Charles Ross was an evangelist sent from the Excelsior Springs Church of Christ. He loved the Lord’s people and was a friend to many. He met people from all walks of life and met them with ease and friendliness. He had no arrogance, nor did he set himself above others. He was easy to engage…
Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you,…
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38). I am confident most of you, if not all of you, have sung this song…
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10). I was recently asked to present some thoughts before a congregation regarding my interaction with elders and elderships over the years. Toward the close of my lesson, a…
Paul was on death row. The time of his departure was at hand (2 Timothy 4:6). The brethren he was leaving behind were under assault from false teaching. Hymenaeus and Philetus were overthrowing the faith of some with lies about the resurrection (2 Timothy 2:18), and others were promoting similarly profane ideas. And the damage…
This past summer, I read articles about people dying in and from the results of undercurrents in the ocean near the shore. One person who caught my attention was a strong retired professional athlete who was swimming in the ocean with friends. While they were struggling to make it back to shore, he drowned. Undercurrents…
“It’s hard to be humble when you are as great as I am.” So said Cassius Clay, Nebuchadnezzar, Adolf Hitler, Ozymandias, the Pharisee in Luke 18, Pharaoh, and a host of others. How close is this to saying, “It’s hard to be humble when you are as great as I AM”? “God said to…
On Saturday August 5, 2023, I attended the funeral of my friend and brother, Brad Russell. An excerpt from Brad’s obituary stated, “Because of Brad’s dedication to the will of our heavenly Father, he was a wise, fierce and loyal protector of his wife, children, parents, siblings and entire family.” In my personal conversations and…
What is the hope of the gospel of Christ? The hope of the gospel is not about living your best life now. It’s not about health, wealth, peace, and prosperity. It’s not even about friendship and fellowship. It’s not about this life, this planet, or this physical body. If the hope of the gospel is…
The expression “My truth” is a point of view. It is an assertion rejecting reality. It is a means of trying to have things our own way. “My truth” is an offspring of humanism. It is a declaration that our observation is the only thing that matters. It closes the door to further discussion and…