Sep 26
2019
The Church Awakening
For years we've watched statistics that show a steady decline in church attendance which has caused pastors and church councils to advertise and entertain in order to boost membership. But does that honor God?
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Church
Christ Himself is the model of unity with diversity for every local church. This is the point of 1 Corinthians 12:12 in the Bible. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” There is no innate division in the person of Jesus Christ.
Keep ReadingHow Christians Defeat Death
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 the newfound Christian Faith.
Keep ReadingHow Will You Make It Through 2026?
I am not big on New Year’s resolutions; are you? James, the Lord’s half-brother, had a good point when he wrote: “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your 'yes' be yes and your 'no' be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” James 5:12 (ESV)
Keep ReadingThe Attraction of ‘Big-box' Churches
Why call them ‘Big-box Churches?’ For years, we have watched large chain stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart arrive in cities, towns, and villages, offering ‘more for less.’ It doesn’t take the average consumer long to realize that the motto is true; more can be purchased for less. And thus the switch is quickly made from hometown hardware store to the global purchasing power of the chain. Clothing shops, hardware stores, variety and specialty venues start closing because they cannot compete with the streamlined, cut-down, mass appeal of the chain store and its slick advertising. Over the years, these large-scale operations managed from HQ, with their cheap, imported goods, have been nicknamed ‘Big-box Stores’ because that is how they receive their large quantities of imported goods. I have observed parallels between this phenomenon and that found in some in the mega-church movement — orders from HQ, instant funding, slick marketing, aggressive competition, and imported preaching and/or doctrine.
Keep ReadingLet’s Make Praise Natural In Our Church
I don’t know if it disturbs you as much as it does me, but when someone asks for praise, usually after prayer requests, we are tongue-tied.
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Is The Gospel Woke?
Great pressure is now being applied to the Evangelical and Reformed world to socialize the gospel. Groups, writers, seminaries, mission organizations, denominations, churches, and pastors are being marshaled to correct the injustices and ills of Western societies. This is all being done in the name of “applying the gospel.”
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I Grew Up In Church But, ...
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.
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The First Eclipse In The Bible
Please read Genesis chapters 1 through 3 slowly. Picture in your mind what is happening. The account of the fall of Adam and Eve is doubtless familiar to most people who’ve grown up in the West. After recording for us the mighty acts of God in creation, Moses goes on to tell of how mankind fell from innocence and fellowship with God to a state of sinfulness and separation from God. The story opens with chapter 3. Adam and Eve are, most likely, just getting acquainted with their new world.
Keep ReadingGrace Giving, Is Tithing For Today?
Tithing is the first step of Grace Giving. It was the first method used by God to teach His people stewardship. It was the first method God used to finance His Kingdom work among men.
Keep ReadingLOVE That Transforms!
What is love? What is Christian love? After all, doesn’t the Bible say that God is love? Shouldn’t love be one of the dominant characteristics of genuine Christians? The answer to each of these questions is YES. But hold on a minute! Does this mean that Christians accept all manner of sin and blasphemy against God in the name of love and if they do not they are then “unloving?” Let’s see what the Bible says about Christian love and how it really transforms us not to be like the fallen culture around us but to be like Christ.
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- Vision, Mission, Purpose8
- Church Community6
- Christmas, Incarnation, Birth of Jesus, Advent5
- Prayer5
- Bible Study4
- New Year Goals3
- Culture & God's Word3
- Spiritual Growth3
- Worship and Music2
- Family2
- Suffering2
- The Death and Resurrection of Jesus2
- Reading, Book List, Reading List2
- Children1
- Biblical Manhood1
- Patriotism1
- Stewardship1
- Creation1
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Aug 12
2019
Six Truths About God’s Holiness
If it can be said that there is one attribute of God that is more important than any other. When we read the Bible the holiness of God seems to rise above all other attributes.
Jul 24
2019
Do Christians Obey The Bible?
Do believers have to obey the Bible? Is the Bible simply a source for encouragement carrying no Divine authority. Should the Bible be the authority for how the Christian believes and lives? Should the Bible be received as the voice of God to settle the issues and problems within the churches?
Jul 2
2019
Worship Is A Family Affair
Worship has always been a family affair. We may observe this early in the Bible by examining the lives of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). God commended Abraham’s leadership in this matter when He said, for I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him (Gen. 18:19).
Apr 19
2019
Hudson Taylor, God's Adventurer
About Hudson Taylor, Phyllis Thompson writes, “Hudson Taylor was a teenager when God told him to go to China. Though he was alone, broke and critically ill, he hung on to that goal and to the God who was sending him. Would God be enough? Danger and adventure abound in this true story of a man who dared to risk and trust.” When I read this little biography, I was reminded of the Apostle Paul. Like the Apostle so many years ago, Taylor’s missionary work was filled with sacrifice, extraordinary faith, and answered prayers.
Apr 8
2019
Delivered To Worship
God is the Savior of his people. He delivers his people and desires for them to worship him as their Deliverer. If God has displayed such awesome power to be our Savior shouldn’t we respond to him in some loving way?
Mar 11
2019
Why Every Life Is Valuable, Imago Dei - PART 2
In the issue of the Coggins Courier, we considered what it means to be created in the image of God. We noted that Carl F. Henry summarizes the Protestant Reformed view of mankind being made in the image of God (imago Dei, Latin for “image of God”) as, “By the imago the Protestant Reformers understood especially humankind’s state of original purity, in accordance with Genesis 1 and 2, wherein Adam is depicted as fashioned for rational, moral, and spiritual fellowship with his Maker.” (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Elwell). Not only did we discuss the meaning of imago Dei we began applying this important doctrine to human life. By doing this we see that all human life has inherent value because we were created in God’s image. We found that since all human life is valuable God forbids murder of any kind.
Feb 27
2019
Why Every Life Is Valuable, Imago Dei - PART 1
Human life has become cheap. When public officials and lawmakers stand and applause for the passing of a law that allows the murderous taking of the life of infants moments before exiting the womb, we may be sure that the moral and spiritual degradation of such leaders is complete.
Feb 7
2019
Love Is, Love Does
Some might say 1 Corinthians 13 has been quoted too much, which can cause words to lose their meaning.
My family and I would like to thank everyone for the very warm welcome we have received since our arrival to Lexington! Coming to shepherd this congregation is such a blessing. We are thankful to our God for calling us to Coggins to lead in His Kingdom work.