What Will Make Me Happy?

Everybody wants to be happy. The question is, “What will make a person happy?” The book of Ecclesiastes is remarkable because it provides a detailed account of a wealthy, powerful man pursuing various supposed means of becoming happy, or contented. Solomon tries every main category of secular pursuit. That is, he looks for happiness “under […]

The Leper’s Prayer

When we study the prayers of the Bible, we learn how to pray (and sometimes how not to pray). The case of the leper who came to Jesus is especially instructive: When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, […]

Replacing God’s Words with Emoji?

At the end of May, a new Bible was published. It is called Bible Emoji: scripture 4 millenials. (The misspelling of “millennials” is intentional by the editor.) This “translation” replaces as many biblical words as possible with Internet abbreviations, Internet slang, and Internet cartoon images such as smiley faces, praying hands, and peek-a-boo eyes. Liam […]

Lot’s Choice

We are familiar with Lot’s decision to move to the valley of Sodom. After Lot’s uncle Abram gave him the choice of the land, we read: And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the […]

“I feel like…”

Research suggests that the phrase “I feel like” is being used used more and more in American society. In a recent edition of The New York Times, Molly Worthen summarized this research and observed: In North American English, [“I feel like”] seems to have become a synonym for “I think” or “I believe” only in […]

Saved “Like the Thief on the Cross”?

The Bible decisively teaches that, in the Christian age, immersion for the remission of sins is necessary for salvation (e.g., Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:1-4). And yet, sometimes a person will say that he wants to be saved “like the thief on the cross was saved,” meaning “without being baptized for the forgiveness of sins.” […]

Why We Don’t Clap in Worship

If you watch television broadcasts of a few worship services, you are liable to see a lot of hand clapping. In fact, clapping in religious services is so common nowadays that those who visit services of the churches of Christ may be surprised that there is no clapping. Every member of the Lord’s church, as […]

“Jesus is Lord,” a Controversial Phrase 

Christians love to say and sing the words “Jesus is Lord,” because the phrase is a summary statement of biblical faith. It affirms not only that there is a God, but that the Person of Christ, has visited Earth as Jesus, the Son of Man, and has sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world […]

Something More than Christians?

Sometimes people will ask, “What are you, religiously?” One who follows the Bible may simply answer, “I am a Christian.” But this may not satisfy the one asking the question; he may insist on greater specificity: “I mean, what church are you a member of?” The Bible believer will simply say, “I am a member […]

An Outdated Constitution

Imagine that anthropologists discovered a constitution put in place by a society that occupied our territory hundreds of years ago. What an excitement for students of political history! Such a document would be studied carefully to the last letter, because it would give us insight into an older society, and might even give us some […]

- 2024

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