As I think about the Area-Wide Singing we are hosting on Saturday evening, July 19, I am reminded of how many times I have heard people say, “Well, I just don’t enjoy singing.” I understand what is meant by the expression, but there is more to enjoying singing than some realize. It is true that too many times we have placed such…

Homecoming Weekend brought back some fond memories of Palm Beach Lakes from years gone by. Having grown up at Palm Beach Lakes, I’ve known no other congregation like PBL. Even more, having grown up at Palm Beach Lakes, I’ve only known one way for a family and for children to be involved in a local congregation. While I would not claim that…

If Jesus were to come back today, looking for His church, He would not go in search of a building.  The church is not a building and has never been confined to a physical structure.  Our Lord would look for His people—those who had been saved and added to His church.  In addition to those characteristics already discussed, here are two identifiers…

The town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, is reeling with the revelation of “pregnancy pact” among high school girls. This fishing village of 30,000, where the usual annual number of high school pregnancies was four, found itself dealing with 17 unwed mothers this year.  As the story developed, it was learned that these young ladies, none of whom were over 16 years old, devised…

Suppose you were the head of an institution, having established it and written its bylaws and rules for operation.  If you had left the institution to itself for a period of time and then returned to see how it was faring, would you know what to look for?  Would there be certain expectations?  The reality is that you, more than anyone else,…

No wonder there is religious confusion among us! Who wouldn’t be confused about Christianity when it appears that you can believe almost anything and still be a Christian. It was so simple when it all began and there was simply the one body who followed the one faith, had the one hope, practiced the one baptism because they were led by the…

Scott Shanahan is a missionary in Pohnpei, the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia. This past Sunday was one of those days you can never forget. Before worship began, a young lady, Sarah, indicated that she was thinking seriously about being baptized, and at the conclusion of the service she came and asked to become a Christian. As she was being…

If Jesus were to come among us again today, what kind of church would He look for?  Of course, He would look for the one for which He died and has been in existence since the first century. But how would He recognize it?  Would there be a definitive way for Jesus to isolate His church from the thousands that have sprung…