Archive for the ‘Bible Study / Devotional Life’ Category
Posted on February 24, 2010 - by Admin2
Develop a Daily Prayer Schedule
By Dennis Wiggs
I encourage every young pastor to establish a daily, systematic Bible reading schedule. In conjunction with this, develop your prayer plan, too. You will soon discover, however, that this project will demand more self-discipline than daily Bible reading. (more…)
Posted on February 23, 2010 - by Admin1
Five Elements of Prayer
By Darrell Holley
During my first year of teaching I discovered a little book by C. S. Lewis titled Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer. My thoughts had been on prayer—you ought to think about prayer in your first year of teaching—and I found the book helpful. Now there are some things in that book that I don’t agree with—as there are in nearly all merely human works.
C. S. Lewis was an Anglican, an Episcopalian, and sometimes dangerously close to Romanist attitudes on prayer—at least much too close for my Free Will Baptist tastes. But I did discover an idea in Lewis’ wise little book that helped me tremendously. (more…)
Posted on February 23, 2010 - by admin
Preaching from the Word
By J. Grant Swank, Jr.
Having preached sermons for nearly 40 years, I have tried the various sermonic forms and concluded that expository preaching—preaching directly from the Word—is best. Why? (more…)
Posted on February 16, 2010 - by admin
A Free Will Baptist Catechism
Fifty-seven questions every Free Will Baptist should be able to answer.
By Paul V. Harrison
The most common word translated “teach” in the New Testament is the Greek term didasko, from which we derive the word didactic. Another Greek word rendered “teach” is catecheo. From this word we get the term catechism and several other related words.
A catechism is a question and answer document used as a tool to teach truths about God and the Bible. It has a long history in the church, and many Christian parents have used catechisms to instruct their children in the teachings of the Lord. Even Free Will Baptist forebears have employed this tool. For example, 17th-century theologian Thomas Grantham wrote one, calling it St. Paul’s Catechism. (more…)
Posted on January 1, 2010 - by admin
One New Man
By Garnett Reid
Face it, we’re part of a world divided. Just name the issue and opinions differ. As I write today, war seems imminent. By the time you read this piece, the conflict may rage full-scale. Our nation parts ways over whether or not to go to war. Congress splits down the middle over legislative issues. Ethicists debate opposing sides of critical topics.
Divisions filter down even to what we eat, drink and wear. Which is it for you, Campbell’s or Progresso soup? Sprite or Sierra Mist? Here lately, I prefer suspenders to belts, thank you.
In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul applies the great truth of individual salvation he’s just explained (2:1-10) to the most divisive issue in the early church. Did Gentiles in Christ have an equal place with believing Jews? This question tore at the unity of Christ’s body in the first century.
The apostle explains that God has created an entirely new entity, one body to which all – Jew or Gentile – belong who are in Christ. (more…)