Posts Tagged ‘Christian Living’
Clarifying the Message of Evangelism
Introduction In our previous article, we sought to clarify the nature and goal of biblical evangelism. We noted that evangelism is proclaiming the good news of Jesus with the goal of persuading people to repent and believe in Christ. In today’s article, we want to clarify the message of evangelism so that we can faithfully…
Read MoreA Spirit-Filled Marriage (1)
Let’s face it: so many homes are filled with heartache. In 2019 in this country there were more than 2 million marriage ceremonies. But there were more than 746,000 divorces. These sterile statistics don’t begin to convey the hours of pain and grief that taunt the American public. Our church members minister to a number…
Read MoreLonging for the World-That-Was
Backing into 2022 2023: Longing for the World-That-Was (Original modified title) Note: Dr. Conrad wrote this article for the year that was, just before 2022 dawned. I ran across it this week and thought it was appropriate for any year, though it does allude to the recent unpleasantness we all experienced. No matter what trouble…
Read MoreDelivered From This Present Evil World
Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia that Christ “hath delivered us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4). He was not speaking to them of a future salvation, a home in heaven though that awaits every believer. Rather, the emphasis is on a deliverance that is both here and now. How are we to…
Read MoreThe Forgotten Way We Glorify God in Our Work
“How do I glorify God when my work is mundane and meaningless?” A Renewed Focus Over the past few years, there has been a renewed focus in many churches on the importance of developing and teaching a theology of work. This emphasis on vocation has been long overdue. According to one study, the average person…
Read MoreHealing the Wounded Spirit (1)
Proverbs 18:14: The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? The pandemic we lived through has triggered an explosion of crushed spirits and broken hearts. Loneliness, exhaustion, abuse, fear of infection, grief over loved ones lost, and financial concerns are some of the key stress factors. All…
Read MoreLaying Up Treasures on Earth or in Heaven? (Part Two)
In the last article I addressed the matter of laying up treasures upon earth. The Lord Jesus Christ exhorted His disciples not to focus upon the physical—that is, the temporal. The person whose life is consumed with the things of this earth will be greatly disappointed. Even King Solomon admitted in Ecclesiastes 2:11, “Then I…
Read MoreIt’s A Mad, Mad, Mad World!
That’ s my impression from my stroll down the main drag of Gatlinburg, TN, recently. Few people smiling or laughing. Harsh words being spoken to others, especially to children and other family members. One woman hollering out foul language because she has pulled into a blocked street and folks would not “ part the Red…
Read MoreFinding Hope When We Look in The Rearview Mirror of Our Lives, Part 2
Each of us has distinguishing physical features, including scars that are simply part of who we are. Each of my scars represents a story, involving either my foolishness or something that happened to me outside my control. Our past is like that! It is marked by scars that are the result of our foolishness and…
Read MoreThe End of All Things Is at Hand
Peter makes a shocking statement in the middle of chapter 4, “But the end of all things is at hand…” How do we understand a statement like this, given that 2000 years have transpired, and we are still going strong? In fact, we have quite a few statements like this in the NT, statements…
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