Posts from December 2024
SOUND WORDS, DEC. 29, 2024
WHAT DOES GODLY WISDOM REQUIRE? Living in any given culture and time requires that we have the wisdom and will to be what we ought to be for the Lord. Serving the Lord is not just about obeying a few commandments. Rather, it is a lifelong commitment to be faithful, loyal, and true to the end (cf. Rev 2:10). Developing a heart for wisdom cannot be stressed enough (Prov 2:2), and this begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov 9:10).…
SOUND WORDS, DEC. 22, 2024
WHY DOESN’T THE CHURCH WHERE YOU WORSHIP CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS? Notes about the RELIGIOUS observance of Christmas: Why No Special Christmas Services? Folks are often surprised to learn that we have no special religious observance of the Christmas holiday. Such practices are so common in most denominations that many people think it is odd when we don’t sing Christmas songs, decorate the church building with seasonal ornaments, and conduct special worship services. Please allow us to explain. First, it should be pointed out…
SOUND WORDS, DEC. 15, 2024
CHURCH-GOD CENTERED OR MAN CENTERED Religion by its very definition would seem to involve God. The word godly means God-centered. However, there are those who practice a religion that is all about man rather than God. To say that such religion is godly is not to say that it is wicked, but simply that it is not centered in God. Jesus described such people in his day in the words of Isaiah: “These people draw near to me with their…
SOUND WORDS, DEC. 8, 2024
DID MY GENERATION NEGLECT THE GRACE OF GOD? I cannot understand how so many of the younger generation of preachers (sometimes encouraged by a few older ones) can talk about how woefully the generation before them neglected to tell people about the grace of God. They boldly speak about it as though it was a settled fact of history and that their generation is going to correct the matter by speaking more about grace and less about commandment keeping. As…