Congregational Cooperation

Text: 1 Timothy 4:6 From time to time it is good to revisit questions that brethren have debated in the past. If we do not, there is a danger that the next generation can fall into the same errors we once opposed. The question under consideration is this: Can local churches work together? If so, how? This […]

Living in View of Christ’s Return

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 The second coming of Christ is a recurrent theme in Paul’s letters to Thessalonica. The Holy Spirit wanted these brethren to keep this event in their minds as they went through life. These letters have been preserved for us for the same reason. Understanding the reality of the Lord’s return, what […]

Church Membership

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:27 The term “church membership” is not used in the New Testament, but the concept is certainly taught (1 Corinthians 12:14-30). In this lesson, we will consider the topic of church membership by asking three questions. (1) What is church membership? (2) How do we become members? (3) What are members to […]

Who Is Affected By Sin?

Text: 1 Corinthians 5:1-6 Many choose to ignore sin – sadly, even some Christians do this. They ignore the sins of others because they believe it is between them and God. They ignore their own sins because they believe God’s grace will cover them. Yet sin is described in the Bible as pollution (Isaiah 24:5) because […]

Benefits of a Mid-Week Bible Study

Text: Psalm 122:1 The psalmist expressed gladness at the thought of going to the house of the Lord to worship. Obviously, there are differences between Jewish worship and our assemblies. But our attitude should be the same – assembling is a blessing, not a chore (cf. Malachi 1:13). Many congregations have mid-week Bible studies. These should be […]

Why Being Non-Denominational Is Not Good Enough

Text: Revelation 3:1 In the past, more emphasis was placed upon denominational affiliation. But for many today, this is less important. This mindset has given rise to the number of “non-denominational” churches. For years, faithful brethren have rightly condemned denominationalism. So is the trend of non-denominationalism a good thing? Maybe not. Why not? Simply being non-denominational is […]

The Future of the Church

Text: 2 Timothy 2:2 This phrase is usually used to refer to children growing up in the church. But even if these children do grow up to be Christians, they will only make up part of the future of the church. This lesson will consider the future of the church and what we can do in […]