Curtis Going Several years ago, a pastor who was inviting a man to visit his church was told, “I don’t go to church. Everyone in church is a hypocrite.” The pastor’s response? “You’re right. We’re all hypocrites...and I’m one too.” He went on to explain: “My life is such a contradiction sometimes. My behavior often contradicts my values, occasionally my actions contradict my beliefs, and sometimes my life contradicts my ‘position’ in the church.” His conclusion? “Hi! I’m Bill, and I’m a...

Rick Jones Weaving my way through five lanes of highway traffic around St Louis I wondered out loud, “Where are all of these people going?” Ahead of me a sea of red taillights, brake lights, and flashing turn signals are speeding down the interstate. On the other side of the median thousands of white headlights emerge over a rise in the road, and then disappear into the night.  Some drivers were impatient. Others were relaxed. Some were paying attention. Others were distracted. Everyone was...

Richard S. Taylor A pastor should seek to accomplish by his pulpit ministry some very definite things. Clarity of doctrine is absolutely essential. I never tire of pointing to Paul’s words to Timothy in I Timothy 4:16: “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” Doctrine is here equal in importance to the life lived by the preacher. This is true because the validity of one’s spiritual life hangs on...

Joel Byer “…That in all things He might have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18b It’s Sunday morning. The people trickle into the pews. The week has been hectic. Many are tired. The news of the nation has been bleak. Controversies abound, both within and without the walls of the church. As the pastor strides to the pulpit, he again thinks about all the issues that have been swirling around in his mind. He is tempted to take his sermon in a “million and one” different directions to address all...

Lonnie Witt Think of the people of your acquaintance who you would deem successful. It is nearly impossible to separate the individual from his or her vocation or mission. We find that especially true when we think of Jesus. From the scriptures we learn who He is and that His whole life was shaped around His mission. Let’s consider three things that defined His mission.  Jesus came to demonstrate God. In John 14:8 Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father. Likely Philip desired a...

Curtis Going As a little boy sitting on a church pew, with legs too short to touch the floor, and an attention span that was even shorter, my mother quietly taught me the words and the hand gestures to a familiar little poem that generations of church-going children have committed to memory.  Here’s the church. Here’s the steeple. Open the doors. See all the people.  Close the doors. Hear them pray. Open the doors. They’ve all gone away. A simple children’s poem which reminds us that it is...

Bob Blankenship To help Christians understand their responsibility to one another, Paul compares the church to a body. He gives two contrasting ideas to help explain the way in which believers relate to each other. 1) As a body, the church has diversity. “For the body is not one member, but many.” (I Corinthians 12:14) There is one body but it has many parts. 2) As a body, the church also has unity. “But now are they many members, yet but one body.” (I Corinthians 12:20) All of the parts must...

DALE CHAPMAN The people of God are a “called out” and separated assembly of God-indwelt beings. The Church is greatly diminished when we think of it as merely a physical building. Instead, it is people, and especially the gathering of people in the name and presence of Jesus. The presence of God Himself is manifested when as few as two or three gather in His name. This is the result of each one being saturated with the Spirit of God. In other words, our Personal Quiet Time comes to church with...

Jonathan Edwards Some of my earliest recollections as a child growing up in the church include the vibrant singing of God’s people. Coming from a family focused a lot on music, I remember singing the song often “The Family of God.” Reading from the writings of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians we read, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10) As we combine the thoughts of the song with this...

H. Orton Wiley Holiness people devote themselves to the preaching of holiness, and have constantly urged upon the Church the necessity of pressing into this precious experience. Their primary reason for this is that they are in earnest about seeing men and women saved and made ready for heaven, and the Scriptures say that without holiness “no man shall see the Lord.” Many other things they regard as nonessential, but to this great truth they devote all their energy. The distinctive teaching...