gospel

Stop Inviting Your Friends To Church!!

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  Okay, I don’t mean that… exactly. Of course, bring your friends to church, but what I mean is, stop using the Sunday morning church service as your way of sharing the gospel. It’s not the church building’s job to evangelize the lost. It’s the church’s job. (When I say church in this sense I mean the people who make up the body of Christ. The universal church made up of those who believe a core set of doctrines about the God-Man Jesus the Christ and what he did on the cross.)   MAN UP (or WOMAN UP) and tell … [Read more]

Christians and Coffee

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Introduction I don’t drink much coffee. Let’s get that out of the way now. I don’t like the taste of it. When I do have the occasional cup I put so much cream and sugar in it that the progression of changing color reminds one of certain thrilling pop-singers. I’m not addicted to the stuff. But some people out there are. In fact, most of those people wouldn’t even deny it! On the contrary, they are the first to boast about their addiction (in a joking tone of course). Phrases like, “I’m not myself til my first dose!” and “Cup … [Read more]

The Seven Signs of John’s Gospel

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Introduction Within the Gospel of John, there are seven or eight – depending on one’s outline – major miracles recorded. This paper will take the position that the healing of Lazarus, and not the resurrection itself, was the seventh sign. That being said, they are as follows: (1) Turning water into wine, (2) healing an official’s son, (3) healing at the pool of Bethesda (4) feeding of the five-thousand, (5) walking on water, (6) healing of the man born blind, (7) raising Lazarus from the dead. The Resurrection of Jesus will be treated as an eighth miracle and not examined … [Read more]

Hide and Seek with a Still Small Voice

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He looked up quick and looked back down hoping he would not be found. Hide-and-Seek’s a dangerous game, and he had gambled with his hiding spot. He soon forgot the thought though slowly praying he would not get caught between the front room posies. Lace and flowers round him, cozy, peaceful here in safety doze he. In and out of consciousness he faded back and forth. He whispered soft a tiny cough, like speaking to the boogey-man, “Just keep me hidden while you can.” A still small voice said, “It’s a plan.” Someone big had quickly raced right by his … [Read more]

The Hospital Love Letter

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The Bible: Not Just a Love Letter. The Church: Not Just a Hospital. There are two phrases present in the church today that I really get annoyed by. Admittedly, they are for incredibly picky reasons, but that doesn’t stop me from getting annoyed. Honestly, they probably wouldn’t aggravate me so much if people didn’t often try to build doctrine on them. The two phrases are these: The Bible is God’s love letter to mankind The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints. You’re probably thinking right now, “How could you not like those two sayings? They … [Read more]