Tri-Annual Singing!
June 20, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Category: Subject Index
Study Material Categorized by Subject
Church Maligned on CNN
In the aftermath of the Gary Winkler murder, pundits are filling the airwaves with speculation regarding motive, and seeking to fill in the gaps of knowledge regarding the relationship between the deceased and his wife, Mary Winkler. Also, there is interest in knowing more about the church of Christ. Unfortunately, in a recent (March 27th) edition of Nancy Grace’s show on CNN, Ms. Grace asked, not a member of the Lord’s church, but a Baptist Minister, about the church. A partial transcript of the show is below:
Gospel Preacher Killed
The wife of a slain Tennessee pastor confessed to killing him and has been charged with first-degree murder, officials said today, after she was questioned overnight by state, federal and local officials.
The woman, Mary Winkler, is in the process of being extradited from Alabama, where she was found Thursday night, and will probably return to Tennessee this weekend, said Roger Rickman, a police investigator in Selmer, Tenn., where the Winkler family lives.
The charge of first degree murder, indicates that she planned the killing in advance, authorities said. “First degree is premeditated,” Officer Rickman said.
Sermon: The Impact of Our Faith
Sermon Title: The Impact of Our Faith
Our faith has a direct impact on every aspect of our lives and the relationships we enjoy with others.
Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here.
Sermon Audio: Click Here.
Sermon: Are You Watching?
Sermon Title: Are You Watching?
Lessons from the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. (Matthew 25:1-13)
Powerpoint File: Click here.
Audio of Sermon: Click here.
An Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 7:10-11
In the first verse of 1 Corinthians 7, the apostle Paul began a discussion of questions asked him by the Corinthian Christians. “Now concerning the things of which you wrote me…” While the Corinthians no doubt had an exact knowledge of those questions, we do not. It is important that we deal carefully with the text of this chapter. The exegesis is a difficult one, and brethren have struggled with the passage for many years.
After discussing some general principles concerning the sexual aspect and obligations of marriage in the first seven verses, the apostle answered certain questions concerning special groups in verses 8-16. First, the unmarried, in verses 8 and 9 were given the advice to remain unmarried during the “present distress” (cf. vs. 26), unless their passion precluded such a celibate state.
Sermon: We Need Some Fire!
Sermon Title: We Need Some Fire!
The figure of fire is used on several occasions in the Bible, and a discussion of this figure is helpful in many areas of the Christian walk.
Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here.
Sermon Audio: Click Here.
Sermon: The Church of Apathy
Sermon Title: The Church of Apathy
Apathy is defined, and means of overcoming apathy are revealed in this lesson.
Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here.
Sermon Audio: Click Here.
An Exegesis of Luke 18:28-30
This section of scripture in Luke 18 recounts a conversation recorded by the physician between Jesus and his disciples. The exchange is also recorded by Matthew (chapter 19), and Mark (chapter 10).
The conversation immediately followed Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man desiring to know, “what shall I do to inherit eternal life” (vs. 18). When Jesus revealed his covetousness (putting his riches before service to God), the young man went away sorrowful. Jesus told his disciples that it was extremely difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, but “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (vs. 27). What is obviously established in this teaching is that nothing can come before God in our lives. This elicited a response from Peter contained in the text under consideration:
“Cruci-Fixin’s”
Muslims throughout the world are outraged at a set of cartoons published by a Danish newspaper (and later republished by a Norwegian paper), which depict the “prophet” Muhammad. As a general rule, the Muslim belief states that no images of Muhammad, or any other prophet, should be made. This is to help avoid idolatry. However, they were further outraged by the fact that Muhammad was demeaned in several of the cartoons; including one that showed Muhammad with a bomb for a turban. This outrage has ranged from silent discontent to the firebombing of Scandinavian embassies.
“Unity Events”
The way Wade Hodges sees it, a cappella churches of Christ and instrumental Christian Churches share too much in common not to treat each other like family.
But in Truitt Adair’s view, any attempt at unity that does not include an “honest discussion of the things that divide us” risks creating more division than reconciliation.
Such are the disparate views among church leaders 100 years after a 1906 federal religious census first reported the a cappella and instrumental churches as separate bodies…
An Exegesis of Matthew 19:1-9
The first nine verses of Matthew 19 make up as disputed a passage of scripture as any in our time. It is interesting to note that the conversation contained in the passage, a discourse between Jesus and some Pharisees who sought to “test” him, was likewise an outgrowth of great dispute among the Jews of that day.
There were two major schools of thought concerning divorce in the first century. One group, following the teaching of a rabbi named Hillel, contended that the law, (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), allowed a man to divorce his wife for any offense at all. The other main group, led by the teaching of a rabbi named Shammai, maintained (as reported by Albert Barnes in his commentary, page 194) “divorce was unlawful except in case of adultery.”
The Pharisees knew that whichever position Jesus took would bring objections from the “other” group. So, they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” (vs. 3).
Seahawks Gospel Takes Hold
First, praise the Lord. Then, “Go Seahawks!”
After morning services Sunday, many South Sound churches will throw huge Super Bowl parties.
They’ll show the game on mammoth projection televisions normally used for worship lyrics. They’ll eat pizza and drink soda pop. And they’ll shout for the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
Some congregations are even shifting or canceling Sunday night services to accommodate the home team’s first appearance in the Super Bowl.
Sacrilege on the Sabbath? Not so, pastors say. The Super Bowl is a chance for churches to reach out to nonmembers and members consumed by the Seahawks, they say.
An Exegesis of Matthew 5:31-32
The fifth through the seventh chapters of Matthew provide a record of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” in Galilee, early on in His ministry.
Jesus spoke on numerous subjects, establishing His will for mankind. Again and again He said, “I say unto you.” As such, His teaching on these matters is to be studied carefully.
After discussing the sins of adultery and lust, Jesus taught, “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery” (5:31-32). In this passage, Jesus preempted the teaching of the law in establishing his own will.
Bush Presses Alito Nomination
President Bush gave Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito a broadcast boost Saturday, calling for a simple up-or-down Senate confirmation vote despite a blocking effort by some Democrats.
A final vote on whether to make the conservative federal appellate judge the nation’s 110th Supreme Court justice is scheduled for Tuesday unless opponents win an uphill battle to impose a filibuster.
“The Senate has a constitutional responsibility to hold an up-or-down vote on Judge Alito’s nomination,” Bush said in his weekly radio address. “Throughout its 216-year history, the Senate has held an up-or-down vote on every Supreme Court nominee with majority Senate support.”
The president spoke as liberals led by Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, D-Mass., worked to deprive supporters of the 60 votes needed to limit debate. They faced resistance from some fellow Democrats as well as solid Republican opposition to the stalling tactic.
Alito, a former federal prosecutor and Reagan administration lawyer, would replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. She is the court’s first female justice and the swing vote on several 5-4 rulings that maintained abortion rights, preserved affirmative action and limited the application of the death penalty.
Washington AP
USAToday.com
Analysis:
Those who have been following the confirmation hearings for the President’s nomination to the Supreme Court are aware that opponents to Judge Alito’s confirmation are most concerned with his views on abortion.
Pro-abortion advocates are afraid that the Supreme Court’s Roe V Wade decision of 1973, granting women the right to abortion, may be revisited by a more conservative court in the future. They wanted Alito on record saying that the decision is “settled law”, to pressure him to uphold the spirit of the decision as other cases are presented to the court. To his credit, Alito refused to do so, and it looks like his confirmation is imminent.
The departure of the senate from the traditional decorum and bipartisanship of previous confirmations shows just how important this is to pro-abortion advocates. Abortion rights remains a litmus test for many in America, even today.
The Bible clearly reveals that abortion is sinful, as it affirms that a fetus is human life. Here the words of the Psalmist, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139:13-14).
‘Brokeback Mountain’ Receives
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – “Brokeback Mountain” is moseying along the Academy Awards trail, its four Golden Globe wins – best drama among them – positioning the cowboy love story for Oscar glory.
Homosexual and transsexual themes dominated Monday’s Golden Globes with the key wins by “Brokeback Mountain,” plus acting honors for the film biography “Capote” and the gender-bending “Transamerica.”…
…The four Globes for “Brokeback Mountain,” the story of old ranch-hand buddies who conceal an ongoing homosexual affair from their families, included the directing award for Ang Lee.
The fact that “Brokeback Mountain” has found eager audiences across the country, including the conservative heartland, shows that Americans are willing to embrace stories of love in all forms, Lee said.
