Category: Subject Index

Today is the day we are to show our priorities to be in order. God must be first in our lives today, because we do not have assurance of tomorrow.

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AOTS Number 76

Too many in our permissive society twist the concept of liberty to mean a liscense to do whatever they want. As Christians, we must become slaves to Christ, and be responsible in our actions.

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AOTS Number 75

An essay by Maurice C. Hall which parallels the presumptuosness of the hitch-hiker with the attitude that some have toward service in the Lord’s church.

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Podcast Number 59

Saul of Tarsus, chief among sinners, by the grace of God became the apostle Paul. Paul was one of the most influential and important figures of the New Testament. We can learn many wonderful lessons by examining his life.

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AOTS Number 74

False teachers use their sophist abilities to make their error seem palatable. The standard for truth is the Word of God. All the errorists have to offer is balderdash!

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AOTS Number 73

Because of the faithfulness of Moses’ parents, he had the opportunity to become a great man of God. As Christian parents, we too have a responsibility to be faithful, and thus benefit our children.

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AOTS Number 72

David slew the giant through the help and power given him by God. We today have God on our side, and we can also be victorious in life.

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AOTS Number 71

Daniel’s courageous stand for God even in the face of persecution is a wonderful example for us as Christians.

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In Genesis 12:1-3, God made three promises to Abraham, all of which he fulfilled. He promised Abraham that his descendants would receive the land of Canaan, that they would become a great nation, and that all of the nations of the earth would be blessed through him.

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A comparison of the two religions, Christianity and Islam, finds Islam wanting, and Christianity the true religion from God.

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Acts 6:8-14

Stephen was one of many disciples who fearless preached the word in the face of persecution (cf. Acts 8:1-4). It cost him his life, but gained for him the crown of life (cf. Revelation 2:10).

One of the tactics of the enemies of truth is to supply just enough truth to make their lies seem believable. Satan did this in the garden when he said, “You will not surely die… you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). Here they took the words of Jesus, twisting them to make it seem that Stephen was preaching a message that was blasphemy “against Moses and God” (vs. 11).

Jesus indeed taught a change of customs and law. However, it was not his intent to destroy, but fulfill! (cf. Matthew 5:17-20).

If we preach truth, we too will suffer the false testimony of the enemies of truth. However, we too are promised that our faithfulness will secure for us a crown of life.

I may be a sinner, and unworthy of God’s love and mercy, but he still values me, and desires that I serve him acceptably, that I may attain an eternity in His presence.

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I recently came across an interesting sermon outline by Mark Copeland with the above title. There were five major points in the sermon that I thought were very good, and wanted to share with you in article form.

In Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, the Lord wrote letters to seven different churches, some of which could be categorized as weak, and some as strong. One church in particular serves to make an important point. The church at Sardis, (cf. Revelation 3:1), was admonished by our Lord, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” A congregation can have a nice building, have many members, can have a lot of “program”, and can run smoothly and still be dead.

The better way of gauging the relative strength of a church is by determining whether the congregation has the characteristics of the church as revealed in the New Testament. There are terms such as “body”, “family”, “temple”, “kingdom”, “bride”, that establish principles which are the foundation of strength among God’s people.

Continue reading “The Measure of a Strong Church” →

The question is asked and answered. Does the pardon of the thief on the cross have a bearing on whether we must be baptized in order to be saved?

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Every month we get a copy of The Christian Chronicle delivered to our mailing address. It always makes for interesting reading, though it is disconcerting to see how steeped in liberalism many churches have become.

A few weeks ago we wrote an article on the subject of the “social gospel”, noting the fact that the paper was reporting on high school football as a part of the ministry of churches of Christ. I thought the article showed the upper limits of absurdity until I read an article in the October 2007 issue entitled, Churches mix faith, football, by Erik Tryggestad.

Tryggestad reported (favorably) upon various churches that are using football as a means of accomplishing spiritual gains. Note the following examples:

Continue reading “In The News: Churches Mix Faith, Football” →