Some false teachers suggest that the Lord has no pattern for the modern church. They may justify this opinion on the basis of the imperfections of the first century congregations described in the New Testament. Since no church is perfect, they say, Christians must serve God as they think best or as modern culture dictates.…
Some sins are tiny. They barely even register on Christian radar. Take gossip, for instance. Compared with big sins—adultery, stealing, cursing, violence—gossip is no big deal. The only little thing wrong with gossip is that it destroys friendship. The book of Proverbs says that “a whisperer separates close friends” (16:28) and that “he who repeats…
In ancient times parents arranged marriages for their children, and the feelings of the bride and groom usually had little or nothing to do with the match. Abraham, for instance, sent his most trusted servant to Haran to find a wife for Isaac. The servant returned from the long journey and presented Rebekah, a young…
Paul urges parents to bring up children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Parents are teachers. But do little ears pay attention to everything mom and dad say? About 10 years ago, Donald Joy was a guest on the “Focus on the Family” radio program. In his conversation with the show’s…
Tom Reynolds started an auto parts manufacturing company in Detroit. Five years later the business employed more than 300 people. But one day Tom’s own human resources department sent him the following email: “Mr. Reynolds, according to our records you have never submitted letters of recommendation, something required of everyone in the company. Please verify…
One night Jim has a dream. He is standing before the great white throne of Christ on judgment day. Jim trembles with anxiety as he steps forward to hear the decision that will determine his eternal destiny. After fixing Jim with a loving but piercing glance, the Lord begins to speak. “Jim,” rumbles the majestic…
On a family radio program some years ago, I heard an eye-opening story told by the mother of three small children. She and her husband had taken them to Grandma’s on Christmas Eve. Grandparents, uncles, and aunts showered the little ones with gifts. The next morning the kids wanted to play with the toys opened…
In 1879, Mary Baker Eddy began the Christian Science movement when she established her first congregation in Boston, Massachusetts (The First Church of Christ, Scientist). Eddy taught her followers to deny the reality of matter. Men and women, she believed, reflect the perfection of God and are therefore perfect themselves. The cause of sickness is…
One Saturday I tuned the radio to an ESPN station, hoping to hear some talk about a game to be played later in the day. That morning the host of the live program was irate over an email from a listener offended by the show’s affiliation with a liquor company. “Don’t write us again,” the…
Paul urges his readers to “be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). He is following the Lord so closely that the Corinthians would benefit from imitating his good conduct. That is, following Paul would make the church stronger and more mature. Would the Seagoville congregation benefit from following my example?…