Judge with Righteous Judgment

Text: John 7:24 When it comes to what the Bible says about judging, many people only think of Matthew 7:1 (“Do not judge…”). They ignore the context and claim that Jesus condemned all types of judging. However, Jesus taught that there are certain judgments that we must make. We are to “judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). What does […]

A Righteous Life

Text: Matthew 5:13-48 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave instructions for the life of a disciple. In our text, He described the life of a disciple as a righteous life. The previous lesson touched on righteousness. Again, righteousness is to be right by God’s standard, not man’s. This lesson will expand on that point. Example […]

Why Were They Called Churches of Christ?

Text: Romans 16:16 Paul referred to the congregations with which he was associated as “churches of Christ.” Many brethren, in an effort to follow the New Testament pattern, have also used this to identify local churches. But some have tried to distance themselves from this name. Our desire must be to please Christ and serve […]

Hold Fast the Word

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 “Hold fast the word” – this statement (or similar) is found several times in the New Testament. Why are we to hold fast the word of God? We can answer that question by examining the passages that contain this admonition. Hold Fast the Word Because… It is the Gospel (1 Corinthians […]

The Importance of Faith

Text: Hebrews 11:1,6 Faith includes assurance, conviction, and a trust in God (Hebrews 11:1,6). Faith is the determination to obey the Lord (Romans 1:5; 16:26). Faith is not bestowed upon us miraculously, but comes from the word (Romans 10:17). But why does this matter? What is the point of believing, trusting, and obeying God? There […]

Avoid Foolish Controversies

Text: Titus 3:9 There always have been, and always will be, controversies over matters of religion and what the Bible teaches. Some people want to avoid controversy altogether – Christians cannot do this (Jude 3). Others are too quick to get involved in controversy – we must not do this either (Titus 3:9). As controversies […]

The Living and Active Word of God

Text: Hebrews 4:12 This verse was meant to remind the Hebrew Christians of the power of the word of God and encourage them to remain faithful. It also provides encouragement for us today to continue to follow the will of God. The Word of God The letter opens by describing how God revealed His will […]