'Sound Words' Tagged Posts (Page 6)
SOUND WORDS, FEB. 25, 2024
THINGS INVOLVED IN SERVICE Service is serving — sometimes voluntarily, sometime involuntarily. In service one is enslaved to someone or something — sometimes voluntarily, sometimes involuntarily. Slavery is not all bad. For instance, Paul, inspired by the Spirit, said, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). One may be freed from one kind of slavery, but he will inevitably be brought under the control of another kind of slavery. Those who were made…
SOUND WORDS, FEB. 18, 2024
LIVING AS A LEADER A true leader of God’s people doesn’t wait for a formal appointment to begin serving. Rather, we come to recognize leaders among us as those who in the regular course of life have already been serving the congregation “without the credentials,” so to speak. We’re not talking about an autocrat, one who arrogates unto himself a position, title or authority that doesn’t belong to him — a usurper, if you please. Remember, the primary function of…
SOUND WORDS, FEB. 4, 2024
WHAT ABOUT YOUR PARENTS AND OTHER LOVED ONES? Do you hesitate to be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) or even to admit that the scriptures teach that you should be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16) because your parents or some other loved ones have failed to do so and because you are concerned about their spiritual welfare? If so, you may be risking your eternal salvation while doing nothing to enhance their eternal destiny. It is…
SOUND WORDS, JAN. 28, 2024
BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT One of the most important attitudes one can have in striving to go to heaven is that of intense zeal for the truth of God. Too often, people settle on something far less than the truth. Remember, a counterfeit, though it may look relatively genuine, is nevertheless worthless. Likewise, we cannot enjoy the benefits of truth just by getting pretty close. We must take our position firmly and foursquare on the truth. “Ye…
SOUND WORDS, JAN. 21, 2024
GLORY AND HONOR As I have been reading the Psalms following the daily reading schedule this year, one thing in particular has stood out to me: the reverence the authors show toward God. When we read the Psalms, we should get a good idea of how we should relate to God. There seems to be, in today’s society, an attempt to bring God down to man’s level. That is, there are many who want to address God and have the…
SOUND WORDS, JAN. 14, 2024
CHRISTIANS WITH NO DENOMINATIONAL TIES God places great emphasis on names. He changed Abram’s name to Abraham (Gen. 17:5), Sarai’s name to Sarah (Gen. 17:15), and Jacob’s name to Israel (Gen. 32:38). He gave to John and Jesus their names before they were born (Luke 1:13,31). He has given to His people of this age the name “Christian” (Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16). He has given no sectarian or denominational names, but rather condemns them (1 Cor. 1:10-13). The great need…
SOUND WORDS, JAN 7, 2024
SMALL INCREASES OVER TIME I had just handed my newborn son over to my wife so I could grab our oldest son (who fell asleep on the couch) and put him in his bed. This is something I’ve always done from the time our oldest was very young. Anytime he fell asleep on the couch after we watched a movie, had a family game night, or something along those lines, the tradition has been for me to pick him up…
SOUND WORDS, DEC. 31, 2O23
JUST THE WAY IT GOSE (GOES) 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. —Galatians 1:8 10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. —1 Corinthians 1:10 Consider…