“Excel Still More”
Posted in Sermons by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Church, Growth, 1 Thessalonians
The church at Thessalonica receives some of the highest praise given any body of believers in the New Testament. In Paul's first epistle to them, he highly commended them throughout the first ten verses or so of chapter one. And yet, despite all this apparently well-deserved praise, he also urged them to "excel still more" twice in chapter four! The point of this lesson is that despite how well things are going right now here at Southside, we had better not become complacent, apathetic, lazy, or self-satisfied, but instead likewise "excel still more"!
“Where Two or Three Are Gathered”
Posted in Sermons by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Apostasy, Repentance, Matthew
This is not a lesson which details how God is present even when only two or three Christians come together to worship. It is not a lesson about such because that is not what Matthew 18:20 is about- despite the many times it has been used that way. This is a lesson about teachings of Matthew 18:1-20 in context. It is hoped that a study of the proper and necessary context of these verses will help us to understand all of them more clearly.
God’s Eraser
Posted in Articles by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Apostasy, Fidelity, Revelation
There are several passages in the Old and New Testaments that mention a “book” in which God records the names of those who will inherit eternal life. Now I realize, and I’m sure you do also, that God does not suffer the memory lapses that cause us to have to write things down to prevent forgetting them! God is omniscient (all-knowing), and thus does not have such human maladies with which to contend. So, why is there this book?
Restoring the Fallen- Bearing One Another’s Burdens
Posted in Sermons by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Apostasy, Church, Repentance, Salvation, Galatians
This lesson has a dual purpose: 1) to use two passages from Galatians 6:1-10 (specifically, vv.6.10) to show how lifting a verse from its context lends itself to completely wrong interpretation(s), and therefore, application(s); and 2) to do a semi-expository lesson on this passage to mine its "wealth" with regard to restoring a fallen brother to faithfulness.
(Special appreciation to my long-time friend and part-time mentor, Bro. David Smitherman, for a fine article on this passage which both inspired and guided my thinking on the text and subject.)