One of our church’s elders often points out the importance of the phrase “so that.” Those two little words can keep business meetings from drifting into aimless meandering. They compel the group to ask, “What is our objective? What are we trying to accomplish?” When church leaders meet, even to talk about minor matters, our […]
Week 39 Mission | The Silent Partner in Evangelism
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the most difficult concepts for the human mind to comprehend. It is particularly difficult to understand exactly how the Holy Spirit works in the process of evangelism. Sincere and studious believers often disagree on exactly how much of the results in evangelism can be attributed to […]
Week 39 Character | The Spirit in You
“We have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:2, New American Standard Bible). This ancient statement, first uttered by some disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus, could have fallen from the lips of many evangelical believers today. While we believe in the Trinity and baptize people in the name of […]
Week 38 Study | Redemption: Christ Includes Me
Kenneth McFarland was the “Zig Zigler” of the 1950s and 1960s. He was America’s salesman. He told the story of Uncle Ben, who was a former alcoholic. But upon the death of his sister, he got his life straightened out and adopted his sister’s two sons and one daughter. When the judge asked why the […]
Week 38 Application | Don’t Miss Out
I have a touch of claustrophobia, so I don’t like being in tight spaces. In my college days I went spelunking (exploring caves) and as a young homeowner I didn’t mind squeezing into the crawl space under my house, but today I have less tolerance for anything that makes me feel confined. The thought of […]