Brent Smith             If we love God, then keeping his commandments is not grievous (1 John 5:3). But Jesus did say, “strait” (or difficult) “is the gate and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). Jesus also said that coming after him required us to […]

In 1887 Abraham Lincoln’s body was exhumed on the persistent rumor that his grave was empty. The exhumation revealed his remains intact. Facts mess up rumors! But, good rumors never die easily. Fourteen years later the same rumor resurfaced.              Cleon Lyles once wrote the following: “When I hear statements about people, made by those […]

In the book, In the Beginning: Life Lessons from Genesis, by Justin Rogers there is a section in chapter 7 called, “Lest We Be Scattered:” Breaking up Cliques’ (pp. 54-55). In the years that I have studied the book of Genesis and the incident of the tower of Babel in particular somehow this aspect of […]

by Spencer Cromwell             If you have been a member of the Church for a substantial period of time, you will have heard the term “Brotherhood” used to describe the community religion. Typically, for the Church of Christ, we use the term to describe conservative values and sound interpretation and application of Scripture within each […]

            For my bulletin post this week I wish to leave you with a couple of posts from Facebook friends of mine. I love these men and I enjoy reading their posts. Hope you will enjoy them as well. When the tensions of a chaotic world and the abrasions of your family or friends (even […]

In my Wednesday night class we are studying church history. Recently we covered the 16th century Anabaptist movement, primarily based in Germany and Switzerland. Although it is not in the book we are using, I elected to discuss the Anabaptists as we know them today – Mennonites, Amish and the Brethren. The Anabaptist movement was […]

            The summer of 1989 found me approaching nine years of preaching for the Baldwin church in Milledgeville, Georgia. It was an excellent first full time work in many ways, opening doors to different opportunities for service in the kingdom, but challenges exist everywhere. By that time discouragement had taken me down to the point […]

Two weeks ago I began preaching through the seven congregations of Asia Minor (Rev. 2-3). The churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia both share the distinction of receiving only praise from the omniscient Lord who addressed them. In my approach to the church at Smyrna one particular point of interest occurred to me. The fact that […]

This statement in Acts 20:35 is one of the most interesting verses in the New Testament. It is difficult for people to learn the truth that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” The word “give” denotes the deep self-denial for which Paul was known (Vs. 24). It advocates a counter-worldly attitude (Vss. […]

Last Sunday morning I preached from Matthew 19:13-15, using the title above as my subject. What is it about children that might have provoked this statement from Jesus? (Vs. 14). Obviously, Jesus did not say that children are in the kingdom, but that the kingdom is “of such.” That is, the church of God on […]