By David Phillips

How do you reconcile the seemingly conflicting ideas of spiritual freedom and service? In Gal. 5:1 Paul says, for freedom Christ has set us free. Then in the same chapter, verse 13, He reminds us we were called to freedom… But he immediately gives two conditions to be met, one a negative, the other a positive:

• Don’t misuse your freedom. Liberty can be thrilling but make sure you don’t run wild with it, using it to be able to do things you shouldn’t. Specifically, he says, Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.
• Use your freedom to promote service. In that verse, he commands this alternative to the misuse of freedom: but through love serve one another.

Liberty in Christ sets us free from the guilt and bondage of sin and self, freeing us to turn our energies toward serving God and one another.

By David Phillips

Just how gullible are we? I’d say the answer to that is, “pretty gullible.” In fact, these days political schemes, sales plans and even religious doctrines seem to depend on the likelihood that the majority of people in general will tend to fall for almost anything, especially if the pitch is convincingly presented with important-sounding terms.

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By David Phillips

Some seem almost offended by the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 regarding the fact that few will find the narrow gate to eternal life.

Jesus is not talking about ineptitude, or the idea that most are ‘too dumb’ to be saved. He is speaking of the poor decision-making process that will characterize the spiritual choices of the majority of humanity. Satan is all too aware of our tendency toward taking the path of least resistance, and he carefully crafts temptations that are designed to entice us to take the easy way out. And the sad, sad truth is that the majority of people fall for it. Don’t sell him short, and don’t be one of the many.

By David Phillips

That question generally makes me a little nervous when I hear it, because it often implies that there is an issue or a situation that needs the attention of whoever is running things. There is another sense in which that question is even more urgent, and that is the sense of our daily lives.

Peter lists self-control as one of the Christian graces, 2 Peter 1:6, and Paul instructs Titus to instruct 3 specific age groups in the church (older men, young women and younger men) to be self-controlled, Titus 2:2-4 ESV.

Suffice it to say that there is more than ample evidence in Scripture to conclude that God wants all of us to add this very achievable trait to our lives. Many have wanted to excuse themselves in this matter, but consider this: if you are not in control, then who IS in charge?

Good Monday Morning –

By David Phillips

Well, here we go again.  Are these Mondays coming around quicker than they used to or is it just me?

The morning sermon yesterday focused on the topic, Perilous Times, and we discussed the text of 2 Timothy 3:1-9.  There are many people who read this passage and think it is telling us what to expect near the end of the world.  However, that is not the intent of the passage at all.  The “last days” is a Bible term meaning the division of time which began at the resurrection of Christ, and continues until the end of time, sometimes called the Christian Age. The things listed by Paul are things that have been going on for that whole time, and getting progressively worse.  “Perilous times” are not the days just before the second coming of Christ.

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Good Monday Morning –

By David Phillips

I hope your week is off to a good start.  If you are reading this, it means there are many things that are working right, and that is something to be thankful for on a Monday morning.

Brother Mitch Henry was with us yesterday for the Sunday school hour and morning worship service, and he delivered two good lessons.  It was refreshing to have Faulkner’s President request to come speak to us, and the two Bible students he brought with him made good impressions too.

In the evening service, we continued our study in the theme of Connections, and specifically looked at another lesson on Strengthening Our Connection to God the Father. As previously noted, becoming a Christian by obeying the Gospel of Christ is the initial step in coming to God.  As Christians, we all must be seeking out ways to strengthen our connection to God, as per James 4:8 – Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

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Good Monday Morning!

In the morning worship hour yesterday, we studied a lesson entitled The Simple Truth. We noted the tendency toward elaborate terminology and wise-seeming words, somewhat like those of Paul’s day in Corinth.  We began at 1 Cor.2:1-5, where Paul encouraged his readers to rest their faith not on worldly wisdom but on the power of God.  We noted these 4 points in our simple study:

• Life is Short.  1 Chronicles 29:15, Job 14:1-2 Psalm 102:11, Ecclesiastes 6:12 and James 4:14
• Death is Sure.  2 Samuel 14:14, Psalm 49:10, Ecclesiastes 8:8, and Hebrews 9:27
• Sin is the Cause.  Genesis 3:19, Ezekiel 18:20, Romans 5:12, and Romans 6:23
• Christ, the Cure.  Isaiah 53:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 2:9, and 1 Peter 3:18

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Good Monday Morning (3/27/2023) –

At Redland Road yesterday morning we studied a lesson entitled If the Foundations Be Destroyed based on texts from Psalm 2 and Psalm 11.  We started out by observing how discouraging and frustrating current conditions are in our nation, in the realms of politics, culture, patriotism and morality.  From the first three verses of Psalm 11, we noted 4 terms that set the stage for our further discussion:  Refuge (the Lord), the wicked (those who are against God), shoot in the dark (ambush), and foundations (righteousness and justice, Ps.97:2).  Then we turned our attention to Psalm 2, observing 4 voices that are indicated there.

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By David Phillips

“Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” ~ 2 Timothy 2:21

What could possibly be a higher ambition than to be useful to the Master? The illustration Paul uses here places God in the position of being the Master of the house, and you and I as vessels or utensils of various kinds for performing household functions, in His service. What could be more worthless than a utensil that is not useful? Maybe you, like me, have a drawer full of them in the kitchen. How useful are we to the Master?

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By David Phillips

Sometimes the term, “fresh start” implies that a total mess has been made and a project or task must be started all over again, from the beginning. But we sometimes use the phrase to indicate a wholesome point of beginning for improvements, without necessarily indicating that a complete disaster has occurred.

It is totally proper to use this expression in the context of looking at a new year with the intention of putting better efforts into the right things, in order to produce better and more complete results that we have in the past. Most of us would have to admit that some of our greatest shortcomings involve simply not following through with the right things.

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