Mark Twain in chapter five of his book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, wrote of Tom at a church service: The service began with a list of announcements which he thought would go on “to the crack of doom.” He talked about the prayer which was generous in its detail and he resented it whenever anything new was added in. The preacher’s sermon “droned along [so] monotonously… and was so prosy that many a head began to nod.
This reminds us of what happens when we come together to worship. The announcements are a little long, the songs aren’t to our liking, the preacher is a little boring. Some of us even do things to keep ourselves awake. We are at a different time. Forty years ago people didn’t ask, why do I have to go to church (worship)? Things have changed, culturally and intellectually so that we look at life a little differently. Sunday morning is now seen as a time to relax. If we don’t like the way things are where we presently worship, we will look for a place where things are the way we want them to be. Most people when they think about worship do not think about it as essential or the most critical thing they will do during the week.
We come together every Lord’s Day to be in the presence of God. Even though it may not look like much, and even when we don’t leave with a feeling of excitement, what happens during worship is of great importance because this is where we approach Mount Zion and we offer our praise to the One who is worthy of all praise. May we never as Christians take this opportunity in a light manner!
Perhaps you have heard it said, "The best things in life are free!" This is especially true when you consider that the best thing in life is a gift. In…
we often think of Jesus as being the Master Teacher (John 13:13-15). To deliver the message of truth Jesus used objects. If we could follow His example in how we…
Taking a further look at Jesus' teaching methods one finds that Jesus taught by discovery, by teachable moments, and by allowing His students to put teachings into practice. In order…
As we examine the Scriptures let's look first at how we all struggle with the sin of hypocrisy and secondly, what we need to do to combat it. Hypocrisy is…
Each and everyone of us faces temptations in one or more areas of our lives. We do not know what tempts you to pull away from or hide from God,…
Men, what would be your definition of a truly successful man? In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus described what many in the business world would call a man of great success. Jesus,…
Fathers should be the spiritual leaders of the home. Fathers have an obligation to their families and to God to set the spiritual tone of the home. Have you made…
One of the most powerful portraits of the early Christian community in Jerusalem, which we know as the church, is given in Acts 2. Having just received the forgiveness of…
What is harder to know than the bounds of Liberty, Freedom, and Salvation? What is God doing in us? God gives: power to the praying, Success to the serving, Calm…
Throughout the world, those who call themselves Christians are suffering for their faith. In our own country there is a growing animosity toward those who profess to be followers of…