Forsaking the Assembly— a Grievous, Age-Old Spiritual Malady

Views: 79[Note:  This MS is available in larger font on our Longer Articles  page.] It is obvious that many—some who have been in the church for decades—are merely playing at the job of being Christians. One tell-tale sign is their sloppy attendance habits—or none at…

Back to Biblical Grace

Views: 75[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Manuscripts page.] While Jerry and Patricia Norton were viewing the latest recorded episode of “24,” they were interrupted by a phone call. Caller ID indicated it was their neighbor, Bobby Crandall, two doors down…

A Perpetual Pitfall of Preachers

Views: 99[Note:  This MS is available in a larger font on our Longer Articles  page.] Introduction I made my first miserable attempt at preaching a Gospel sermon in July 1954 to a Sunday evening assembly of the old Fourth and Bannock Streets Church in Boise,…

“The Man or the Plan” Discussion Revisited

Views: 138[Note:  This MS is available in larger font on our Manuscripts  page.] Introduction In the early 1960s I was a young preacher, not long out of Abilene Christian College. I well remember the lively brotherhood discussion of the Man or the plan controversy (actually,…

The “Purpose-Driven” Church Paradigm

Views: 128[Note:  This MS is available in larger font on our Longer Articles  page.] Introduction Churches should have goals and aims. In this sense every congregation of the Lord’s people should be driven by purpose rather than stumbling along haphazardly. However, purpose-driven has taken on…

Why Some People Quit

Views: 74[Note:  This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 3  page.] Ever since the church began, some who obeyed the Gospel, thus being added by the Lord to the church, have failed to remain faithful. I am sure that there are…

“Why Are You Here?”

Views: 82[Note:  This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 3  page.] The mail recently brought a small flyer with the question in the title above. The flip-side answers as follows: “You are here to have an eternal relationship with God!” To…

Which Describes You?

Views: 63[Note:  This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 3  page.] I made my first attempt at preaching in 1954. It has given me a backlog of experience from which some reliable observations may be drawn. I have observed that there…

What about Astrology?

Views: 78[Note:  This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 3  page.] According to one professional astrologer, R. Dongal Pagon [almost an appropriate name], a few years ago there were fifty million Americans “very much involved in astrology” and over eighty percent…

Vacation Time—Andy McClish

Views: 77[Note:  This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 3  page.] God has so structured our existence in this life that honest work is fulfilling, beneficial, honorable, and required of all mature, able-bodied people (Gen. 2:15; 2 The. 3:10–14). However, our…