Understanding Christian-to-Christian Sensitivity

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

In this society, as we struggle in our relationships, there is a loud heart cry that few people hear. This heart cry comes from many wives, many husbands, many parents, many children, and many Christians. What is this heart cry that few people hear? You don't have to have my ...

Insights From Ephesians Part Six

Friday, July 4th, 2008

First, we want to put ourselves in the frame of mind Paul was in when he wrote our text today. To do that, play a game of "Let's Pretend" with me. Pretend that you have a close friend you admire and respect. This person is a close friend because he ...

Please Use The Keys

Saturday, May 10th, 2008

Tonight I want you to consider a third lesson from Matthew 16:13-23. In the first lesson we noted that Peter understood the fact that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. But he did not understand God's purposes in Jesus. Therefore, he rebuked Jesus when Jesus said ...

Peter, Do You Feel Blessed?

Monday, May 5th, 2008

God gave you and me, as Christians, some incredible promises. Because we were baptized into Christ, God promised that He would forgive and forget all of our sins (Hebrews 8:12). God promised if we maintain faith in Christ, maintain our commitment to live in God's ways, and maintain a heart ...

Insights From Ephesians Part Four

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

All of us tend to exaggerate our loveableness. First, we exaggerate our personal loveableness by asking what each of us considers a rhetorical question: "Why shouldn't anyone love a person like me?" We tend to think "everyone should love a person like me!" If I love me, why shouldn't you ...

Insights From Ephesians Part Three

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

One of the most powerful negative forces that exist in our society today is discouragement. This force is even more powerful in the church. There are likely more people who worship no where, or have changed to a different kind of church, or who are a loud, negative voice in ...

Insights From Ephesians Part Two

Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Today I want to focus us on the concept of gifts. At first mention, you might not think that is a very important concept. I hope when you finish thinking with me, you will find your insights and thoughts truly helpful. I suspect all of us have received gifts. What concept ...

Are There Real Answers For Aloneness?

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Have you ever felt desperately alone and completely empty? You felt absolutely nothing inside. Your life was so empty that you could feel the hollowness. You were certain that no one really cared if you were alive or dead. The loneliness was so painful you knew it was obvious, but ...

When Knowledge Exceeds Understanding

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008

Spiritually, we create an enormous danger when we have sound knowledge of God's facts and truths, but have little or no knowledge of God's purposes. That danger has existed from the time of Adam and Eve's rebellion against God in the garden of Eden. That same danger intensified and rose ...

You Are To Be A Blessing

Monday, April 7th, 2008

In the summer that I was eighteen, I preached for the Mount Della Church of Christ, a small, rural congregation in the hills of east Tennessee. Among the families that were a part of that congregation was a family named Wallace. Load Wallace, the father, had served in the Second ...

Followers, Why Do You Follow??

Friday, April 4th, 2008

When the topic of discussion is follower, how would you describe yourself as a follower? Do you know how to follow? What is your concept of following? To you is following keep your mouth shut, try to stay out of the way, and don't create a problem? Is your concept ...

Decisions, New People Ownership

Monday, March 10th, 2008

Have you ever heard this conversation between a husband and wife? "I guess we made a bad decision about that, didn't we?" "What do you mean 'we' made a bad decision? I didn't help make that decision. That was your decision, not our decision." "Well, I made it for us. I was thinking ...

Leadership Profile, Ephesus

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

In churches of Christ we have great concern for doing Bible things in Bible ways. I totally agree that is a good and legitimate concern. But this is the question we immediately confront: how do you decide what is a Bible thing, and how do you decide the Bible way ...

Christianity and Relationships Part Two

Monday, March 3rd, 2008

Selfishness can be one of those horrible flaws that is obvious to others but is not known to the person who is selfish. Selfishness is defined as excessive concern for self or exclusive concern for self without regard for others.  It is a total contrast to selfless.  Selfless is defined ...

Spiritual Arithmetic

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

In the process of maturing spiritually, Christians face four primary growth challenges. Those four primary growth challenges are growing in our understanding of God, growing in our understanding of Jesus Christ, growing in the understanding of the Holy Spirit, growing in our understanding of the meaning of scripture. Each one of ...