Messrs. AC and IM meet for lunch a third time to finish up their discussion.
AC: I took good notes last time. At least I thought I did. I made an appointment with my preacher to discuss these thoughts, and I got nowhere. I mean, as soon as I mentioned the Holy Spirit, things just went [...]

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As I try to cope with my recovery from surgery, I find I have to take naps. I didn’t mean to fall out during today’s sermon–which was a fine sermon–but my body just needed 20 winks. It only got 2 before I was jolted awake.
So I got 18 more after Sunday lunch, and found my [...]

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Well, following my back surgery, I’m finally off narcotics. I’m not sure whether I’m thinking more or less clearly. But I’m sure having some strange dreams!
I was still reflecting on that Christian Chronicle ad as this dream came to me. Two men were debating the issue, a supporter of instrumental music (Mr. IM) and a [...]

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This month’s Christian Chronicle (October 2007) features a two-page ad from a group of Church of Christ preachers organized as NewTestamentChurchToday.org. The ad advocates a cappella music as the exclusive authorized means of worship.
The purpose of this post is to consider the arguments made and whether they in fact reflect Biblical truths. And to issue [...]

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Let’s take a moment and reflect on what the scriptures teach us about church discipline.
As you’ve seen, I like to make charts. I particularly find it helpful to break things down based on the faith, hope, love or Christ, Savior, and Lord threesomes.
Here’s a chart from an earlier lesson:

To become saved
 
 
Baptism
To stay saved
 
 
 

Hear, believe, confess [...]

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We’ve already considered Rom. 16:17.
(Rom 16:17) I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
This is written to many preachers in the 21st Century Churches of Christ. It’s not those [...]

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This is one of the most abused verses in all of scripture (which says a lot!)

(2 John 1:7, 9-11) Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. … Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have [...]

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We generally cannot distinguish someone who is struggling with his penitence from someone who has abandoned Jesus altogether. In such cases, I think we have to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume we’re dealing with a Christian but a Christian who is struggling with sin and needs to be confronted and even [...]

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We start with a brief, but critically important, passage–
(2 Thes. 3:14-15) If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Plainly, the disobedient [...]

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This is actually a continuation of the series of posts called “Classes on Grace.” And that’s important, because my ideas on church discipline won’t make any sense to someone with a very different understanding of grace. You see, it all fits together. It has to fit together, because it all comes from the same Mind. [...]

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Church of Christ preachers and congregations are often guilty of serious financial sin, actions which they claim honor God. Let’s start with the preachers.
Preachers
Social Security
In the Churches of Christ, most preachers opt out of Social Security, claiming they have Biblical reasons for doing so. In so saying, they take a false oath, hoping [...]

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Well, the good doctor Hadley has completely disassembled my back and put me back together again. And I’m alive and doing better.
My back still hurts like crazy! It’s just that, in theory, I’ve traded a permanent, worsening disability for a short-term, rapidly improving disability.
The doctor said my surgery was “challenging,” and given that he’s one [...]

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I’ll be having back surgery at 5:30 A.M., at UAB’s North Pavilion, this coming Friday, September 21. It’s an L5-S1 fusion.
Basically, they remove the disc between my vertebra and sacrum (tailbone), replace it with cadaver bone (bone from some unfortunate dead person kind enough to have made a donation of his body parts), and then [...]

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This quarter I’m teaching the YANK class: Young Adults, No Kids.
And, yes, this is the Deep South and “YANK” carries all the negative connotations you’d imagine. Evidently, our young marrieds have a keen sense of the absurd. (Good for them!)
Blue Like Jazz, by Don Miller, is an absolutely delightful book. It’s one of my all-time [...]

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This is a bit deeper than I would typically cover in a class, but I thought it might be helpful as background or for a class that’s already covered the basics of the Spirit.
I was recently discussing (debating, really) the Spirit in an Internet chat room. These thoughts came tumbling out. I apologize for the [...]

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Sexual sin has been with the ministry for as long as anyone can remember. But the problem seems to have gotten worse. We live in a more sexualized culture. New demands and stresses are being placed on our ministers everyday.
If the rate of sexual sin among male Church of Christ ministers is around 20% (some [...]

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One of the greatest challenges facing the modern church is sexual sin within the ministry. I know this sounds exaggerated, but it’s not. In my experience, the number of male ministers who ultimately succumb and lose their positions is around 20%! (Not a single current minister of my home congregation is in this situation, thank [...]

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The following expands on my notes on Business Law for Church Leaders.
Increasingly, insurance companies are requiring churches to adopt child abuse prevention policies. These are very difficult to put together for several reasons. Some church members may see them as unnecessary. Why not just trust each other? Background check are expensive. Why are our parents [...]

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