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Redeeming the Time, April 8, 2018
Who Will Be Saved?
By John R. Gibson
An Awkward Situation
Have you ever been asked, “Do you think you have to be a member of the Church of Christ to be saved?” Or perhaps it was put to you this way, “You think you are the only ones going to heaven, don’t you?” I know I have been asked such questions a few times and have found myself struggling for an answer that would be true to God’s word and, at the same time, not close the door to the possibility of converting the one asking the question. I have not always done a good job in answering such questions, but I would like to offer for your consideration an approach suggested to me by another gospel preacher.
Redeeming the Time, March 11, 2018
Distinct Disciples
By Bubba Garner
It is amazing to me how people in the world will sometimes use the name of Jesus to justify their behavior. They choose an immoral lifestyle and then cry, “Jesus never judged people” to anyone who might oppose them. They have a picture in their mind of a soft, cuddly Savior who never said anything controversial and tried to keep the peace at all costs.
Redeeming the Time, March 4, 2018
For I Am a Great King
By John R. Gibson
The Old Testament closes in a fiery way as the fifth century B.C. prophet Malachi rebukes the returned remnant of Judah for various sins including divorce, failure to pay their tithes, complaints about God’s injustice, et al, but I want us to pay special attention to the prophet’s denunciation of their “sacrifices.”
“ ‘You offer defiled food on My altar….you offer the blind as a sacrifice….you offer the lame and sick….you say, “The table of the LORD is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.” You also say, “Oh, what a weariness!” And you sneer at it,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick….’ ” Malachi 1:6-14
Redeeming the Time, February 18, 2018
Knowledgeable, Discerning Love
By John R. Gibson
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent….” Philippians 1:9-10a
Paul had a special bond with the saints at Philippi and this was reflected in the fact that he was always making request for them in his prayers (Phil. 1:3-4). While there were certainly other elements to his prayers on their behalf, let’s think seriously about the details of the prayer given in 1:9-10. The apostle desired that the Philippians, a people who had shown much love to him through the years, have a love that abounded in knowledge and discernment. That he would express this desire should tell us that what we think to be love is not always what God wants it to be; i.e. it is not always in accord with His will and does not always reflect “senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Let’s look at a few areas in which our love needs to reflect a knowledge of God’s word and the discernment to make good choices.
Videos
Many of you have watched our introduction to the Jones Road church video at the top of the homepage, but we have now added to our YouTube channel. We currently have several sermons in which the audio is synced to the slide presentation and we invite you to watch and listen to these. There are also a number of shorter videos dealing with various topics we believe you will find helpful.
Departures: The Adoration of Mary
For more videos, including some brief exhortations, click here.
Redeeming the Time, February 11, 2018
The War Was Lost, But We Must Battle On
By John R. Gibson
During the 1960s a bitter, divisive war was fought. Right and wrong seemed clear to many as they battled against the forces of evil. But despite the valiant efforts of so many, evil triumphed and the loss of that war continues to have a great impact on American society. What war was this? I suppose any good student of history knows we are talking about...the Sexual Revolution.
Redeeming the Time, February 5, 2018
How Would It Have Been Expressed?
By John R. Gibson
Does the Bible teach there is a place of eternal torment where those who failed to do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21) will spend eternity in a conscious state of suffering? Because it is such a horrific thing to visualize, we are tempted to explain hell as no more than a condition of missing out on the blessings of heaven. For more than a century there have been religious groups, including Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses, which argued that there was no “after death torment” for the wicked, but that they simply ceased to exist. The movie Hell and Mr. Fudge showed how Edward Fudge, a Limestone County native who once preached for several churches of Christ in this area, came to reject the idea of eternal torment. In more recent years there have been those in evangelical circles who have explained hell as little more than missing out on the glories of being with God in eternity.
Redeeming the Time, January 28, 2018
Bible Reading and Points of Emphasis
By John R. Gibson
Though I must confess I don’t do it every time I read, my Bible reading is far more productive when I take a few minutes to make some notes on what I have just read. As I have written before, these notes serve as an aid to prayer, but they also help me to see themes and points of emphasis. The reading plan I use requires you to read ten chapters from different sections of Scripture and there are some disadvantages to a plan like this, but no-tice how strongly a point was made one day last week when the reading included, among others, Luke 16, 1 Timothy 6, 1 Kings 10, and Acts 11.
Redeeming the Time, January 21, 2018
Quiet Time Need Not Be Dead Time
By John R. Gibson
I recently read a disparaging description of the few minutes it takes to pass the collection trays among the congregation as a “dead time” and it caused me to begin thinking about the value of quiet, reflective time and how we tend to have little of it. The Bible speaks of the value of meditation in several passages and these are just a representative sample...
Redeeming the Time, January 14, 2018
Are You Intoxicated?
By John R. Gibson
The Scriptures are replete with warnings against the intoxication of alcoholic drink. There are numerous prohibitions against drunkenness and multiple accounts of the tragic results it brings, yet in Proverbs 5:19 the wise man encourages intoxication. No, the same man who gave us the words of warning in Proverbs 20:1 and 23:29-35 does not contradict him-self by encouraging alcoholic consumption, but he does encourage husbands to be intoxicated with the love of their wives. While the KJV has ravished, the NKJV enraptured, the NASB exhilarated, and the NIV captivated, the ESV, along with the marginal readings of the NKJV and NASB, renders this as intoxicated. In the section preceding this, the wise man denounces adultery as a heinous sin that can rob one of his honor and dignity, health and wealth, a sin that truly brings ruin (Proverbs 5:3-14). But Solomon then turns from the negative to the positive and challenges husbands to appreciate the blessing called marriage and find their pleasures in this lawful and honorable relationship.
Redeeming the Time: January 7, 2018
Crucial Periods in Congregational Development
By Mark W. White
A local church must make plans for its future. It must develop an idea of what direction it wishes to go. If not, a terrible fate awaits them. Vision and foresight serve a church well. If a congregation just takes what comes along and is haphazard concerning plans for its spiritual growth and development, nothing good will result. If the Lord wills, the future will come. What we do at various stages of our existence will make a difference in what happens in the future. There are certain crucial periods in a church’s life which will either cause the local congregation to be better, or be left for the worst. What are some of these crucial times?
December 2017 edition of the "Friendly Visitor"
Click the picture above to read the December version of the "Friendly Visitor". You can download the pdf and send to anyone you think might benefit from it. The "Friendly Visitor" is also available on our Facebook page so please Like and Share it.
Redeeming the Time: December 10, 2017
Peter and Judas at the Crossroads
By John R. Gibson
The night before the crucifixion two of Jesus’ apostles failed their Lord and committed shameful acts. For thirty pieces of silver, Judas Iscariot led the chief priests to the garden where Jesus had been accustomed to going. There he hypocritically greeted Jesus with a kiss so that in the darkness they would be able to identify the One they sought. At that moment, recklessly and impulsively, yet quite courageously, Peter took a sword and sought to defend Jesus. However, later that same night at the high priest’s house, Peter’s courage completely failed him and he denied Jesus three times. (See Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 18).
Redeeming the Time: December 3, 2017
But What If They Won’t Be Drawn
By John R. Gibson
What wonderful news—the crucified Lord is to draw all to Himself and His gospel is God’s power to save! Yet some are not interested in the gospel and feel no need for Jesus in their lives; the lifted up Christ and His teaching do not appeal to them. So, what are we to do? This is an issue of real concern to all who care about the lost, which constitute the vast majority of people around us, often including friends and family. People are headed down the broad way to destruction and seem to have no interest in the message we are proclaiming, so what are we to do?
November 2017 edition of the "Friendly Visitor"
Click the picture above to read the November version of the "Friendly Visitor". You can download the pdf and send to anyone you think might benefit from it. The "Friendly Visitor" is also available on our Facebook page so please Like and Share it.
Redeeming the Time: November 19, 2017
Saying What Needs to Be Said
By John R. Gibson
“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Luke 17:3, 4
“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” Luke 15:21
These passages, along with many others, show that we must be willing to admit it when we have wronged someone and then humbly ask their forgiveness. The late John Clark often said that ten of the most important words in a marriage were, “I have sinned. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?” And while these can be critical to the happiness of a marriage, we must be willing to use these same words (or similar ones) in all our relationships.
Redeeming the Time: November 12, 2017
In Search of Truth
By Jim Deason
The Bereans “were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Many good sermons have been preached from this text. I have an old outline in my preaching arsenal, the idea for which I think came from a sermon preached by Robert Jackson many years ago, asserting that the Bereans believed because they kept three things: (1) Open minds (2) Open Bibles, and (3) Open schedules. It is hard to beat such a simple approach. Open minds? We are told that “a mind is a terrible thing to waste,” and a closed mind is a wasted mind. Open Bibles? When one refuses to turn to the only source of spiritual light, he will remain in darkness. Open schedules? When one is too busy to search for truth, he is too busy and destined for destruction.
Redeeming the Time: October 29, 2017
You’re Tired and Don’t Feel That Great, But…
Who hasn’t been in this situation? You’re tired and don’t feel your best, so you’re thinking about missing the worship assembly. You may tell yourself that the Bible never said a church had to meet on Wednesday night, or perhaps it’s a Sunday morning and you think that with a little rest you might be able go that night. Whatever the gathering and whatever the reason, if you’re not a health risk to others, please think about the follow-ing seven reasons to get up and go anyway.
October 2017 edition of the "Friendly Visitor"
Click the picture above to read the October version of the "Friendly Visitor". You can download the pdf and send to anyone you think might benefit from it. The "Friendly Visitor" is also available on our Facebook page so please Like and Share it.
