Through the years, I have often worshiped in English at an early service and then worshiped in Spanish at a later service. I am blessed when I get to study the Bible and worship in Spanish. That blessing is seldom more apparent than when my good friend and brother, Pedro Sanchez, from Santiago, Chile, is …
Category Archives: Sunday
Sunday: Joy
Most people in this world want to be happy. There may be a few scrooges who relish negativism and pessimism, but in my experience such people are the exception. Are we looking for happiness in the wrong places? Many seek happiness in possessions, experiences, work, relationships, prestige, or popularity. John wrote to struggling Christians near …
Sunday: Life in Christ’s kingdom
For many in churches of Christ, historically evangelism has been primarily a cognitive process focused on the acceptance of certain truths or propositions by an individual. The goal and primary emphasis has been simple–salvation. More recently some of us have been asking about transformed lives and genuine discipleship, seeking to be and help others become …
Sunday: Life in the Kingdom
The question resounds as we sing, Do You Know My Jesus? A few moments later we sing the simple request, Jesus Let Us Come to Know You! Familiar words, favorite songs, not always easy to bring to life. Knowing Jesus is seldom easy, often quite difficult. The Jesus of Matthew is both servant and royalty. …
Sunday: What Kind of People Ought We to Be?
It is common to read the Bible in small sections, ignoring the larger context. One place that happens is in 1 Corinthians 3. The context of chapter 3 includes chapter 2 where Paul explains that authentic spiritual wisdom is available to spiritual people who think in spiritual ways and can apply spiritual truths to real …
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Sunday: Earn the Right to Have a Point of View
Not too long ago, Jan and I watched the movie, Music Within. The movie is based on the story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past. When he returns from Vietnam severely hearing-impaired, he finds a new purpose in his landmark efforts on the behalf of Americans with disabilities. One line …
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It’s Sunday Again: I Am, Therefore I Act
We spend a lot of energy in the church trying to get people to do what they ought to do. We study motivation–we encourage, we scold, we “lay on” guilt trips. We have missed a basic truth of Scripture. I am, therefore I act. One cannot get “faith actions” out of “unfaith” people. According to …
Sunday: “Did you follow me or did you do your own thing?”
“Did you follow me, or did you do your own thing?”God’s eternal purpose is to bring people into and under the protective, saving Lordship of Jesus.The purpose of a church that is fulfilling God’s purpose is to be involved in saving people and keeping people saved. When we have succeeded in the treasure hunt, we …
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Sunday: Time for an attitude check
Attitudes are like background music in our lives. Attitudes are ever present, ever influencing our lives, playing in the background during every moment of our lives. Attitude is a key to consistent Christian living. The attitude we should have is that of Christ (Phil. 2:5). When Christ’s attitude permeates our lives, we are unceasingly in …
Sunday: Restoring God’s Priorities
Through the years, Christians have understood Sunday in various ways. In years past, even during my childhood, Sunday was a day of rest, and the majority of businesses were closed. In many parts of the world today, Sundays are so secularized that Sunday differs little from other days of the week. In the United States, …