Author: Stan Cox

Lesson 7 of 8 in a series on Awesome Texts.

The Apostle Paul preaches the gospel of Christ to the Athenians on Mars Hill, explaining to them who the Unknown God truly is, and what He requires of man. (Acts 17:16-34)

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To know God is the ultimate attainment of man. The “know”-ing of our text carries with it much more than a casual acquaintance with Him. As Barnes’ states, “‘To know God as he is’ is to know and regard him as a lawgiver, a sovereign, a parent, a friend. It is to yield the whole soul to him, and strive to obey his law.”

We can know God. Such an intimate acquaintance is obtained through our obedience to His will. Conversely, as stated here by John, those who claim to know God, and do not obey Him are liars. This truth is obvious. Can a man truly claim to know God as the sovereign Creator and disregard His instructions to him? The idea is absurd.

It is only in our obedience to the will of the Lord that our love for Him is complete. There are many who claim to love Jesus, but prove themselves to be lacking in their devotion by disregarding His will.

What ought we to do? What is our obligation in light of our relationship to God and His Son? What is our response to His mercy and grace? It is, or at least it ought to be, obedience (vs. 6). We should “walk just as He walked.”

After reading this article, you might consider the title a bit misleading. It is less a discussion of the merits of the second amendment to the constitution, and more an examination of the question of authority. But, at least it piqued your interest!

You would have to have spent the last few weeks under a rock to not have gotten wind of the rather passionate current debate over the relative need for gun control. The debate has become more contentious in the aftermath of the mass shooting on December 14th at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. This shooting has led gun control advocates to call for comprehensive legislation that will greatly limit the type and numbers of firearms available to American citizens. At the other end of the spectrum, it has led others to call for the arming of teachers, principals and other law abiding citizens to combat these violent criminals.

Continue reading “In the News: The Second Amendment” →

A few days ago I came across the written thoughts of a young Christian who took issue with the idea of making New Year’s resolutions, at least with regard to a person’s efforts to serve his Lord.

He made some good points, emphasizing that we should resolve today and every day to serve God acceptably. This, of course, is true. I certainly would not suggest that anyone wait until January 1st before beginning an effort to serve God. (If you do that today, you would be waiting for 360 days!)

However, the first month of the year remains as good a time as any to take stock of your spiritual standing, and to determine to do better than you have in the past. With that in mind, I would encourage you to consider what you did last year in the following areas, and to contemplate what you could do to improve in 2013:

• Making prayer a habit. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
• Reading and studying God’s word (Psalm 1:1-2)
• Diligently attending worship (Hebrews 10:24-25)
• Achieving focus and zeal in worship (John 4:24)
• Expressing interest in brethren (Philippians 2:4)
• Walking with Love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
• Placing Christ first in life (Galatians 2:20)
• Sharing the faith with others (1 Peter 3:15)
• Living a transformed, holy life (Romans 12:1-2)
• Practicing benevolence (James 1:27)
• Practicing hospitality (Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9)

Surely each of us, no matter what efforts we have made in the past, can do better this next year as we seek to serve our Lord!

Invitation delivered by: Josh Jackson

Josh uses the Paul’s epistle to the Romans to talk about the road to salvation. He emphasizes the need for salvation, how salvation is obtained, the need to remain on the road, and how that can be done.

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Invitation delivered by: Chad Gallman

Chad Gallman uses the parable of the Prodigal Son to emphasize both the mercy and grace of the Heavenly Father, and the necessity of a sinner to “come to himself” to receive that mercy.

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Sermon preached by Brantley Gallman:

Guest speaker Brantley Gallman used the text of 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 to explain the type of life any human should aspire to. It is the Christian life, described by Paul as a life that is quiet, minding one’s own business, and working with one’s own hands.

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The apostle Peter here establishes the legitimacy of his desire to share with them the gospel message, by pointing out the veracity of the message itself. This was not mere hearsay he was repeating, not myth, but eyewitness testimony! Peter had himself witnessed the things of which he wrote.

How did Peter know that his Master was “our Lord Jesus Christ”? Among other events, he was present on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured before their very eyes (cf. Matthew 17:1-9). Peter heard with his own voice the words of the Father in heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (vs. 5).

Peter was a witness of other events affirming the Lordship of Jesus. He was an eyewitness of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:5). In fact, he proclaimed to the Jews on Pentecost this very proof, “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32).

It doesn’t matter that much of Peter’s epistle is taken up in an exposé of false teachers and scoffers rather than a retelling of the simple gospel of our Lord. He was defending the faith, and equipping his readers to make their “call and election sure” (1:10).

As everyone knows, the ancient Mayan calendar ended on December 21, 2012, and the world did not end. Now, the Mayans were not predicting the end of the world, but that didn’t preclude a lot of foolish people predicting its demise, based on the calendar.

In fact, such foolishness has a long history. I recently came across an internet article which recounted 11 different predictions of earthly destruction (at the least), none of which came true. Here is a concise listing, with a couple of points at the end:

Continue reading “In the News: Foolish Predictions” →

Invitation delivered by: Chad Gallman

As we contemplate the holiday seasons, and those less fortunate, Chad reminds us of the importance of acting with love and selflessness toward God and man.

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Invitation delivered by: Justin Carrell

Justin reads the lyrics of a song titled “At the Rumor Mill” to establish the spiritual damage done to those who both listen to and spread gossip.

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Paul exhorts us to “be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6). Among other things, 5 things stand out that the Christian should never worry about: 1) Being forsaken by God; 2) Feeling Useless; 3) The future; 4) Bothering God with prayer; and, 5) Feeling unforgiven.

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Lesson 6 of 8 in a series on Awesome Texts.

The Apostle Paul affirms that with the Lord’s help, all necessary things can be accomplished. To obtain victory in Jesus, we must meditate on those things that are noble and praiseworthy.

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Invitation delivered by: Josh Cox

Josh points out that more and more in our day and our society Christians are beginning to suffer for their faith. While Americans live in a tolerant society, there is no promise that religious freedom will continue. In John 15:18-19 Jesus warned about the inevitability of persecutuion. Are you prepared for such persecution?

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Much of the religious error and problems that exist do so because men are not willing to accept the Bible as it is written. The problem can be present among God’s people as well as those caught in denominational error.

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