By Jonathan McAnulty

One of the most famous of prayers is that model prayer, taught by Jesus, which begins, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10)

Millions upon millions have recited this prayer since our Lord first taught it, finding comfort in its familiarity. Yet the Scriptures teach us that we should pray with both the right spirit, and with the understanding. (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:15) Jesus did not want mere rote from His followers – He was encouraging them to have an active and meaningful prayer life. Which means that we should understand what we pray.

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by Gary C. Hampton

First, we should note there is but one sabbath each week. It falls on the seventh day (Exodus 16:26). No one can change that fact. Despite what many say, Sunday is not the sabbath.

Second, the sabbath was bound by God upon the children of Israel at Sinai (Nehemiah 9:13,14). It had not previously been known or kept by their fathers (Deuteronomy 5:2,3). The children of Israel were to keep the sabbath as a continual sign of their covenant with God (Exodus 31:12-17).

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By Jon Mitchell

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” – 1 Corinthians 10:12 

This is a warning many Christians would do well to think about from time to time. After all, God urges Christians to present (our) bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is (our) spiritual service” and to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of (our) mind”, Romans 12:1-2. He wants His followers to give their entire lives (twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week) to Him through the renewing of their minds. Christianity is more than just going to church on Sundays. When Christians start thinking otherwise, they are in danger.

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By Doug Dingley

What’s with all the worms?!? Especially those of the half-baked to extra-crispy and overly crunchy variety found fried to death on the concrete sidewalks around the church building of late? What is it that causes so many worms to suddenly seek to make the journey out of and away from the soft, moist, muddy soil which protects and preserves them, up onto the unforgiving and sun baked concrete which then summarily cooks and kills them? What is the draw that makes them want to leave the shelter of the grass and ground, to expose themselves that openly to the birds who prey on them? Does the grass truly appear that much greener on the other side? Is the warmth of the concrete really so appealing to them that they just have to experience it – despite the slowly immobilizing, petrifying, and (presumably) painful and putrefying death it inevitably brings upon them? Can they not see the crippled, crusty, and crunchy corpses of their extended family members who tried it before them strewn all over the same sun baked surface?

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By Tim Dooley

In 1 Samuel 1-5 we find the corrupt sons of Eli, priests, unwilling to heed their father’s instructions. They caused the children of Israel to despise the sacrifices of the Lord. Then the Philistines slaughtered the Israelite army and carried off the Ark of the Covenant. In the midst of all this, God was still faithful to fulfill His will and keep His promises. He then providentially raised up Samuel to be prophet and priest.

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By Brad Harrub

Too busy acting like a child to be functioning as a parent?

Almost everyone these days wants to be a cool parent. Don’t believe me? Just check out social media and look at the posts of parents dressing like their children, taking a million selfies with their children. While there is nothing “sinful” about a 40-year old dressed like an 18-year old, I do see a trend that troubles me.

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By Tyler King

When you practice an activity long enough, you eventually gain the ability to participate without the effort of the mind. For instance, I can remember when I used to weld for a profession. At first, it was a daunting task mainly because the risk of death is ever present. If you ground yourself out to the work, you essentially have upwards of 120 amps running through your body. One amp is enough to stop the heart, so there needs to be great caution with such a work. However, as time went on, I gained muscle memory. I eventually got to the point to where I would almost fall asleep when performing certain welds. Time became the enabler for me to place my mind elsewhere.

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By Kevin Cauley

In Deuteronomy 8:17, we read, “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’” Moses was speaking to the children of Israel about what would happen after they entered the land of Canaan and began to experience all the wonderful blessings that waited for them there. The temptation would be that they would begin to think that they earned these blessings because of their own righteousness. The next verse (18) says, “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” Do we face the same temptation today?

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By Tom Wacaster

(note: written for my pending commentary on 1 & 2 Corinthians next year)

When I was growing up, I was blessed to sit at the feet of good and godly men who taught our Sunday morning high school class, Wednesday evening class, and an occasional but regular men’s training class. It was during those six or seven years that I developed a desire to preach, a burning within my soul that would come to fruition immediately following my discharge from military service in 1970. There were a half dozen young men who attended those classes at the Urbandale church of Christ in Dallas and each of us were blessed beyond measure from the training we received that would eventually lead to many of us being active teachers, preachers, and leaders in the Lord’s church. While this is not the thrust of this week’s article I must pause and remind all of us that the classes at the local congregational level have a great influence upon those who sit at our feet. I doubt that those men who taught our classes at Urbandale had any idea what influence they would have on us young boys who barely had a handle on life itself. But I digress and must get back to the intent of this article.

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By Cary Gillis

With warmer months quickly approaching, I have a plea for my Christian sisters:

Though I am weak and imperfect, I strive for a pure and holy life, mind, and heart. But it is difficult. I struggle with lust. I know of no man, single or married, who does not struggle with this. It is more difficult for your Christian brothers than you could ever imagine. Our minds are totally different than yours when it comes to visual stimuli. I do not expect the world to care if my thoughts are pure. But I expect you to care. I expect you to cherish the faithfulness of your brothers. This is why it breaks my heart when I see Christian women wearing what the world deems appropriate, but what God deems immodest.

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