What is Easter to you? Is it just another religious holiday to you? A time when you wife, mother, or family member pressures you to attend church with them? Perhaps for you, it is a bit more meaningful, to you it is a time for tradition. At Easter the family attends church, has a festive meal, or perhaps, a family reunion. For some, it about the children. At Easter the children get their special spring outfits, have egg hunts, and receive their annual basket of goodies! Perhaps a review of the first Easter morning will shed light on how this historic and powerful day should be viewed by us. In your heart and mind, return with me to that bright morning. Let’s walk through it and meet the people that were there, that witnessed it for themselves, and for us. ...
Christian parents, are you okay with God not being a part of most of your child's day? Are you okay with your children being taught sex education, Critical Race Theory, homosexuality, to hate their country, race, and religion? Are you okay with children learning, playing, and living in isolation because of a virus that has a 97% survival rating? Are you okay with your child learning about the world and living each day in separation from Christ and His church? Are you praying about it? ...
Why do Christians gather for worship? What are they to do when they gather? What purpose does it serve? What meaning does it have? Why is worship so important? If we tried to reduce biblical worship to a single word, it would be impossible. We would use words like “praise,” “giving thanks,” “prayer,” and “adoration.” But there is a word that we would have to use that is absolutely essential to the essence of biblical worship, though it would probably be left off our list. This word probably didn’t occur to you but when you see it you will think, “Ah yes, but wasn’t that just for Old Testament believers?” What is the word? Sacrifice. ...
Modern times have looked skeptically upon the role of fatherhood. Historically, the father was the leader of the home and mother was his right hand. Dad brought home the bacon and mother cooked it, as the saying went. These days are a bit different. Now, we are taught that mom brings home the bacon and dad better cook it! To think otherwise, or even question this, makes us a chauvinist in some people’s eyes. What is going on here? Often we are given the impression that a father is not needed except to make the child, and now, well, we have ways around that too. All the while children, even grown children, are crying out for a warm relationship with a real, loving father. Countless studies have shown that many people are suffering emotionally because, for one reason or another, they did not have a deep relationship with their father. ...
Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead? I mean a person who died in faith who will someday be raised again in the likeness of Christ. Do you live in the hope of the resurrection? These believers in Corinth were like many today. They were saved out of a culture that is anti-God and anti-Christ thus they were confused about many of the Biblical teachings of their own faith-- Christianity. Look closely with me at the text. ...
The Patriarch Jacob was like many who grew up in the church. He knew about God. He'd watched his parents worship and build their lives around the biblical faith. He wasn't opposed to it. He kind of believed it too. But in reality, Jacob had not really come to God himself. If the truth were told, he was simply coasting off his father's faith....
Freshly out of graduate school, I briefly served as Associate Pastor to Lena Baptist Church. Located in Lena Illinois, LBC is a small church in a small town. In fact, it was the only Baptist church in town. While at Lena Baptist, I met some very special people, one of whom was a dear elderly lady known to the congregation as Grandma Olney. Mrs. Olney taught the only preschool Sunday school class. Grandma Olney had been teaching this same age-group for approximately twenty years. In my college days, I knew a fellow whose home church was Lena Baptist. He was taught by Grandma Olney....
Starting well has its challenges but continuing takes perseverance. Pastor John MacArthur, a former college track runner, illustrates this truth well. ...
Can Grace Be Seen? Is there evidence of God's grace in you? Can we know if someone is a believer? ...
If we desire to grow spiritually, we must do as Christ’s apostle tells us and earnestly desire the pure milk of the Word. In this second part, we will discover two more important reasons that the Bible itself tells us to be Bible students. ...
The Bible is the key to the Christian life. In the Bible, we discover who God is and His holy character. In the Bible, we find out our beginning and purpose. In it, we learn what’s wrong with the world and what God has done to reconcile all things to Himself. In Scripture, we find the way of salvation and the strength for living. It is in Holy Scripture that we are comma...
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He only lived thirty-three years on earth. His ministry only lasted three and a half years. This man Jesus and his disciples “turned the world upside down.”...
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We all know what’s going on in our country and are grieving. Our hearts are broken for George Floyd and what’s happening in our nation. I don’t have or know the answer except that we all need to pray. We need to pray that the church of Christ would make some sense out of how to deal with this....
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Finally, we must pray for our leaders. In our romanticism, we tend to elevate leaders so high that they might as well be pieces of wood. They are no longer people, but symbols. We cannot stand to think of them as sinners. And this is unfair....
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Recently a church in Nevada sought an injunction from the US Supreme Court to relieve them from the Nevada governor’s executive order stating that they could not physically meet to worship in groups larger than 50 persons....
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The expectation of the “Chosen One” is everywhere in the Old Testament. This expectation is pictured In the protoevangelium (Gen. 3:15), Melchizedek the king-priest of Salem (Gen. 14:18), Israel’s blessing of Judah (Gen. 49:8-10), Moses’ mediatorial rule as a prophet, priest and king, the Davidic covenant, David himself, as well as the many prophecies scattered thr...
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The Apostle knows that a mark of spiritual growth is to grow in Christian love and to have that love informed by knowledge of truth. From this relationship, discernment grows. Discernment often rescues love from gullibility and temptation. ...
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For most of the history of Coggins Memorial Baptist Church parking has been a problem. Coggins Memorial has served this community for over fifty years. For all of these years, members and guests have parked along the street, across the street, around an adjacent building, and in our current small parking areas. Two years ago our congregation, after saving enough money, vot...
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My prayer for you this Christmas is that your faith in the Savior of the World will be renewed, as you ponder the thought that the Savior is alive and reigning ~ he is real....
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