God’s Bucket List for You, part 9     In case you missed it, to read the introduction of this series, click   here . Introduction Scripture teaches us that we talk to God through prayer. James writes, The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Even the disciples of Christ wanted to be taught how to pray (Lk. 11:1-4). This is where we get the model prayer. However, people despair and say things like, “No matter how many times I pray, nothing changes. I talk to God all of the time and it doesn’t help.” The question to ask, then, is, “When was the last time you listened to God?” God’s desire for His children is for them to listen to Him! We’ll bend the knee but we won’t open His book.   Faith comes by… The Calvinists of the religious community will argue and debate until they’re blue in the face that all you have to do to be saved is to believe and nothing more. “Faith alone is what saves you” is what they shout. ...

    Introduction One of the reasons we go to worship every Sunday is to edify ourselves and get “built up” so that we might be able to make it through the coming week. However, most people in the religious world view the word edify incorrectly. In this article we’ll look at what is it and what it isn’t.   Definitions of Edify The definition from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary— 2. To instruct and improve the mind in knowledge generally, and particularly in moral and religious knowledge, in faith and holiness. The Greek word for “edifying” and “edification” is oikodome. Literally, it means “building a house.” This is also why we use the phrase, “built up” as mentioned above. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which ...

  Introduction Years ago, my mother had gotten into the hobby of Genealogy and spent numerous hours researching our family. She managed to trace our family back to Germany; on my father’s side, and Holland; on my mother’s side. Overall, there isn’t really anything interesting to report from my ancestry. However, there seems to be some that take so much pride in their family’s heritage, that it would override everything else that might come along. Are your family roots really that important?   Roots Run Deep A couple years ago, we had a young man joined our congregation and was a very willing participant in the service. He led prayers, songs, and even helped at the Lord’s Supper table. Although he seemed to be a strong Christian, his scripture knowledge was lacking. This isn’t a bad thing except for the fact that he always commented, “My family’s roots run deep in the church.” Not sure what this means when he states this. Is he bragging that his family goes back 2 o...