1 John Summary Sheet
1
The Grain on Which we Live
T
It’s remarkable that men should be so arrogant and secure when there are so many, indeed countless, evidences around us to suggest that we ought to be humble. The hour of our death is uncertain. The grain on which we live is not in our hands. Neither the sun nor the air, on which our life depends, lies in our power, and we have no control over our sleeping and waking. I shall say nothing of...
Those Crazy Christians
T
I have a new reason to love the ABC sitcom “The Middle.” Besides being true to life in that it depicts a REAL modern family who’s father is in charge and a little gruff at times, a mother who’s trying to hold things together in a not always perfect way and teenager antics so real they are funny, the star is a Christian. [NOTE: If you’ve never seen the episode with...
G.O.S.P.E.L
G
Just watch and try to not be amazed at the simplicity of the Good News of Jesus Christ our Messiah.
Parable of the Hidden Treasure
P
The traditional interpretation of the parable of the Parable of the Hidden Treasure describes the value of the kingdom of heaven (treasure) and the process by which one acquires that kingdom (sell everything). But there is more to this short parable, when placed in context and in light of all teachings of Jesus the interpretation gets turned on its head. Jesus sold everything and bought us (the...
Six Word Bible Story
S
Inspired by a tweet from Brian Chen @bxchen who referenced a 2006 article in Wired magazine I asked a couple Twitter followers to compose a six word story using the Bible as inspiration. The Wired article promoted the concept of a six word story which is based in a work Ernest Hemingway considered some of his best that only used six words, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Here...
Should Christians Pray for an NFL Lockout?
S
In this month’s issue, Sports Illustrated polled die hard football fans to gauge the mood on the potential NFL Lockout. The poll conducted by market research firm M&RR found that most believed a deal would be reached and there would be a full NFL season. But if there isn’t, the poll listed the activities that would take the place of football: Half of NFL fans (47.5%) say they...
Are You Talking To Me? Repentance Theme in Luke 15
A
Overview: Luke chapter 15 records an exchange between Jesus and some Pharisees who were critical of him because he “…welcomes sinners and eats with them.” He takes their criticism head-on with three parables, one about a good shepherd finding his lost sheep, another about a woman finding her lost coin, andl one about a loving father rejoicing over the return of a lost son. In his message...
Found in Translation
F
In a random survey by The Christian Chronicle, more than 1,100 readers responded to this question: “What Bible version do you prefer to read?” New International Version: 41.5% New American Standard Version: 17.1% New King James Version: 10.3% English Standard Version: 9.5% King James Version: 5.8 % Revised Standard/New Revised Standard Version: 4.8 % New Living Translation: 3.6% Today’s New...
Reading in the Ekklésia
R
NOTE: This post was originally published as a bulletin article and on the merkelchurchofchrist.org blog “ [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.” Luke 4:16-17 (NIV) The congregational reading of scriptures in synagogues was a...