Our behavior should be characterized by confidence that we are doing the right thing, a clear conscience, sincerity, purity, not indulging the flesh but living by the grace of God, considering our testimony before others, and living consistently with the teachings of the Christian faith. If that’s true of your behavior, then you are conducting yourself correctly, no matter how others may criticize you. Read More ...
All of us should be available to comfort others in their times of afflictions. One of the great benefits of being a part of a local church is that we can expect others to be there to help us in our times of need. We can be the means God uses to bring comfort, aid, and encouragement into the lives of those who suffer. At the very least, we can help others through our prayers. Read More ...
The book of Ruth is one of the rare biblical stories with a truly happy ending. The book presents us with godly, realistic characters whose example we can follow. All of us should seek to be people like Boaz and Ruth; we should be kind, gracious, and virtuous. Above all, we should be confident that God demonstrates His faithfulness by loving, superintending, and caring for His people. Since God is so kind and gracious to us, we should respond by obeying his commands and being kind and gracious toward others. Read More ...
Often we have to wait to see what the outcome of our plans will be. Are things going
to work out as we hope, or will our plans come to nothing? That all depends on the
providence of God. We should trust that God will work out his plan according to his
own purposes.
The Bible affirms that “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Ps 37:23).
If we are people like Boaz and Ruth, we can be confident that God is working behind
the scenes to order and guide our steps. If we are honorable and virtuous people, we
can sit still and wait as God works out his plan in our lives. Read More ...
Christians must stand strongly against the practice of abortion. We must support those agencies and institutions that work to end abortion and overturn laws that allow abortion. We have good, biblical reasons to fight against abortion, and we must be involved in this great battle. Read More ...
We should be striving to be a church that
1. Baptizes those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus alone to be saved;
2. Receives baptized converts into the membership of the church;
3. Teaches NT apostolic doctrine; we want to teach and affirm “sound doctrine”;
4. Live in fellowship; we emphasize the importance of partnership among people of like faith and practice. We want to be of one accord, of one mind.
5. Worships through teaching the Word, providing the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, emphasizing corporate prayer, and praising God.
Every Christian ought to be a member of a church that follows that pattern. Read More ...
We don’t know what may befall us in 2022. For some of us, like Paul, we may finish our course this year. Some of us may face persecution and opposition like Paul did. We may be tempted to quit or to sit on the side lines. We may be tempted to quit fighting and just give up. But quitting is not an option for the Christian. Our goals for 2022 should be that we fight the good fight, finish the course God has for us, and defend the faith. That’s a biblical and practical set of resolutions we can put into practice this year. Read More ...
Let’s also consider whether we have the kind of inner, personal character and virtue that allow people to trust us to do the right thing. There should be no doubt in people’s minds that we are trustworthy and virtuous people. There should be no question about whether we would respond correctly in a delicate and potentially dangerous situation. We should be people of integrity and virtue that others trust to do the right thing. Read More ...
Next time your wife or husband asks you how your day went, or when someone asks, “How are you?” try this reply: “God hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead.” That response might be a good conversation starter. Read More ...
Do the unbelievers around you know or suspect that you are a Christian? If you are following the direction of the psalmist here—confessing/praising and thanking God publicly—it should be abundantly obvious that you are. Jesus tells us to let our lights shine before men (Mt 5:16). Read More ...