Author: Stan Cox

Sermon Title: Filled, In Christ

Passages such as Ephesians 1:3 and Romans 8:31-36 teach that we have abundant blessings (“we are more than conquerors”) in Christ Jesus. This lesson examines the fact that we are “Filled” in Christ.

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Every Christian should have the desire to bow down before the Almighty God in reverence, and with frequency, to offer up worship to Him. God has given us this opportunity in the assembly of the saints.

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No matter how far you are behind the loop, podcasting is pretty easy to understand. The name is derived from Apple’s ubiquitous iPod series of personal music players, a name that has come to stand for the concept as well as the product, like Kleenex or Xerox, and like Walkman used to be.

The idea is that a podcaster makes a recording, or a show, and distributes it to people to play on their MP3 players. Listeners can fast forward, rewind and replay to their heart’s content. Think of it as TiVo for your iPod.

It’s easier than it sounds. “All you need is a PC and a microphone,” says Maffin. “You can pick up something suitable at an electronics store for $15 and the software is free.”

Producers (or podcasters) create their show on a personal computer, using a microphone for their voice. They can use easily acquired software to edit in music, effects and other recorded sounds as required…

…”There are literally thousands of podcasts on a variety of subjects,” says Willi Powell, strategic development manager for Apple Canada and a confessed podcast fan.

“Of course, it all starts with music, but you can find everything from news to religion to home improvement.”…

Jerry Langdon
Toronto Star Online (thestar.com)

Analysis:

We have started a podcast on the soundteaching.org site, and are offering a new edition of the podcast each Friday afternoon. While much of the material at the site the members have already seen (bulletin articles and sermons), these podcasts are unique to the site itself. So, they will benefit the brethren here.

Continue reading “Podcasting” →

The River Oaks News reported in the Thursday, May 25th edition of the paper, the generosity of the Wal-Mart corporation in giving away $28,500 in grants to various non-profit groups. Among the grants given were donations to various area schools, fire departments and police departments, and city governments.

On the back page of the paper there is a picture of Dr. Bob Mullen, an evangelist for the Westworth Village church of Christ, receiving one of the big cardboard checks from Wal-Mart representatives in the amount of $1,000.

We have three questions:

1. As the freewill offering of the saints is the only means by which the church has been authorized to raise funds (cf. 1 Cor. 16), where is the authority for the Westworth Village church of Christ to accept such a donation? (Answer: No such authority exists).
2. As Paul indicated that the transfer of funds from the church in Philippi constituted a fellowship in the gospel of Christ (cf. Phil. 1:3-6), where is the authority for the Westworth Village church of Christ to have spiritual fellowship with a corporation like Wal-Mart? (Answer: Again, no such authority exists).
3. Does the Westworth Village church of Christ care that what they are doing is without authority? (Answer: Apparently not, as it is the continuation of an unscriptural emphasis on the social gospel concept that has characterized that church for many years).

In the fourth chapter of Luke’s gospel we have recorded the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. None other than the devil himself (vs. 2) took the opportunity of Jesus’ fast in the wilderness to put stumbling blocks before the Son of God.

The second temptation placed before the Lord, to reject the work of redemption for the glory of the world’s kingdoms, brought this response from Jesus, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (vs. 8).

Continue reading ““Get Behind Me, Satan!”” →

Sermon Title: Christ – Bringer of Division? Or Peace?

The Bible reveals Jesus to be the Prince of Peace. And yet, in Luke 12 Jesus said He came to earth to bring division. The sermon explains how these seemingly contradictory statements are in fact both true, and that the key revolves around the individuals response to the grace of God extended in Jesus.

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Sermon Title: Why I Should Attend the Worship Assembly

This sermon examines the attitudes which sometimes cause people to neglect assembling to worship God, and what the scriptures teach about our responsibility to assemble.

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Polls have shown that one in five adults in the United States has read “The Da Vinci Code,” and many more are familiar with its themes. George Barna, a pollster in California, says 25 percent of those who had read the book said it helped them achieve personal growth or understanding. “Few people said that reading the book had actually changed any of their beliefs,” he said. “That was only 5 percent. Most people said that it essentially reinforced what they believed coming into the book.”

What they believe is what Mr. Barna calls “pick and choose theology.” It’s a trend that Christian conservatives find scary and maddening, but that liberals tend to embrace as “big tent” inclusiveness.

“Americans by and large consider themselves to be Christian, but when you try to drill down to figure out what they believe, you find that among those who call themselves Christian, 59 percent don’t believe in Satan, 42 percent believe Jesus sinned during his time on Earth, and only 11 percent believe the Bible is the source of absolute moral truth,” said Mr. Barna, a conservative evangelical who regards these as troubling indicators.

Da Vinci Christianity is not so disturbing to Gregory Robbins, an Episcopalian who directs the Anglican Studies program at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

“When I talk to groups, they say, tell us about the Dead Sea Scrolls, the discovery of the Gnostic gospels, what went on with Constantine, was there a massive book burning by the church in the fourth century” – all elements woven into the Da Vinci plot, Mr. Robbins said.

He said he emphasizes in his talks that in its first few centuries, Christianity was not monolithic. There were Palestinian Christians, Jewish Christians, Pauline Christians who appealed to gentiles, Gnostic Christians, and Ebionite Christians who saw Jesus as merely a prophet.

Among Christians today, he said: “I have found a willingness to entertain the idea that early Christianity was very diverse. Then they’re able to talk about the diversity that characterizes Christianity in the 20th century.”

Laurie Goodstein
The New York Times
(Partial transcript, edited for space).

Analysis:

The DaVinci Code, a novel which takes potshots at the Catholic church, and also makes outlandish claims about Jesus Christ, has been made into a movie. Many protests are being raised about the movie, as Catholics and Protestants alike take issue with the plot and characters in the movie.

What is interesting is that so much of this controversy revolves around whose lie is the truth! While The Davinci Code certainly attacks the Christian faith, it is mostly attacking a distortion of that faith, as it claims the Catholic church to be the “bad guy” in hiding what “really happened.”

And some people are being taken in by it all. The article above gives the main reason why this is so. People seem to think that you can pick and choose what part of the Christian faith you want to believe, and reject the rest! One man in the article asks, “All these people – the famous Luke, Mark and John – how did they know so much about Jesus’ life?”

Of course, “these people” are the inspired writers of the gospels of our Lord. As Peter said, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:16).

All scripture is given by God’s inspiration (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17). The attempts of some heretics 2,000 years after the fact nothwithstanding, the inspiration and veracity of the New Testament scriptures is beyond dispute.

Title: The Christian Age

We are living in the end times, the last days, also known as the Christian Age. This edition of the Sound Teaching podcast discusses the Christian Age.

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Title: The Amazing Grace of God

The grace of God is truly amazing. However, the concept of grace is commonly misunderstood even by religious people. In this podcast, Stan Cox plainly reveals what the Bible teaches about Grace.

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Sermon Title: Apologetics

The Christian faith must be defended by Christians. There is credible evidence which can be supplied to answer in the affirmative the following questions: 1) Does God Exist?; 2) Is the Bible Inspired?; 3) Are our Bibles today dependable?; 4) Did the Man Jesus Really Live on Earth?; 5) Is Jesus the Son of God?

(Note: The audio of this lesson came from Stan Cox’s presentation of the material at the Forum Terrace church of Christ on May 12, 2006. The material was also presented by Stan at the West Side church in two parts on Sunday, May 14th).

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Sermon Title: Why I Believe In Heaven

Heath Rogers preached this sermon, his last in the meeting. It was a fitting end to our gospel meeting, as brother Rogers gave credible evidence as to the existence of that eternal abode.

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Thousands of people fled the fertile slopes of Indonesia’s most dangerous volcano Saturday as glowing lava oozed down the side and ash and rock spewed from the mountaintop, leading authorities to warn that an eruption could come soon.

Villages on Mount Merapi were left virtually empty, although some residents returned to its slopes Sunday to tend their animals and crops…

Continue reading “Thousands Flee Dangerous Volcano” →

Sermon Title: Who pays When I Sin?

Heath Rogers preached this sermon, examing the consequences, to self, family, friends, the church, and even the Lord Himself as a result of sin. Excellent Lesson!

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Sermon Title: Judas Iscariot – The Man Who Became a Traitor

Heath Rogers preached this sermon, detailing the events surrounding the betrayal of Jesus, and examining the motives and actions of Judas Iscariot and the Lord.

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