"A Preacher Factory" - Joey Ferrell
“A question was asked recently regarding the loss of several good men who preached the gospel - ‘who is going to fill their shoes...’ It is a valid question. Is your congregation working to be a preacher ‘factory’ or are we lining up for a funeral of the local church?”
"Sharing the Greatest Gift" - Amy Lawrence
Whether we grew up in the church or came into the fold later in life, every Christian has a story of the where, when, why, and how they were taught the gospel.
My Most Contrary Convert - Ben Bailey
Who is the one person you must work on most with the Gospel? Who would you, more than anybody else, like to see conform to the image of Christ? If your answer is anyone other than self, you are not looking in the right direction.
"Church Lady" - Amy Lawrence
As we all settle down into our understood “assigned” seats, we notice that someone we don’t know is sitting in Jane and John Doe’s seat. It’s not so much that we notice that someone different is sitting on that pew, but what is nearly impossible to ignore are the number of tattoos and piercings on the woman now occupying the space and the dark and ominous theme of her clothing.
Evangelism or Benevolence? Both! - Joey Ferrell
Sometimes the church may get encumbered by the “works” of the church and maybe at time lose balance and even sometimes the focus of the work of the church.
Are You Influential? - Ben Bailey
An old Korean Proverb illustrates the power of one’s influence when it says, “Power lasts ten years, influence not more than a hundred.” Sometimes we may think, “Am I influencing anyone? The question asked is really a faulty one. It’s not IF we are influencing anyone, but HOW are we influencing them. All of us are an influence on others either for good, bad, or indifference. What type of influence should a Christian possess? Let’s notice what God says.
Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen in Me! - Ben Bailey
The wise King Solomon said, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Prov. 31:30). In a world where men and women are often judged by their physical beauty, it can be so easy to overlook the real beauty of life. Both men and women are attractive in God’s eyes based on what they are, not how they look physically. Notice these qualities of inner beauty that God desires in His children.
Deflated Christians - Let them work! - Joey Ferrell
I used to ride my bicycle very often. Sometimes, I would ride 30-50 miles at a time, nearly once a month or so. It was so soothing, it was so refreshing, and it was quite time-consuming…but worth the trade-off.
What Must I do to be Saved? (Part 5) - Ben Bailey
A final step in the plan of salvation that is overlooked by many is the act of baptism. While many in our religious world would agree that a person needs to believe, repent, and confess Jesus as Lord to be saved, they would not teach that a person must be baptized to be saved. Let’s notice what the Bible teaches us about the necessity of being baptized to be saved.
It Never Gets Old - and You Had a Part! - Joey Ferrell
I received a video in an email a few weeks ago. It was from the man in the picture’s grandfather-in-law, He had reached out to tell us about his granddaughter’s husband watching one of the episodes on baptism that has been airing throughout October and November.
Was that a visitor? - Parker Webster
How do outsiders feel in our assemblies? A new assembly and a new type of worship is intimidating. Do we realize our visitors have taken a great step of courage to walk into worship?
What Must I do to be Saved? {Part 4} - Ben Bailey
The fourth step in God’s plan of salvation is confession. The Apostle Paul reminded the Roman Christians that “with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). From this text it is evident that confession is an important part of the plan of salvation. Let’s take just a moment to see exactly what the Bible teaches about confession.
"Wait...Who went there?" - Evangelism in the first century - Joey Ferrell
I was recently tasked with preparing a lesson for the Middle Tennessee School of Preaching on the subject of the churches listed in 1 Peter 1:1. This is one of the very few times that several of these churches are even mentioned in the Bible. For context sake, here is the passage:
What Must I do to be Saved? [Part 2] - Ben Bailey
There is nothing more important in the entire world than our eternal soul. Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul” (Mark 8:36-37). God has made it possible for all people to be saved and live the best life (1 Timothy 2:4, John 10:10). Since this is the case we must ask the question, “What must I do to be saved?” In our last post, we noticed the first step in God’s plan of salvation was to hear/listen to God’s Word. Today, let’s look at the second step in God’s plan of salvation.
What Must I do to Be Saved? - Part 1 - Ben Bailey
he Bible says that our Lord and Savior came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). If we are honest with ourselves, we realize that Jesus came to seek and save every one of us. God says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Scripture teaches us that our sins separate us from Him and cause spiritual death (Isa. 59:1-2, Rom. 6:23). The good news is that God does not want anyone to be lost. He wants all people to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4)
"The Kind of Preaching You Should Expect" - Jameson Steward
The Kind of Preaching You Should Expect
Those who preach the gospel of Christ don’t get to decide what kind of preaching is acceptable. As the apostle Paul’s life was nearing the end, he gave Timothy instructions that guide us on what kind of preaching we should expect from those who proclaim God’s Word.
"Why didn't they offer us a bible study?" - Anonymous
Their journeys to the baptistry both began as young as 8 and 9 years old. You see both became denominational Christians at those ages. Their hearts were sincere with belief and they did exactly the steps they were told. Fast forward, they are married and continue following the traditions that they were raised in, the Southern Baptist Church.
"A Study on Character Based Appearance" - Amy Lawrence
There are so many methods that we use to communicate. Did you know that only 7% of human conversation uses words? 37% is in our tone of voice, but 55% of our communication is in our body language. That’s more than half ! How we sit or stand, how we use our hands or the expressions upon our faces - these all communicate to others, right down to even the clothes we wear. What many do not know is that there are outward behaviors that indicate inward ideals - and they show, whether we want them to or not.
The Christian Influence - Ben Bailey
To illustrate the power of our influence an Old Korean Proverb says, “Power lasts ten years, influence not more than a hundred.” Sometimes we may think, “Am I influencing anyone? The question asked is really a faulty one. It’s not IF we are influencing anyone, but HOW are we influencing them. All of us are an influence on others either for good, bad, or indifference. What type of influence should a Christian possess? Let’s notice what God says.
When Enough is Enough, or is it Enough? - Joey Ferrell
A few months ago, I posted an article regarding the method of evangelism seen in the gospels. In particular, we talked about the efforts of those that Jesus had taught and sent out…and the reward of evangelism that they saw in that Jesus told them to “Rejoice not in these things, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” What a beautiful passage…but there is more to learn.