Serious Christian Bible Study
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The gospel of God (Romans 1:2) is the best news anyone has ever heard. It is a declaration of freedom to a world bound up in sin and its consequences. It is a message of freedom. It is an expression of love from the source of love. Indeed, words fail to describe its breadth and [...]
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5:00 AM comes early at the Evans house. The alarm sounds and we soon rise to begin the day. Both of us head to work and the children must be readied for school. Getting out of bed later than 5:00 always causes trouble. I awoke one day this week four short minutes before the alarm [...]
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The Ups and Downs of the Christian Life Wouldn’t it be great if our growth and development as a Christian were a straight line of progress? What if we could grow in such a way that we never made a mistake, never stumbled, never tired of doing the Lord’s will and always lived in the [...]
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Today is Patriot Day in the USA. It is a day of memorial for those who died in the terror attacks of 2001. That attack was designed to frighten – terrorize – Americans and remove us from the national stage. It didn’t work. Fear is one of Satan’s most powerful tools against the Christian. Fear [...]
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“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, [...]
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In 2 John 9, the King James translation says, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” Other mainline translations replace doctrine with teaching which is acceptable. But notice the importance of having [...]
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The “D” word has fallen out of favor in some places. Some suggest that it cannot be preached and should only be discussed at the most arcane level. Instead we preach about love and acceptance, grace mercy, favor and the like. Doctrine is out of favor. In some places, doctrine is seen as that which [...]
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Today is the beginning of Holy Week and it marks the final week of Lent. According to the Catholic calendar today is Palm Sunday which celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, Maundy Thursday which is the time Catholics say the Lord instituted the Mass and the Sacrament of Holy Communion, Good Friday which [...]
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It’s Sunday morning, the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10), and people are preparing for worship. They expect to enjoy beautiful singing, powerful prayers and the fellowship of the Lord’s Supper. They will reach into wallets and purses and give back to God for the support of the church. But along the way they will hear a [...]
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Our world is in trouble. Chaos reigns from the shores of Tripoli to the halls of state legislatures. Gasoline prices are at the highest point in almost two years, are rising quickly and show no sign of slowing. Prices at the pump are directly affecting prices at the grocery checkout. Crime is rising; no one [...]
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The Bible can be understood. God would never tease mankind by giving him a message only to make it incomprehensible. We can know the truth (John 8:32). But some sections of Scripture are more challenging than others. For example, “the abomination of desolation” from Mark 13:14 can be studied and comprehended but against “Thou shalt [...]
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There is much talk about the “Rapture” and the events associated with the return of Jesus in judgment. People like to talk about the “signs of the times” and speculate that the return of Jesus must be very soon because of unfolding world events. At the moment of this writing tensions are high on the [...]
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In case it is slipping up on you please take note. Thursday is Thanksgiving. Life seems so busy. It’s a little embarrassing that we need a special day to be thankful but it does serve a purpose. As he ended his first letter to the Thessalonians Paul had these words, emphasis is min: “Rejoice always, [...]
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The business of being a good person is a worthy pursuit. We desire goodness in others especially when they are dealing with us. We should try to be good people ourselves and show that quality to others when we deal with them. Goodness speaks to the quality of our hearts. While one may be able [...]
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Schools resume tomorrow in Baldwin County. With their opening things begin to move back into a routine. Summer vacations are over and most people will get back into a Monday through Friday routine that will go largely unchanged until May. With such a key date looming as the start of school we might decide to [...]
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Life is a challenge. Married life is a big challenge. A man and a woman come together with lofty and noble intents. Surrounded by love they make long term commitments and set off on a journey of unity. For most, all goes very well, at least for the first several weeks. Then something doesn’t go [...]
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God began speaking to man even before man existed. He revealed his words of Creation to us in Genesis 1 through Moses who wrote thousands of years later. Dozens of times the Bible says “God said…” The entire Bible is a revelation of God’s mind given through the Holy Spirit. God’s word is truth. Jesus [...]
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We have been challenged to speak to God every day. Prayer is essential to the Christian and each of us should spend time daily in prayer to God. While prayers over a meal, a blessing, is good and should continue, our prayer life must become more intense and deeper. Like phone calls to a dear [...]
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My grandmother was a sweepstakes fanatic. She registered for almost every contest she found and she often won. But I remember two contests she lost. The first was for a new car. She got the phone call one morning telling her that she had won and that she needed to provide some additional information to [...]
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We are three days into 2010. Many have set high goals for the year and are already at work achieving those goals. The beginning of the year is a time to focus on improvements and ways to enhance our lives. I guess that health related goals probably top the list followed by financial goals. Among [...]
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Excuse me, may I have your attention please? Yes, you – the person reading this article. I need to tell you something very important: You make a difference. In fact, you make a really BIG difference is so many ways. Please read on and let me explain. It’s a little odd but in the middle [...]
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“O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good…” (Psalm 136:1) I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the phrase “give thanks” occurs 70 times in the Bible (ESV). I knew it was there and knew the idea was present throughout Scripture but 70 times was more than I imagined. Believers are instructed by [...]
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Holidays are fast approaching. Soon Americans will be consumed with bargains, sales and shopping in preparation for Christmas. Travel plans will firm up and soon we will be on the road traveling to and fro during work breaks. It really is an exciting time of year and probably my favorite. But let us be careful [...]
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Some people are just hardheads. It takes a disaster to get their attention. You know the kind. They are people who have no insurance until they collide with a $75,000 luxury car. Then they wish they had a policy. Or how about the person who drives around with the “check engine” light on. Suddenly the [...]
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The article is a little different this week in that it is not really an article at all but instead is just some random thoughts about things we are doing at Eastern Shore. Years ago I had a short rambling in every bulletin but with our growth and the increase in activities there is no [...]
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What are you afraid of? Nothing? Are you sure?Are you really sure? The truth is I have never met a mentally intact person who isn’t afraid of something. There are the usual fears we hear about all the time. Some are afraid of flying, some fear the water and some are scared to death of [...]
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The message of salvation in Jesus Christ is just too good to be quiet about. When I think of what Jesus’ death means to my eternal future I just cannot be still. The message has to go out: Jesus Saves! Jesus has moved me from certain eternal wrath into his own kingdom (Colossians 1:13). As [...]
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This morning many churches in our area and throughout the world staged an Easter Sunrise Service to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb. This day marks the end of a period known to many as “holy week.” Like Christmas almost four months earlier, many will focus upon Jesus today unlike they ever do [...]
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An elderly man had been confined to a nursing home for some years. The local preacher happened upon the gentleman one afternoon while visiting another resident. When the preacher first looked into the room he thought the man was confused and talking to himself but soon discovered that he was praying. As he prayed he [...]
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Vision is the ability to see. We value our vision because if it fails we would no longer see the sweet faces of our children, the precious smile of our spouse or the innocence of an infant. Practically we would not be able to drive or do the daily things so common but so important. [...]
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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for They shall be filled…” Matthew 5:6 All of us, some more than others, enjoy a good meal. After worship on Sundays the quick rush is to the restaurants or to the house for a big Sunday dinner. During the week we eat throughout each day [...]
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Soldiers report a condition called the “fog of war.” It is a condition that causes one to be so concerned with immediate affairs that he loses site of the big picture. A soldier may become lost or disoriented or may behave in a way not typical. Sometimes even heinous war crimes are committed in the [...]
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American financial markets have struggled this week. The government seizure of key mortgage and insurance businesses and the bankruptcy of another cause great fear and trembling within that industry. Pictures of business executives wringing their hands and shaking their heads have been commonplace. One picture that stands out to me was taken in front of [...]
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There are financial needs that must be met by every congregation. Those need aren’t met through some miracle but by the offerings and contributions of those who attend. To look at some you might think that anything goes in the realm of church financing but that would be an error. Jesus, through inspired writers, has [...]
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Have you noticed the number of local churches working hard to raise money? This weekend a group was selling doughnuts at an intersection. Sometimes they sell nothing, only ask for contributions as you drive by. A month ago a local denomination sold fireworks from a portable building.
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