Please think very seriously about this. The worship assembly of the church has a “worship God” (vertically-focused) emphasis to it (John 4:24). That’s obvious. But, the worship assembly of the church also has a “come together…for edification” (horizontally-focused) emphasis to it (1 Cor. 14:26). This involves EVERY avenue of worship in which we engage, including our giving. The Greek word that is translated as “contribution” in…

The command to give on “every first day of the week” (1 Cor. 16:1-2) is truly a blessing from God! We need (for our own good) to give to Him! One of the great advances in technology that has been beneficial to Christians and to congregations alike is the ability to give online. BUT, if you give online, do you worship when you do? Giving…

The yellow road sign that has only the word “CHURCH” on it always amuses me. Yellow road signs are “Caution Signs.” So, motorists are being cautioned about a “CHURCH”? I always wonder, “What’s the caution all about?” Are they being cautioned about an extremely active and zealous “church” that has lots of people there, coming and going, all the time, with great excitement for what…

It’s strange to drive down a road and see an old church building with a sign that says, “Church for Sale.” For whatever reason, the building at that location is now vacant and no longer being used. So, what is actually for sale is a “Church Building,” not the “Church.” The “church” was already bought! Paul told a group of elders that “the church of…

There are lots of things to make you smile as a Christian! There are lots of things that make church assemblies the highlight of a week! Here’s one of those things for me. We have a large (and growing) number of folks, who I affectionately refer to as our “30-minute members.” They fall into two classes. First, there are the folks who always get to services…

When you’ve been doing something your way for so long and have all but perfected it in your own way, for someone to tell you to do it differently may not always sit so well. Imagine being a fisherman and you’ve fished all night and caught nothing, and then a carpenter comes along and tells you how to fish. Would you listen? That’s exactly…

Only two chapters in the Bible have more verses than the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy (i.e., Numbers 7 and Psalm 119; 1 Kings 8 has more words but fewer verses). The length of the chapter should tell us something. Moses is about ready to die and he is laying out the “Blessings of Obedience” (in 14 verses) and the “Curses on Disobedience” (in 54…

There are certain people that you know exactly “what is pleasing” to them. For some it’s fresh flowers. Others like the solitude of holding a fishing pole on a quiet lake. For many it’s a trip through the Starbucks drive-thru. But what is it that is a “delight” to God? Or, as the Hebrew word is defined, what “is pleasing” to God? Perhaps multiple answers could be…