Sound Teaching

While many believe the Bible to be difficult to understand, thus making their opinion (no matter how uniformed) as valid as any other, in reality the Bible is very simple and clear with regard to God’s plan of Salvation for man. The sermon covers a simple method of converting the sinner to Christ, using Acts 2 as a narrative.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

On Friday morning, the space shuttle Endeavor safely returned to earth, landing at the Kennedy Space Center after a 15 day trip that took it 248 times around the earth, and a distance of 6.5 million miles.

While in space, the Endeavor spent time docked with the International Space Station, performing some maintenance, and replacing one astronaut who had been in space for 5 months, Koichi Wakata with another, Timothy Kopra.

Continue reading “In The News: The Origin of Life on Earth” →

Due to the proliferation of murder mystery stories and police procedurals on television, most people are familiar with the term homicide. The term comes from the Latin “homo” – (man) and “cide” – (killing). Another familiar term is suicide. This term comes from the Latin “sui” – (oneself) and “cide” – (killing). Other terms that are well known: patricide (killing of a father); matricide (killing of a mother); infanticide (killing of a baby); and genocide (killing of an entire national or cultural group).

I recently came across another term in the same vein — menticide. The term comes from the Latin “ment” – (mind) and “cide” – (killing). The definition of menticide: The systematic undermining of a person’s beliefs, attitudes and values.

Continue reading “Committing Menticide” →

Balderdash – NONSENSE (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary).

A popular board game around our house is called Balderdash. In the game, you anonymously submit a nonsensical definition of some obscure word, hoping that others are convinced that your “made up” definition is the correct one. In effect, you make the definition plausible enough to bluff someone into believing it is authentic. You can imagine the laughter when the definitions are read aloud. Of course, the cards used in the game have the real definition of the word, and are the final authority.

False teachers have done the very same thing from the beginning of time. They attempt to bluff the ignorant into accepting their doctrines as truth. The sophistry of these ungodly individuals has an appeal to it that is unmistakable. It’s appeal serves to deceive the credulous, and they are led away into the apostasy.

In the end, remember that there is only one real authority in religion. It is God’s Word. Despite the appeal and seeming plausibility of the sophist’s claims, all he really has to offer is balderdash.

I recently came across the following letter to Dear Abby. It initially appeared in the paper in May of 1994. So, while certainly not recent news, it still appeared in a newspaper, and so technically fits the parameters of this column. It certainly gives an opportunity to teach.

DEAR ABBY: I am 45 years old, financially comfortable and would like to get married.

I would like to meet a man about my age who enjoys going to church.

I belong to the First Methodist Church, Blessed Angels Catholic Church and the Mount Zion Jewish Temple.

I also attend the Christian Science Church regularly, but I do take aspirin occasionally.

Can you please help me find a man of good character who is interested in marriage, and belongs to any of the above-mentioned places of worship?

A moderate cigarette smoker is O.K., but please, no beer drinkers. – VICTORIA

DEAR VICTORIA: You seem to have all the bases covered. I cannot understand how you can be a member of all the above-mentioned churches.

To find a good churchgoing gentleman, have a talk with any of your clergypersons and be up-front about your interest in finding a man. I am a firm believer that there’s somebody for everybody. Good luck.

Analysis:

You will note that Abby, in her response to the advice seeker, says, “I cannot understand how you can be a member of all the above-mentioned churches.” I daresay that just about all who read the article thought the same thing, wondering if the lady were a tad imbalanced – perhaps criticizing her lack of conviction.

Continue reading “In The News: Multiple Memberships” →

We should not set just one day aside for thanksgiving to God. Rather, we should always, every day be and express our thanks to God. Thanksgiving improves:

• Our perspective about Ourselves
• Our perspective about our Things
• Our perspective about our God

Thanksgiving helps to keep us from arrogance, greed and worry.

Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

The Sermon uses the text of Isaiah 65:1-7 as a warning against Self-Righteousness. We must not trust in ourselves, do our work to be seen of men, or be guilty of hypocrisy, which often accompanies Self-Righteousness. Having said that, Self-Righteousness is NOT:

• Obeying God’s Law
• Zeal and Dedication
• Reproving and Rebuking Sin
• Believing God’s Word to be Authoritative and Absolute

Rather than being Self-Righteous, we must submit to the righteousness of God.

Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

This lesson begins with a mention of Peter’s confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, recorded in Matthew 16:13-16. How do we know that Jesus is the Son of God?

• Fulfilled Prophecy
• Testimony of John the Baptist
• The Miracles He Performed
• Testimony of the Father
• The Resurrection

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Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .

(Note: Audio is not available for this lesson).

In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle admonished the Corinthians who did not believe in the resurrection, indicating they should be ashamed. It is the purpose of preaching and admonition to shame individuals who are in sin. We all should be ashamed when we:

• Participate in Ungodliness
• Lack Knowledge
• Uphold Those Who Teach Error

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Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

(Many of you know that I write a weekly sports article for the River Oaks News. In the summer they let me write other kinds of articles. This one is to appear in the paper next week. They don’t let me write on religious topics, but sometimes I sneak in a spiritual value or two. I have a few other comments at the end of the article).

The news shows, magazines and internet have been humming recently with the news of the deaths of three well known entertainers.

Ed McMahon, sidekick to Johnny Carson, and host of Star Search lived to the age of 86. He died after a long battle with bone cancer, and a recent bout with pneumonia. His death, therefore, was not unexpected.

Farrah Fawcett, pinup girl and television star, died at the age of 62 after a long battle with cancer. Her death was long anticipated as well.

Continue reading “A True Tragedy” →

Social critic Russell Kirk has defined decadence as the loss of an aim or object in life. “Men and women become decadent when they forget or deny the objects of life, and so fritter away their years in trifles or debauchery.”

Against the Night, Charles Colson, p.56

The Bible reveals the truth to the above definition. This is especially so if the “object in life” forgotten is God!

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.”

Romans 1:20-25

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me” (Ezekiel 3:17).

“Ezekiel … was appointed a watcher over the exiled nation of Israel, and was in this capacity to continue the work of the earlier prophets, especially that of Jeremiah, with whom he in several ways associates himself in his prophecies; to preach to his contemporaries the judgment and salvation of God, in order to convert them to the Lord their God.”

Keil & Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament
Volume 9 (Ezekiel & Daniel), page 2

Ezekiel, as a prophet of God and preacher of righteousness, lived and served his God in the darkest of days of the kingdom of Israel. The people were in exile, chafing under Babylonian rule, and looking for relief. There were false prophets in the land who were willing to tickle the ears of a desperate people. Jeremiah recorded the people’s unwillingness to listen to the message of God’s prophets in Jeremiah 29:19, “because they have not heeded My words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; neither would you heed, says the LORD.” He then pronounced God’s judgment against the false prophets in verses 20-23, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire’; because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.”

Continue reading “Watchmen for God” →

You may not be aware of it, but in pop culture the biggest piece of news is the impending divorce of Jon and Kate Gosselin. The Gosselin family resides in Pennsylvania, and the two with their 8 children (one set of 8 year old twins, and one set of 5 year old sextuplets) are the subject of a very successful reality TV series, Jon and Kate Plus 8.

The series has been on television since January of 2007, and is widely viewed. Until recently the show revolved around the children, and the challenges of raising such a large and young family. However, the Gosselin’s marital problems have dominated reports in the entertainment media, and have been dealt with in the most recent episodes of the television show, which airs on TLC.

Continue reading “In The News: Jon and Kate Plus 8” →

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

The walk that pleases God, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, is a walk that is fruitful, pure and holy. The purpose of the walk is to please God, not man. With that in Mind, we must walk:

• With God (companionship)
• Before God (inspection)
• After God (discipleship)

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Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .

Sermon Audio: Click Here .