The toughest job in the church is being an elder.  Well, let’s say it this way—when done properly, the toughest job in the church is being an elder.  It is tough because of the responsibility that it entails.  It is tough because of the accountability it requires.  It is tough because of the misunderstandings associated with it.  Many members of the church…

There are a lot of things we can like about the Bible. We can talk about its holy status or the harmony with which it was written. I like the humanity of it. The writers of its pages did not spare the details of man’s humanity. Characters were described with imperfections and all, and we learn from these literary warts. One event…

When one first reads those verses in Exodus about God hardening Pharaoh’s heart, he can so easily arrive at the conclusion that God forced Pharaoh to do wrong. He can decide that man does not have free will for God totally controls the will of man. Is it possible to reconcile these two concepts? To answer that let me ask, “How does…

Modern culture has created a mold for today’s preachers, and too many are allowing themselves to be poured right into it.  On the one hand, preachers are being pushed in our society to be indistinct in their message (meaning, don’t be too specific about any particular doctrine or too pointed about any particular requirements).  In other words, preachers should be motivational speakers…

Clickbait! You’ve all seen it while browsing the web or scrolling through Facebook. It is a tagline or a picture with just enough sensationalism and credibility to raise your curiosity and make you click. It is a technique used to generate revenue in advertising. Generally with clickbait, the information is not reliable. This kind of advertising has its roots in what is…

Last week, we studied the words of Solomon who described himself as “…on the verge of total ruin, in the midst of the assembly and congregation” (Prov. 5:14). What caused this? Because he hated instruction, despised correction, chose disobedience and refused to listen.  Every Christian needs to be aware of how this could happen to them in the assembly. On the other…

Modern culture has created a mold for today’s seasoned Christians, and too many are allowing themselves to be poured right into it.  Seasoned Christians are not wanted in our society today, so they are mocked, marginalized and maligned, in an effort to silence them and minimize their influence.  They are depicted as backwards, small-minded, bigoted, bitter, out-of-touch, judgmental fools.  And, of course,…

Harrison Odjegba Okene is not a name you would know. On May 26, 2015, he was serving as a cook on a tugboat, the Jackson-4, off the coast of Nigeria. At 4:30 a.m. that morning, the tugboat overturned and sank 98 feet to the ocean floor. Harrison found himself trapped in an air pocket near the bow of the ship. His 11…