Sound Teaching  This is the teaching site of the West Side church of Christ in Fort Worth, TX. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials were written and prepared by Stan Cox |
By Stan Cox, on September 12th, 2010
Daniel is a man of Purpose, Principle, Purity and Prayer. As such, he serves as a wonderful example to us.
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By Stan Cox, on June 6th, 2010
A practical lesson from Dennis Scroggins, teaching the importance of purity in speech.
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By Stan Cox, on June 29th, 2009
 In his second epistle, Peter said the purpose of his writing was to “stir up your pure minds by way of reminder.”
I often have emphasized the need of repetition in teaching. It is important to be reminded even of what you know, that your mind may be stirred.
There is another emphasis in this text. Our minds need to be “pure.” The term “pure” is defined in Strong’s as: genuine or sincere. It’s literal rendering is “judged by sunlight.”
Isn’t that an interesting thought? Our minds judged by sunlight? If your innermost thoughts, convictions and emotions were brought “to light”, what would be revealed? Would you be seen as a hypocrite, or would your inner thoughts match your outward profession to be a faithful child of God?
May we all have “pure minds.”
Stan
By Stan Cox, on October 5th, 2008
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).
The preceding paragraph of instructions, given by the great Apostle Paul to Timothy, his “son in the faith”, contains much of benefit to all who wear the name of our Lord. The call to diligence in doctrine, love and morality are not exclusive to young evangelists. Rather they are needed for all who would be followers of God.
Continue reading » “Be An Example … in Purity”
By Stan Cox, on June 10th, 2007
 SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Supermodel Gisele Bundchen stepped into the debate over birth control and sexual behavior in Brazil on Tuesday, saying Church opposition to condom use was ridiculous and women should have the right to choose on abortion.
Gisele is idolized by many young women in Brazil, the world’s largest Roman Catholic country, where debate over sexual issues has intensified around a visit by Pope Benedict last month.
The Pope stressed the Church’s firm opposition to abortion and contraception and railed against sex outside of marriage.
The Brazilian beauty, one of the world’s top models, told Folha de S.Paulo newspaper in an interview that when the Church made its laws centuries ago, women were expected to be virgins.
“Today no one is a virgin when they get married … show me someone who’s a virgin!” she said.
Asked about abortion, she said a woman should have the right to choose what is best for her.
“If she thinks she doesn’t have the money or the emotional condition to raise a child, why should she give birth?”
Analysis:
There is a great deal interesting about this article. Notice first of all Gisele’s statement that “when the Church made its law centuries ago, women were expected to be virgins.” In fact, it has only been a few decades since women stopped being expected to be virgins. And by the way, it was not the Church that determined that women should be virgins, but rather God, as revealed in His word! “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).
Second, note that Gisele is “idolized” by many young women in Brazil. It is interesting how much influence and authority that the world places upon a model — a person whose job is to don the most scandalous of outfits (fashion models exhibit no modesty), and pose for pictures. There is obviously no premium on intelligence, and the lifestyle of a top fashion model is one characterized by debauchery and excess, and yet she is idolized and mimicked by millions of women! Note in contrast the true beauty of the godly woman, “Rather let it [adornment] be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:4).
Third, if a woman doesn’t have the money to have a child, or the emotional condition to raise a child, then why in the world is she engaging in activity that will cause her to conceive a child. In effect, Gisele is saying that a woman (and man) should have the right to act in inappropriate, immoral and immature ways, and not have to pay any consequence for the sin. Rather … kill the innocent, unborn child!
While it is not common today for people to remain sexually pure until marriage, and those who do are considered peculiar, it remains that God intends such faithfulness from His children. Gisele is wrong, and it is a shame she is listened to by so many. She is not wrong because the Catholic church says so, or the pope, she is wrong because the Holy Spirit says so!
By Stan Cox, on June 1st, 2007
Podcast Number 54
Young men want to marry young ladies who have kept themselves pure, and are modest. Young men then, should respect young ladies, and not take advantage of them. Too, young ladies must respect themselves, and keep themselves pure.
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By Stan Cox, on April 19th, 2007
AOTS Number 14
Scripture reveals that true and lasting beauty is acquired, not inherited. It is also an inner rather than outer beauty, developed by a faithful and righteous woman.
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By Stan Cox, on January 13th, 2007
 First there was the LP sized Laser Disc, then the VHS—Beta battle (won by VHS). Now we have DVD’s, and already released HD DVD’s and Sony’s Blue Ray discs, that will be fighting a battle for supremacy for the next few years.
There were a number of reasons why VHS systems won out over Betamax (despite the Betamax tapes being slightly superior in technical quality). But, one of the primary reasons is that the pornographic distributors chose VHS. It seems that SONY (the manufacturer of Betamax) did not want its product to be associated with pornography, and so pornographers went with the alternative.
“Quite famously in the war between Betamax and VHS the latter won especially because the adult industry preferred it.” (Aaron McKenna, TGDaily.com)
If you can believe it, it is probable that the same thing will happen again.
Continue reading » In The News: HD DVD VS Blu-ray Disc
By Stan Cox, on December 3rd, 2006
“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
In this context, the apostle Paul explains the difference between living in the world, and living “of” the world. It is obviously necessary for the Christian to interact with worldly people. Ungodliness is everywhere. When you go to the grocery store, the clerk might be an adulteress. Your child’s teacher might be guilty of covetousness, your banker might just be an extortioner, and the plumber may be a drunkard!
Continue reading » In the World, Not OF the World
By Stan Cox, on December 3rd, 2006
Podcast Number 29
The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 7:1 admonishes Christians to purify themselves from filthiness,
and perfect holiness. This lesson describes and explains how this can be accomplished.
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By Stan Cox, on July 4th, 2006
Israel disobeyed God after the destruction of Jericho, as Achan took of the accursed things. Israel’s defeat at the hands of the small city of Ai teaches us that God’s acceptance is contingent upon our righteousness and obedience. There are lessons to be learned from this text (Joshua 7).
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By Stan Cox, on May 9th, 2006
Sermon Title: Lot – How to Make a Terrible Decision
This sermon by Heath Rogers establishes that bad influences (in this case the men of Sodom) can corrupt our thinking and judgment to the point that we make bad decisions. Great lesson for young people.
Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .
By Stan Cox, on May 8th, 2005
AUSTIN – Forget education reform and taxes. On Tuesday, the Texas House turned its attention to a measure dubbed “the booty bill,” voting to crack down on cheerleaders who perform sexually suggestive routines at school-sponsored events.
The legislation, which passed 65-56, would give the state and school districts more power to shut down or punish drill teams, dance squads, cheerleaders or “any other performance group” that perform ribald acts.
Many members chortled, joked and jovially waved blue and white pompoms during the debate, but the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Al Edwards of Houston, said the legislation is no laughing matter.
“Girls can get out and do these overtly sexual performances and we applaud them. And that’s not right,” said Edwards, an ordained minister. “This is the beginning of an era to change some of what we’ve been seeing.”
Though Edwards is a Democrat, most in his party opposed the bill while most Republicans voted in favor.
Opponents said the bill has already made Texas a national laughingstock, can’t be enforced and gives the state a power that should be reserved exclusively for local school districts&ldots;
…State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, said the bill was embarrassing and insulting, particularly as more pressing issues — like a major overhaul of the state’s school finance system — await consideration.
“We can’t legislate morality,” Thompson said. “I don’t know how this bill got to the floor. It’s stupid!”
The measure, which would still have to pass the Senate and be signed by the governor to become law, would allow the Texas Education Agency to require that school districts review possibly lewd performances.
If the school district determined that the act was conducted in an “overtly sexually suggestive manner,” they would have to take unspecified “appropriate action” against the performers and the performers’ sponsor.
Will Harrell, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said the legislation was too vague, petty and “patently unconstitutional.”
“This broad, morally restrictive legislation reminds me of the Taliban,” Harrell said, referring to the former hard-line regime in Afghanistan. “Why not go all the way? Why not require them all to wear a burka?”
Ft. Worth Star Telegram
Jay Root
Analysis:
I purposefully printed most of the article, as it speaks for itself. While I will not comment on the wisdom of the legislation itself, the present attitudes toward what is obviously lasciviousness is interesting:
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The view that we can’t legislate morality is obviously not so. Laws against murder, for example, do just that.
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We live in a society in which many think that any limitation of prurient activity is tantamount to fascism.
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The world recognizes that the routines and dress of cheerleaders are sexually suggestive. Why is it that so many Christian parents still allow their daughters to participate?
By Stan Cox, on July 16th, 2004
A teacher was trying to teach his twelve male students the importance of respecting women. To illustrate his point, he brought 13 roses to class, took one out of the bunch and gave it to the boys to handle each in turn. He asked them to touch it and feel the softness, and admire the beauty of the rose. After all had handled the flower, he returned it to the bunch, and told the boys they each could have one flower. Each in turn came forward, and took a single rose. They each took a rose which had not been handled. No one wanted the rose all had touched, handled, and admired. It had been soiled, and was no longer the pristine, beautiful blossom it had been. The lesson was obvious, and forceful. Continue reading » Young Ladies, Keep Yourself Pure
By Stan Cox, on January 11th, 2004
The apostle Paul apparently felt that sexual sin was a constant threat to the welfare of Christians in the first century. He continually warned about it, writing such things as, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18); and “Nor let us commit sexual immorality…” (1 Corinthians 10:8).
Continue reading » A Plea for Purity
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