5 Church Members to Recognize

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THE ENCOURAGER. This selfless person is always looking for a back to pat or a hand to lift. He or she is intent on others being appreciated for their contribution to the Lord’s work. These have a knack for doing so actively and genuinely.

THE UPBEAT. This smiling person has not had fewer surgeries, health issues, or reverses of life (in fact, many times they have had more than their share). Though you know they are suffering, if you ask them how they are you hear a silver-lining answer and see a twinkle in their eyes that betrays hope and optimism. They seem focused on heaven, not their hurts.

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Social Justice vs. Biblical Justice

By Brad Harrub

All Christians should seek and support Biblical justice. God demands it. There are countless passages that talk about how God is a just God. The Bible talks about His righteous judgement (Romans 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:5). Christians should fight for Biblical justice.

But what about social justice? Should we be marching in the streets and/or carrying banners to defend a specific cause? If social justice is in line with God’s Word, then all Christians should support it and defend it. But what about those occasions when social justice is not aligned with Biblical justice?

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11 Tips for Better Worship

By Jack Wilkie

We all get caught going through the motions sometimes. We all know that our God deserves more, though, and we know that the more we put in the more we’ll get out. Here are 11 things you can do to better engage your heart in worship, particularly on Sunday.

1. Pray before you go. There are so many things we can pray for to get our minds in the right place. Give thanks for the blessings of the week to get the mind focused on why we worship. Pray for those leading worship. Pray that the cares and distractions of the world would be taken away. Pray for an open heart and mind.

2. Read before you go. Pick a text that will get your mind in the right place. It could be a psalm of praise, a section about what Jesus has done for us, or anything that prepares the mind to worship God and show love to the church family.

3. Bring your Bible. This is going to sound strange, but I’m a firm believer that not all Bibles are created equal. By that I mean that every Christian should have a go-to Bible that can’t just be replaced by a pew Bible or an app. Yes, they have the same words and same powerful truth. But it makes a difference when you get a Bible you can develop a bond with and keep near you throughout the week.

4. Be there. Sporadic attendance is one of the best ways to kill enthusiastic worship. As far as it is in your power (barring emergencies, sicknesses, and injuries), plan to be there each week. Giving God the Sundays that aren’t occupied by “something better to do” is offering Him that which costs us nothing (2 Samuel 24:24), and there’s no value in that.

5. Go with a plan to encourage. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake the assembly, but 10:24 tells us why – we need to be there to stir each other up to greater love and good works. Don’t just go as a spectator or a consumer. Go with a plan to help spread the love of Christ to others.

6. Go to Bible class. It’s hard to grow in the faith with just a sermon every week. While attending Bible class still doesn’t give us all the spiritual nourishment we need, it certainly doesn’t hurt. And, it just adds to the time around our Christian family, which should always be a priority.

7. Remind yourself why you’re there. It’s terribly easy to sit in our regular seat, fall into our regular routine, and lose sight of why we’ve come. Take a moment before worship begins to refocus on the God you’ve come to praise.

8. Think about the words to the songs. It’s amazing how well something can become welded into our memory when put to a tune. Unfortunately, that just makes it that much easier to let our minds drifts as we repeat words we’ve sang 100x. Most of us could just about sing “Amazing Grace” in our sleep. That’s why it’s important that we make a point to think about the words and let the deep truths set in to our hearts.

9. Take notes. You don’t have to get the lesson down word-for-word. But it makes a difference if you can write down the Scripture references, catch the major points, and write down any lines that particularly stand out to you.

10. Talk about the sermon afterward. Any time you go with a friend to a movie or sporting event, it’s only natural to talk about what you just experienced together. Whether in the foyer before you leave or over lunch, take some time to rehash what you learned in the sermon or class.

11. Revisit your notes during the week. Each of these last three points are intended for a specific purpose – helping you remember the sermon and internalize its truths. Even as the preacher it’s sometimes hard to remember the finer points of the sermon a few days into the week. But the sermon wasn’t meant to be something that goes in one ear and out the other, an item on the list we can check off for the week. The best way to make use of the sermon and be prepared to hear another next week is to interact with the lesson in a way that makes it stick.

The Silence of the Scriptures

By Kevin Cauley

“I don’t understand the concept of the silence of the scriptures.” This is an increasingly voiced sentiment. However, we do understand the prohibitive nature of the silence of the scriptures to some degree. For example, take the Lord’s Supper. Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me.” This is a positive command. Jesus didn’t have to explain who NOT to remember. Jesus didn’t say, “Don’t remember Abraham. Don’t remember Moses. Don’t remember Joshua. Don’t remember David. Don’t remember Hezekiah. Don’t remember John the baptizer.” I don’t know of any religious group observing the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of anyone but Jesus. Would it be sinful during the Lord’s Supper to remember someone other than Jesus? Yes. That shows a basic understanding of the silence of the scriptures.

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Dormancy

By Dean Murphy

Lots of things experience dormancy. Many species of plants for example. Look out your window at the deciduous trees (the ones that have lost their leaves for the winter). They are dormant. Many animals also experience dormancy, and it comes in a variety of forms. Hibernation is a sort of dormancy. Dormancy means that an organism stops growing, stops developing and largely ceases activity. Dormancy results when adverse conditions occur and a plant or an animal recognizes that to survive, it must cease normal “life” and put the brakes on growth, development, and activity. Dormancy comes in a couple of ways. Predictive dormancy happens when the length of days shortens, temperatures lower or water is limited. The organism reacts to signs like these and goes dormant prior to adverse conditions. Consequential dormancy happens after the fact. After unpredictable environmental conditions worsen, the plant or animal reacts by going dormant.

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Human Free Will and God’s Providence

By Jim Jonas (The Centreville Journal)

There are two forces at work in this world that are difficult to reconcile: human free will and God’s influence. On the one hand, those who accept the sovereignty of God believe that He can both foreknow and determine the result of any situation He desires. Scripture is full of examples where God has revealed ahead of time a particular outcome: Jacob’s supplanting of Esau; Pharaoh’s resistance and eventual release of Israel; David’s enthronement; Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity and recovery; Cyrus’ reversal of exile. The list goes on and on.

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What Builds A Strong Church?

By Charles Box

There are two divine institutions – the home and the church. A third institution exists with God’s approval – government. God desires strong homes and strong churches. Both are an honor to His name. Following are some things that will contribute to building strong churches:

Prayer builds strong churches: When Peter was released from prison by the angel of the Lord he went to a home where the church was gathered for prayer. “So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.” (Acts 12:12) Our work will never be bigger than our prayers.

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Our Refuge and Our Strength

By Donnie Bates

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble ( Psalm 46:1). Truer words were never spoken. There really is no refuge and strength other than God. There is no one else to whom we can turn when we find ourselves in trouble. And sometimes trouble seems to have us squarely in its sights. The psalmist continues: Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea… (Psalm 46:2).

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Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

By Donnie Bates

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also on Me” (John 14:1). I really do not know of a more encouraging verse than this one. Jesus Himself tells us to not let our hearts be troubled. About…what? What is the context?

Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure; His return to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, to rule over His eternal kingdom. But look at it from the apostles’ perspective. It is a terrifying feeling to know that a comfortable time or relationship is changing or ending. We know when a loved one who is faithful to God dies, we will see him/her again if we ourselves live a faithful life. Still we don’t like that separation. When a young couple has their first child and prepares to leave the hospital, there can be a feeling of panic that comes with the realization that there is no little button at the side of the bed at home that will bring a nurse when you press it.

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On the Front

By Donnie Bates

Several years ago, I wrote the following story. It is a fictional account of the Good Fight that all Christians are fighting. It was originally written to call attention to the fact that all of us are in a fight. It is the story of one old soldier, doing his very best to remain faithful to his King, fight the Good Fight and help as many of his fellow soldiers as possible.

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