that one had to continually confess and repent of new sins committed. Any sin, no…

Judging has become a bad word in the modern world. Christians chose their words so carefully so as not to be labeled as judgmental. Churches refuse to rebuke those living in open sin because they do not want to be labeled as a judgmental church. The term often implies that the individual or group is…

On the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus of Nazareth asked his disciples, “Whom do men say that I am?” (Matt. 16:13). Christ’s question has echoed through the global continents for almost two thousand years. Kaleidoscopic images of Christ have developed from the answers that humanity provided to the inquiry of Jesus. Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), a…

After Paul’s inspired doctrinal discussion in his letter to the church at Rome (Rom. 1-11), emphasizing the general theme of the book, which is justification, through his thesis, which is justification by faith in Christ (Rom. 1:17), the apostle turns to instructing his brethren in the practical applications of the faith. Paul begins with the…

The world and the generations inevitably change, for better or for worse, change will come with each passing year. However, most change happens gradually on the world stage, but for the year 2020, change has hit the world hard and fast. Too much change and people become uncomfortable and scared, mad even. In times such…

Within the modern climate of social interaction, provocation takes the spotlight. Human nature will always be prone to provocation; however, the current generation seems to be making it into an art form. Testy seekers of grandstanding lurk in the background of social media, political speeches, television shows, and sermons waiting for the opportunity to pounce.…

One of the hardest aspects of being a Christian is letting go of those brethren who refuse to be faithful. Sometimes love can blind the Christian to the shortcomings of their brethren and cause even the smartest Christians to make weak and illogical excuses for the sinful actions of those they love. Loving someone doesn’t…