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  • Laura 7:02 pm on July 7, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , born, northern, southern, yankee   

    Nudge: What is one of the things about me that people are surprised to learn? 

    I’m a southern gal. I’ve lived in the southeastern part of the USA all my life. I learned to read, write, talk, cook, extend courtesies, etc…, all in the south. I am quite proud of the fact that, even though I live close to Washington, DC, I still live below the Mason-Dixon line. And so, many people seem rather surprised to learn that I was actually born in NY. I neither sound nor act like the stereotypical north-easterner. I find myself having to explain the story of how I screamed at the top of my lungs non-stop for the first few months of my life because it was so COLD there, and how my parents decided to move south where I promptly settled in and became a very happy baby.

    My husband likes to tease me about being a Yankee. However, I have news for him: I didn’t have a choice where I was born but I made it clear where I wanted to be. He, on the other hand, chose to marry me: a Yankee.

     

  • Laura 6:51 am on December 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    My best Christmas ever was in 1986. I don’t actually remember much of the normal Christmas activities that year, but I gave and received the best humanly possible Christmas gift ever. Two days after, I became Mrs. Tinnel.

     

  • Laura 10:26 am on November 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Boredom 

    Speaking of boredom, the power went out for about an hour this morning. I’ve been on a mission to purge my house of all the old, useless stuff, so I took the opportunity to sort through more junk. I came across a spool of bubble wrap, which my youngest showed keen interest in. So I gave it to him. 15 minutes later he returned, dressed from head to toe in bubble wrap. This is what children do when they are bored. BEWARE.

     

  • Laura 7:07 am on November 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    The most misued word in the Bible 

    My vote for the #1 and #2 misused words in the Bible are “believe” and “faith”. Entire denominational doctrines have been built around a non-scriptural definition of these words. Biblical saving faith or belief is not a mere mental assent that Jesus is the son of God and came to save us. James 2 provides an excellent commentary on this whole matter.

     

    • TIM 2:17 pm on April 11, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      JAMES? JAMES IS WRITTEN TO THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL. NOT THE CHURCH. THE DOCTRINES FOLLOW IN THE TRIBULATION WHERE FAITH AND WORKS IS REQUIRED FOR SALVATION. IT IS FUNNY HOW IT PUTS THE RICH MAN IN HELL. WHY? BECAUSE IF HE TOOK THE MARK OF THE BEAST WAS THE ONLY WAY A MAN COUKLD MAKE MONEY.

  • Laura 7:44 am on November 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: coward,   

    Caving In 

    The first Biblical example of someone caving in that comes to mind is Peter, his from fear of what the crowd might think of him the night Jesus was taken into custody. Peter showed remarkable cowardice. Fortunately he gained a ton of fortitude and made up for it on the day of Pentecost, when he spoke with boldness.

    So what was the difference in these two circumstances? In the former, Peter left the disciples and faced the crowd alone. In the latter, he was with the twelve. What lesson do we learn from this?

     

  • Laura 5:45 pm on October 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    What do we do differently? 

    I’m having deja vu here. I think this topic has been covered before. None the less…

    When we assemble on Sunday mornings, we worship first and then have our Bible classes. I thought it odd at first, but have grown to prefer it. The emphasis of our assembling is placed on worship and the Lord’s supper. The downside is that it often confuses our visitors.

     

    • J. Randal Matheny 9:07 pm on October 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      If so, all the more need for The Memorizer. ;-)

    • Mike Riley 9:48 pm on October 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      We do the exact same thing, Laura. Worship first and then Bible class after.

    • stevelucas 10:24 pm on October 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Randal, could it be we are too much of a traditionalist….lol. Seriously, I think Mike and Laura may have it right on this topic.

  • Laura 5:38 pm on October 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Pets? 

    It is common place that we have pets today: cats, dogs, birds, fish, and even snakes. But what about Bible times? There are accounts of people having live stock, but it seems that owning animals then was more a matter of livelihood. Can anyone think of an account of someone owning a pet in Bible times? Is the reason for no (or little) mention of pets that people either didn’t have the luxury of being able to feed a pet or perhaps that they were too busy working to care for one? Just curious.

     

    • J. Randal Matheny 9:15 pm on October 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Remember the conversation between Jesus and the Canaanite woman? Little dogs ate the scraps (crumbs?) that fell from the table.

      • Laura 9:43 pm on October 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        This is a good one. Could possibly be a reference to pets. Or, could be social, yet wild dogs (a predecessor of domesticated dogs). Hard to say. The reason I question it is that dogs were looked down upon in those days.

        • J. Randal Matheny 9:20 am on October 16, 2010 Permalink

          Here’s the NET note to the term “dogs” in that verse:

          Or “lap dogs, house dogs,” as opposed to dogs on the street. The diminutive form originally referred to puppies or little dogs, then to house pets. In some Hellenistic uses κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”

        • J. Randal Matheny 9:23 am on October 16, 2010 Permalink

          Also, TDNT: “… Jesus has in mind little dogs which could be tolerated in the house.”

  • Laura 7:24 am on October 8, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , buddism, , , judiasm, religious thought, world view   

    Christianity Upsets The Religious Apple Cart 

    Christianity turned the first century “world view” upside down because it challenged and changed the commonly held religious thought of that day in a drastic way. It taught that all Christians are priests. It taught that Gentiles were acceptable before God. It taught that the attitude and actions of man as he worshiped God are important and NOT the physical location of worship. It taught that the inward man needed to be cleansed as opposed to the outward physical man. It taught that the kingdom of God is spiritual and not earthly. It taught the end of the Jewish nation as God’s kingdom. Most Jews rejected Christianity for this very reason.

    Today is no different. True Biblical Christianity challenges the commonly held beliefs of “Christiandom”. It teaches there is a heaven and a hell and that ALL will be judged and sentenced according to their actions on this earth. It teaches that salvation is exclusively in Jesus Christ and that Atheists, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Wiccans, and the like will be lost. It teaches that the church is the exclusive body of Christ and that only those in the church will be saved. It teaches that faith is not a mere mental assent that Jesus is God’s son; true Biblical faith requires obedience. It teaches that one can so sin as to lose his own salvation. It teaches that God has specified how He will be worshiped and anything outside of that is vain worship. It teaches that man cannot live however he pleases; he must repent — he cannot continue to live in sin and expect a home in Heaven. All of these things are contrary to the teachings of one denomination or another — today’s religious apple cart. True Biblical Christianity is being rejected today, just as it was by the Jews of the first century, because people do not want their “world view” turned upside down.

     

    • Mike Riley 7:27 am on October 8, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Laura, great points and well-written!

      • Laura 7:37 am on October 8, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        Thanks Mike. I call it like I see it. It’s sad, really. All we can do is show people what God has said. They have to choose for themselves.

  • Laura 5:32 am on October 1, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , work ethic   

    Work Ethic and the Christian 

    What does the Bible have to say about a Christian’s work ethic? I’m beginning to think that maybe this is an area the church has been remiss in teaching about. I’d say we need a sermon, but at this point, I suspect we need an entire 13-week series of Bible studies on it! Give me your thoughts.

     

  • Laura 10:20 am on September 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    A messy desk is the sign of intelligence… 

    or so they say. I must be a genius! :)

     

    • Mike Riley 10:29 am on September 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Laura, you and the lady that used to work next to me in an adjoining office must be geniuses! :)

      • Laura 11:19 am on September 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        Someone I worked with over 20 years ago gave me a statue for my desk. It has a guy sitting behind a not so neat pile of papers. The slogan at the bottom read, “Someone ought to invent a desk that flushes”. :)

  • Laura 8:07 pm on September 29, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    Mortality Sinks In 

    Mortality hit home for me when I was in college. I was on my way to take an exam and zoned out going over all the material in my mind. The roads were wet from the drizzle and there were accidents all over the place, so of course, I took the back roads. The witness says I went past his driveway at about 50 mph, and he knew what was going to happen. I hit the 75 degree curve and turned the wheel. The car didn’t. I bounced off the guard rails like a bumper car and got shoved off the road where I center punched a tree. He stopped and offered me a lift. I rode to campus where I ran to class and took my exam. I aced it. After the test, I realized what had happened and went to call my parents. The car was totaled.

     

  • Laura 1:13 pm on September 28, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , enlighten   

    An ah-ha moment in time… 

    My most memorable ah-ha moment occurred as I sat in a Bible class in the basement of an old church building in Woodbridge, VA some 15 or so years ago. We were studying Romans, after having spent nearly 2 years studying 1 Corinthians. We got to Romans 8:26-27, which I had never understood, and admittedly had never given much thought to because I just couldn’t make sense of it and found it to be outright confusing. I figured it just was one of those “secret things” that belonged to God and maybe some day, when I reached Heaven, God would enlighten me.

    The teacher asked a question: is the spirit being discussed here the Holy Spirit? Well, I had never considered it could be a reference to anything else. I mean, what else could it be? It’s *capitalized*, so of course it’s the Holy Spirit! The teacher explained that there was no capitalization in the Greek text, so while it could be the Holy Spirit, it did not necessarily have to be so. Okay, I was game to explore options, so the question next became, what else could be under consideration? The teacher suggested that perhaps the spirit here might actually be a reference to man’s spirit. I plugged that idea in and read the whole chapter in context. Suddenly it made sense, and the lights went on: the spirit that was groaning in verse 26 became a continuation of the idea in verse 23. I had often wondered why the Holy Spirit needed to use groanings that couldn’t be uttered when He was perfectly capable of choosing the very words to put in the mouths and hands of the inspired apostles. My ah-ha moment was that He didn’t. And I felt like a dense fog had been lifted.

     

    • David Kenney 1:34 pm on October 4, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Would that teacher have been Wilson Wallace? Sounds like the line of thought of those who taught him–Foy E. Wallace, Jr. and Robertson Whiteside. I visited with Wilson and Peggy at Woodbridge back in the early 90s to learn more about his parents.

      • Laura 7:58 am on October 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        No, Wilson taught the auditorium class. There was a second adult class taught by then elder Stan Crowley. He since went to Southwest School of Preaching and is a full time preacher in Schertz, Texas.

      • Laura 8:57 pm on October 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        Stan held a gospel meeting at our congregation on the Holy Spirit about a year ago. In case you are interested, you can find the lessons posted here: http://www.purcellvillecoc.org/gospelmeetings/2009October/index.html. It’s really important to listen to them in order as each lesson builds on the prior lesson. If you skip around, it won’t make nearly as much sense.

  • Laura 6:47 am on September 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Self-Destructive Behavior 

    Self-destructive behavior is all around us. I think one of the most commonly seen forms of this is the act of failing to take personal responsibility for our own actions or lack there-of. Why might this be self-destructive? Because people engage in self-deception when they do this, which impacts subsequent behavior. Until people see and admit their own faults and short comings, they simply will not change. Change is required to be truly happy in this world.

    But more importantly, change is required to be pleasing to God. People who will not accept personal responsibility simply will not repent of their ways. Without repentance, there is no hope of eternal life. There can only be certainty of eternal punishment. This is the ultimate form of self-destructive behavior, IMHO.

    I think one of the best examples of this behavior is found in Genesis 3. In verses 9-13, we see that Adam, upon being called out for disobeying God, blamed Eve, his wife. Eve subsequently blamed the serpent. However, upon close examination, we see that Adam actually did something worse. Much worse. He said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” Adam in essence blamed God because God was the giver of Eve, a point which Adam was careful to make. Adam and Eve had it made in Eden. The place was a paradise. God walked with them in the garden. Yet when Adam failed on the one and only command given him, he “passed the buck”. The end result was being kicked out of the garden and being forced to a life of hard labor and toil.

    I find it interesting that the account of this behavior is the very first inspired account of man’s failings. Perhaps it was placed up front and center for a reason… We should take note.

     

  • Laura 8:23 am on September 11, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Children’s Books 

    “What children’s book should every child read?” Not sure I can limit it to just one. Two that immediately come to mind are “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” and “The Little Red Hen”. The values they teach about being honest and having a good work ethic are sorely needed. Unfortunately these two books seem very passe these days. I don’t see them in the children’s book section. Perhaps that is one reason why our society has problems with a lack of values in these areas.

     

    • bookendsbooks 5:35 pm on September 21, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      I grew up on ‘Poppy Little Puppy’s” and other Golden books, Nancy Drew Mystery’s and Little Men by Louisa May Alcott. I always loved history incorporated in a good tale.

  • Laura 8:09 am on September 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , ,   

    Is Ignorance Bliss? 

    We use the saying “ignorance is bliss”. But is that really true?

    Recently I made a statement that I was disappointed in the ungodly stand that a particular organization has taken. One young college-aged lady responded by saying, “Why exactly is it disappointing? We as Christians are supposed to be a non-judgmental people. We welcome anyone with open arms and an open heart.” She went on to incorrectly quote Jesus’ saying regarding the woman caught in adultery: ‘He who cast the first stone, let he be stoned.’ That is not not what Jesus said. Clearly, this young woman has a gross lack of knowledge of God’s word.

    Sadly, this woman is not alone. The attitude she portrayed here has permeated our society because it is ignorant of what God’s word teaches, not only regarding right and wrong, but also in how Christians are to react to and behave toward sin.

    “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6

    Lack of knowledge (or ignorance) comes from *rejection* of knowledge. Is rejection of knowledge bliss? Rejection is a willful act. I pray we all be mindful that we not be guilty of being ignorant.

     

    • Sandra Moore 8:37 am on September 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Your post reminded me of an article in the religion section of our Huntsville Times this morning. It was about the community church in Memphis that is allowing muslims to use their building while their own building is being constructed next door. The “pastor” said he asked himself, “What would Jesus do if He were us? He would welcome the neighbor.” This man obviously is woefully ignorant of scripture, particularly 2 John 10.

    • Ron 8:43 am on September 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Good words, Laura.

  • Laura 7:45 am on July 31, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    What Keeps Me Up at Night? 

    The single biggest thing that keeps me up at night is helping other people when they have problems. On the phone, in person, matters not. If someone I love is suffering, I feel it my duty to stay with them and help them get through it.

     

  • Laura 6:30 am on July 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    Eye-Rolls 

    Randal asked, “What’s guaranteed to make you roll your eyes upward? And maybe groan as those eyeballs disappear into the inner recesses of the brain?”

    Generally, it’s when people do anything really stupid when they *should* have known better, and then whine about the results and consequences.  For example, people who get get an embarrassing tattoo while drunk.  The TV show COPS generally brings on rapid eye rolling.

     

  • Laura 6:40 am on July 29, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Vacations 

    We used to take a family vacation every year with my in-laws, but as the kids grew and got involved in every extra-curricular activity under the sun, that came to a screeching halt.

    I found it hard then to extract myself from work. It would take about 4 days to wind down entirely, just in time to go back to work and get a jolt. Really, to be effective, I needed a full 2 continuous weeks off. That just couldn’t happen. Employers here don’t give enough paid time off for that, when you consider how much of your PTO goes to caring for your sick children who cannot go to school. It’s just the way things were.

    I think now I wouldn’t have nearly the problem winding down from work. Life gets after you and brings on the desire to escape over time. The most desirable vacation spot would be somewhere where there are no phones, no computers, no TVs. Just me, my sons, our Bibles, and my camera. That’s it. Pretty simple.  I’m thinking African safari.

     

  • Laura 8:26 pm on July 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: current trends,   

    Given the discussion on “house churches”, I thought it interesting this article just came out.

    House Church: Skip the sermon, worship at home

    The practice discussed here is not, as far as I can tell, scriptural at all.  Besides all the unscriptural things they engage in, they purposely keep the groups to under 15 people and separate when they reach that number. While I appreciate wanting to move back to the Bible and away from the “clergy/laity” pattern developed by men, I question how a church can grow to have elders and deacons as commanded by God if they do this? The way things are described here, it sounds more like people want *no* leadership, which is just as bad as a congregation meeting in a “church building” that refuses to appoint elders (yes, those exist).

     

    • vivian golwitzer 12:20 pm on July 26, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Well, finally someone else thinks this is ridiculous! Here in Michigan this is practiced by several “churches”. Then to top that off the brotherhood here does not say anything, or else they get the door. Also, these are the same folks that allow mixed swimming and believe that social drinking (not in excess) is allowed. There are only a few congregations that have the integrity to speak out against these practices. So thankful to Our Savior I can be numbered among the few.

    • Laura 1:19 pm on July 26, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      To be clear, there is nothing wrong with the church meeting in homes for Bible studies or if the entire congregation can assemble for worship in a single home. There are valid reasons to do that. (Please see prior discussions on the topic. ) The point I make here is that it important to examine the reasons for doing such and make sure they are aligned with the scriptures. If the reason is just to have a small, exclusive circle of friends and to not be subject to the leadership God wants us to have, then we need to think twice. That’s what I see in this article.

      BTW. A congregation here practices this on Sunday evenings and has for years. They splinter into separate groups and have individual worship services. These groups tend to form into cliques where very different worship practices can develop. Within the past year or so, they had a major split. Some left because it was too liberal (they were adding instrumental music in a separate “contemporary” service) while some left because it wasn’t liberal enough (they weren’t adding instrumental music to all services). Not surprised at all. They were worshiping separately, hearing different messages, and were no longer of one mind, as is commanded in 1 Corinthians.

      • vivian golwitzer 1:54 pm on July 26, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        that is also what is happening here. I have no problem for expediency to meet in homes, but you have nailed it when you replied that they begin to divide. Here they have been adding music, praise bands, etc. I do have a problem with this. The scriptures tell us to come together, not separate.

    • Jonathan 10:01 pm on July 28, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      How large does a church need to be to be able to grow elders and deacons?
      How large were the churches we read about in the New Testament?
      Where did they meet?

    • Laura 8:19 am on July 29, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      You asked three questions:

      Q: “How large does a church need to be to be able to grow elders and deacons?”
      A: Large enough to have men qualified for these positions. See 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Given the list of qualifications and our society’s morals, the chances that a very small body of converts from the world today can fill these positions is quite slim. In a body of 15 that consists of men, women, and children, there are even fewer men from which to choose, so the chances go down much further. Keep in mind that at least TWO must be qualified as and willing to serve as elders.

      Q: “How large were the churches we read about in the New Testament?”
      A: We don’t know precisely how large each church was. We know there were 3000 converted on the day of Pentecost and many of those chose to stay in Jerusalem. We also know that Jesus demands the church go out and teach all the earth — that will necessarily result in growth. Mark 16:15-16. In Acts 8:4, we see that those who were scattered due to Saul’s persecution went everywhere preaching the word. They were bent on growth and not “pew jockies” like many in the church are today.

      Q: “Where did they meet?”
      A: Anywhere they could. They didn’t have church buildings as do we, so they had to make due with what they could find: the temple, the synagogues, the river side, homes that were large enough, wherever. Many point to Acts 2:26 to authorize dividing the assembly and meeting in separate homes, but a careful study of the passage shows that the early church in Jerusalem met daily in the temple AND went from house to house breaking bread. The breaking bread here refers to sharing a common meal, because as we know, the Lord’s supper was only taken on the first day of the week, and whatever bread they were breaking was done daily. Therefore, it is not valid to draw conclusion from this passage that the first day assembly of the saints in Jerusalem was divided and in separate homes. This concept is neither stated nor implied in the passage.

      What we do know is that the brethren in Jerusalem met in the temple, which was clearly large enough to hold the entire body. And we do know that the body in Corinth came together as a church in *one* place on the first day of the week for the purpose of taking the Lord’s supper. 1 Cor. 11:18-33. We also know from 1 Cor 16:22 that the Corinthian brethren were to bring their offerings on the first day of the week so that the offerings wouldn’t have to be gathered together when Paul came to them — that implies a central collection point. So the meeting place had to be big enough for all to fit on the first day of the week. The size of the place obviously depends on the size of the body. We just completed a study of the account of the paralyzed man let down through the ceiling of Peter’s home for Jesus to heal. Historical evidence shows many homes had large open courtyards in the middle where “a crowd” could assemble, as the passage tells us. A body the size of “a crowd” could fit in one of these homes. How big a crowd? We don’t know.

      We also know that Paul told the Ephesian elders that he had taught them both publicly and from house to house. Acts 20:17-21. The implication is that there was a public assembly (somewhere) and private gatherings in homes that involved teaching (authorization for home Bible studies). Taking it all together, there seemed to be a general assembly of all together on the first day in some place large enough to hold the entire body, possibly other public assemblies (the temple meetings were daily), AND meeting in homes outside the first day assembly for the purposes of socialization and teaching. That is about all we can draw from the scriptures.

      • Jonathan 9:46 am on July 29, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        Thanks for the detailed response.

        I would agree that gatherings/groups of 10-15 to the total exclusion of larger gatherings/groups is not ideal. Neither is larger gatherings/groups to the total exclusion of smaller. I think a combination of the two is best, though I would hesitate to judge from afar the motives of someone who chooses one or the other.

        I was a little bit puzzled by this statement:

        We also know that Paul told the Ephesian elders that he had taught them both publicly and from house to house. Acts 20:17-21. The implication is that there was a public assembly (somewhere) and private gatherings in homes that involved teaching (authorization for home Bible studies).

        It seems like you might be looking for “authorization” for every possible location for Bible study…which seems strange to me.

        Are you concerned that it is common today to have multiple churches in a single city that meet in separate buildings and do not assemble together? Do you consider this to be a violation of the Biblical pattern?

    • Laura 5:35 pm on July 29, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Are you saying that, while “not ideal”, it is okay for a single body to decide they are not going to follow the Biblical pattern of assembling as one body on the first day of the week and that we are to not judge “from afar” such actions against the written word?

      “It seems like you might be looking for “authorization” for every possible location for Bible study…which seems strange to me.”
      Not at all. I believe we can study anywhere, just like we can pray anywhere. I only put that out there just to show we have explicit authority to do that in the event that someone comes from the opposite side and says we can only ever meet together as a large group for teaching. Stranger things have happened…

      “Are you concerned that it is common today to have multiple churches in a single city that meet in separate buildings and do not assemble together? Do you consider this to be a violation of the Biblical pattern?”
      No and no. See the prior thread on this subject. There are very valid reasons, particularly in large, geographically distributed cities to have multiple independent congregations.

      • Jonathan 12:56 pm on July 31, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        Could you post a link to that previous thread? I think I missed it.

        I’m saying that it is not for me to externally define exactly what constitutes the body assembled. Churches that meet in church buildings in the same city (e.g. Nashville, many of them in relatively close proximity to one other given our convenient modes of transportation) routinely assemble separately but occasionally come together for area-wide singing or something like that. It’s not unusual at all to drive past one church building on the way to yours. Why are they divided? Shouldn’t they merge to remove this division? They could, but I understand why they might not. I don’t think there is a fundamental difference between that and smaller “churches” that meet in homes rather than in a building. Whatever group meets together routinely, wherever that may be, seems to me to be the assembled church and is not invalid just because a larger group could assemble in a small church building, a large church building, a stadium, or wherever. If a group were to cease meeting together (i.e. dissolve and maintain their daily walks only as individuals), then I would agree that they have abandoned something central to the examples I see in the NT.

        So, yes, I’m saying it is OK for each group to decide for themselves what size of assembly is ideal for them. It’s not necessary or advantageous to push the size of the assembly to the logistically-practical maximum. I don’t think it would be right for me to judge a group simply based on their size if I don’t have a personal knowledge of their rational for choosing that size and/or have first-hand knowledge that it is so small that it is dis-functional.

        • Laura 3:32 pm on July 31, 2010 Permalink

          Actually, there have been several posts on this topic, but this is the one to which I refer: http://fellowshiproom.org/2010/07/20/house-churches/

          The Bible defines a local church and that is the definition we must follow. Anything else is going beyond the scriptures. It is a body of believers who have identified themselves with each other (somehow), and meet and work together through a shared a common treasury. That group is to grow and mature to the point of appointing elders. Titus 1:5. It may be a long time before that can happen due to lack of qualified men. But all congregations should be working toward fulfilling this command. Without elders, a church is immature by Biblical standards.

          I would agree that the size of the local church is to not be judged, as long as they are in harmony with the scriptures. I personally prefer a smaller group (<150) because IMHO, it's harder to really get to know one another and share that loving bond that a church family is supposed to have when in extremely large groups. Other people prefer very large churches.

          Again, the article to which I refer in this thread explicitly states that the people are doing this so that every person has a part of the leadership, which is in direct violation with God's commands on church leadership. Anything people choose to do that violates God's commands is sin, pure and simple.

    • Jonathan 4:51 pm on July 31, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      I read the article again. It doesn’t explicitly say that “the people are doing this so that every person has a part of the leadership.” It observes that “house churches emphasize shared leadership and lack hierarchy.” I suspect this is more of an observation that they don’t fit neatly within the rigid hierarchy that some denominations have…not that there are no leaders…and that because the group is smaller there is necessarily a larger percentage of the group that are “leaders.” Rather than everyone leading, I get more of a feel of everyone participating and of a less rigid/scripted program of activities…both of which could be good trends.

      for example, “…people who share what’s going on in their lives, often turning to Scriptures for guidance. They rely on the Holy Spirit or spontaneity to lead the direction of their weekly gatherings” and “…they have no clergy and everyone is expected to contribute to the teaching, singing and praying.”

      Thanks for the link to JRM’s post. I remember skimming, but I don’t think I read the whole thing before. Now that I have, I see that JRM and I agree that there may be some benefits to house churches.

      • Laura 8:40 pm on July 31, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        I guess I read the article differently than do you. It says the “emphasize shared leadership”. I take that statement at face value. Again, what does the Bible say about church leadership and how does what is practiced here fit with that?

        Certainly from a perspective of denominations, house churches popping up could be a good thing. Why? Because people may actually read and follow their Bibles and study themselves into being New Testament Christians. The chances that they will do that while being part of a large denomination is not very big.

  • Laura 4:04 pm on July 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: disposable, generational, , ,   

    Generational differences of lifestyle 

    When I was a child, we wasted nothing. If something broke, it got fixed rather than thrown out. We drove cars until the wheels fell off. We didn’t call in or use a specialist to fix things either. My father was a “jack of all trades” and fixed everything. He fixed leaky pipes, put the new roof on the house, repaired the heat pump, changed the oil in the cars, fixed the radiators when they went out. I even recall helping him change brake shoes and doing body work to patch rusted holes in the car body.

    Today, we have no idea how to fix things ourselves. Products are made to not last forever any more, and it’s often cheaper to buy new than to fix. And so we have been trained to use and dispose, and we have become beholden the the manufacturers and repair specialists. We now live in a disposable society.

    Whatever happened to the old saying, “waste not, want not”?

     

    • Mike Riley 5:04 pm on July 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Laura, You asked, whatever happened to the old saying, “waste not, want not”? It went out with the advent of welfare. For an example, the food that our children waste in our public schools could feed every hungry and homeless person in America. We’re the most wasteful country in the world, because of the abundance of material things.

      Let it come another 1929-30, and that mindset will all change.

    • Laura 6:37 pm on July 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Oh, and I failed to mention that we had our own 1/2 acre garden that my brothers and I worked all summer long. We ate out of it and put up food for the winter. We had chickens so we had fresh eggs. All we really had to buy was breads, fresh fruits, and meats. So another difference: kids in my generation were still, to some degree, expected to work to help the family. I don’t see any of that today.

  • Laura 6:42 am on July 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , ,   

    All the teens are still talking about the camp. Facebook has been a wonderful thing. The Purcellville and Arab kids are all linked together, sharing photos and stories and keeping up with the lives of their new found friends. For our kids, this fellowship is really critical. We are on an island up here, and the kids don’t have other Christian friends from close by congregations around. I continue to see how this experience has affected the lives of not just my sons, but our entire teen group.

    One of the things we did was to record the singing at our Bible camp as  I wanted to have some singing on the web site, but let me tell you, it has paid off in spades. Links to the singing are spreading between these kids on Facebook. The kids are living the experience again and loving it.

    The recording was rather last minute and could have been executed better, but it’s not bad considering. For those interested, I’ve posted selections along with photos here: http://www.purcellvillecoc.org/pcyc/2010/

    One lesson I’ve learned is to never underestimate the power of the little things.

     

  • Laura 7:55 am on July 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , ,   

    Confidence in judgment & news 

    At PCYC, we had been talking all week about running the Christian race. In the teen girls class I was teaching, we were talking about how bad attitudes can hinder us in that race. We tied each of the attitudes to a lack of repentance. Yesterday morning, we closed by talking about the great judgment day, when the books will be opened and every man judged according to his works — how there is a record of our lives and that record will be compared to God’s word, which endures forever. Last evening, at the close of PCYC, two young ladies came forward because as they said, they wanted confidence on the day of judgment.

    In total, we had 5 responses. One an adult, who is of a Catholic background and has asked for a Bible study. We additionally have two tentative Bible studies set up with families from the community. One teenage girl is begging to come back on Wed nights to be a part of our teenage girls class. I am so blessed to have been a part of this camp.

    I will be following up with an article for Brotherhood News.

     

  • Laura 9:02 pm on July 13, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    PCYC in full swing 

    Been completely immersed in PCYC this week. We had 67 kids today, 10 of which were visitors from the local area. Only 3 of those kids had any prior contact with any member of our congregation. The father of two thanked us for going door to door when he picked them up today — said they would have never known about it if we hadn’t done so. More to come…

     

  • Laura 6:36 am on July 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , visiting congregations   

    Last congregation visited 

    The last congregation I visited was in Lenoir City, TN. This is the place where I grew up both physically and spiritually. It’s been nearly 24 years since we left. We’ve visited from time to time over the years and still hold a deep love for the brethren there. Our last visit was this past December. I am so pleased at how the congregation has grown and in all the ways they have grown. The single thing that stands out the most to impress me is just how active those people are in doing the Lord’s work, which is second only (and likely a result of) their extreme enthusiasm — these people are on fire! The elders there have endeavored to get everyone as involved and working as possible, and they have succeeded. And the people are happy and smiling, which is inviting to the lost. As a result of their enthusiasm, attitudes, and hard work, they have grown in number. All this will holding fast to the doctrine, which is also amazing in these times when many people will only come if you water down the sermons to the point of having no convicting power. The sermons I heard from the LC pulpit were straight from the Bible — put kindly, but there could be no doubt what was being said. Someday when we retire, maybe… :)

     

  • Laura 7:01 am on July 8, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Baptism in Purcellville! 

    The saints in Purcellville rejoice at the birth of a new brother in Christ, last evening after Bible study. Jordan is the son of one of our deacons. He’s a fine young man from a fine family. :) :)

     

  • Laura 6:57 am on July 8, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible camps, , , ,   

    Randal asked: Am I Involved in any Camps? 

    Afternoon crafts at the park

    With the help of the youth group from Arab, Alabama, we started our own camp: the Purcellville Christian Youth Camp (PCYC). We are in our 4th year now. We don’t have camp facilities, so we run the camp at the building and use local parks for afternoon activities. Local kids go home at night. Non-local kids stay in our member homes. Someday, our dream is to have a camp facility to have a 24×6 camp so we can have evening activities as well.

    Being in N. VA, which is arguably a mission field, this camp has been a true blessing for our kids. They have developed long and lasting relationships with other Christian kids, and we’ve seen how this has strengthened the faithfulness of some of our own and helped them grow.

    This year marks a new milestone for us. To this point, the Arab Christians have been responsible for all aspects of the camp. Their adults have planned and directed the camp, and under their guidance, they have used this camp to teach their older teens how to teach and run camps. This year, we have 14 adults who are using their vacation to work with the camp in some capacity or another, and we are co-directing the camp. Our teens are working with our adults as mentors to learn to teach and lead. We have two young men who will be leading singing, two who will be giving devotionals, and 4 young ladies who will be assisting in teaching the younger classes. My role? Behind the scenes coordinator and supplying the Bible class materials (an augmentation of materials I previously wrote).

     

    • Mike Riley 9:14 am on July 8, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Laura, Sounds like a great camp and a great way to teach kids leadership skills. We need more of this going on with our young people. I pray for the success of the camp and its leadership.

  • Laura 6:16 am on July 6, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , ,   

    Jesus’ betrayal and trial 

    There is so much in this account that sends chills down the spine. One thing I’ve been pondering lately is the the look that Jesus gave to Peter after his 3rd denial of Him. What must have been in that look? Was it one of “I told you so” or of disappointment? One of hurt? Or perhaps it was just a gentle loving look. No matter. It was enough to recall to Peter’s mind what the Lord had said to him such a short time before. I can only imagine how Peter must have felt, having learned something about himself that he probably didn’t like. No matter how much zeal he had for the Lord, he was capable of turning tail and running when the rubber met the road. And what an example for us. Peter, the great orator, who brought us the first gospel sermon, was human. Just like us. We need to always be on the lookout and take heed wherein we stand — lest we fall.

     

  • Laura 8:38 am on July 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Purcellville camp is closing in on us 

    Lots of buzzing around doing last minute preparation for our Bible camp in Purcellville. Sorted and organized all the food and drink donations yesterday. House to House goes out this week. The 38-40 people from Arab, AL arrive on Thursday.

     

  • Laura 8:35 am on July 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    One Biblical place I’d like to see is the Areopagus where Paul addressed the people of Athens in Acts 17. I’ve always been fascinated by antiquities.

     

    • Weylan Deaver 9:26 am on July 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Laura, I was privileged to stand there once back in 1989. But that won’t compare to meeting Paul in person one day!

  • Laura 9:40 am on June 26, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    PCYC 2010 is getting ready to launch! 

    The Purcellville Christian Youth Camp is July 12-14. Our theme is Christian olympics — with an emphasis of “go for the crown”. 15 of our adults have volunteered to help run the camp — many of these are taking vacation from their jobs to participate. We’re also very excited to have a group of 26 kids (mostly teens) and 13 adults from the church of Christ in Arab, AL coming to help with the camp. Since we don’t have an actual camp ground, we need to house our guests. Many of our members are opening their homes to provide beds and showers for them.

    We are offering this camp as a free service to the surrounding community as an outreach activity to win people to Christ. We’ve created and distributed camp brochures at a local city festival and at the local Tropical Smoothie shop. We’re running Facebook and Google ads targeted at the local community. We will be sending out a special House-to-House issue with advertising for the camp. Finally, on the Sunday afternoon before camp, the teens will canvass the adjacent neighborhood trying to get community teens to join us.

    Can’t wait!!!!

     

  • Laura 9:25 am on June 26, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , ,   

    Striking conversion story 

    For me, the most striking story of conversion is that of Saul/Paul. As soon as he realized what he had done, he asked, “Lord, what wilt thou have me do?” He was required to give everything up for Christ: friends, political/religious standing, safety. Everything. And he did not hesitate. He did not look back. He only looked forward, keeping his eyes on the mark. And his example of repentance is unparalleled: he devoted his life from that point forward to converting people to Christ, rather than killing His followers. If only we could be like Paul!

     

  • Laura 7:34 am on June 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    I’m registered on several sites, but the one I use is Facebook. I almost never log into the others. Most of my friends, family, and brethren are on Facebook, and since I use it to socialize and have some good clean fun with folks, that’s where I stay.

     

  • Laura 8:29 am on June 23, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    Sudoku or crossword? In a word… Neither.

     

  • Laura 11:13 am on June 21, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , ,   

    Jesus’ Conversation with the Samaritan Woman 

    Today’s nudge: What stands out in your mind in the story of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well?

    I think the biggest thing that stands out for me is the example Jesus set for us today. In His time, Samaritans were looked down upon as the “dogs” of their time. Jesus went against all the political correctness and racism of his time to share God’s message with these “social rejects”. He treated them for what they were: humans created by and loved by God who were in need of God’s saving grace — just like the Jews. We should do no less.

     

  • Laura 3:46 pm on June 18, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , ,   

    I’m not really into sports all that much, probably because my kids aren’t. If they were, then whatever they played would be my favorite. :)

     

  • Laura 3:55 pm on June 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Birthday rituals 

    The birthday person gets to pick where we go to dinner.

     

  • Laura 2:01 am on June 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , hymn, ,   

    The Precious Book Divine 

    How precious is the Book divine,
    By inspiration giv’n!
    Bright as a lamp its precepts shine,
    To guide my soul to heav’n.

    Holy Book divine!
    Precious treasure mine!
    Lamp to my feet and a light to my way
    to guide me safely home.

    It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts,
    In this dark vale of tears;
    Life and light and joy imparts,
    And quells our rising fears.

    Holy Book divine!
    Precious treasure mine!
    Lamp to my feet and a light to my way
    to guide me safely home.

    This lamp, through all the tedious night
    Of life, shall guide our way,
    Till we behold the clearer light
    Of an eternal day.

    Holy Book divine!
    Precious treasure mine!
    Lamp to my feet and a light to my way
    to guide me safely home.

    I love this song as arranged by L.O. Sanderson, and it seems few know it. Anyone know where I can get a good recording of this hymn? I’d like to use it in a gospel meeting series I filmed.

     

    • Mike Riley 1:05 pm on June 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Laura, here the hymn being sung on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8bLt17sCYQ

      • Mike Riley 1:45 pm on June 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        I can’t spell this morning. The first word should be “hear.”

        • Laura 1:55 pm on June 15, 2010 Permalink

          Thanks Mike. I saw that one. I also have one from a prior PF lecture, but it sounds like there are only men present in the assembly. I’m looking for something full sounding, with all the singing parts, and of a decent recording quality to embed in a production quality video. I’ve got this kind of quality on a lot of other songs. This song just isn’t a popular one so there aren’t a lot of recordings that I can find. I’m wondering if someone maybe has a CD with it on it. Perhaps i could buy the CD and get permission to use it. I’ve exhausted my sources for online downloads and CDs.

    • John Henson 1:22 pm on June 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God,” (1 Corinthians 1:24 ESV).

    • Mike Riley 4:42 pm on June 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Laura, here’s the “What Do The Scriptures Say” website where you might get in touch with the McCoy Family Singers and see if they’ve recorded this song on one of their CD’s.

      http://www.scripturessay.com/index.php?page=songs

      Mike

    • Barbara Ann Oliver 7:14 pm on June 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Laura, back in the late 60′s – 70′s the Harding Chorus recorded that song (conducted by brother Davis). You might be able to contact the Harding Bookstore and get a copy. It was magnificent.
      Also, I have a contact in Memphis who is related to the Sanderson family. I will check with her to see if they have a way of getting you a good copy.

  • Laura 11:45 am on June 11, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    Pen or Pencil? 

    Do I ever write by hand any more? Yes. I take copious notes during our sermons. It would look bad if I whipped out my computer to take notes (some might think I was playing on Facebook or something!), so I keep a note pad with my Bible. I use an non-ballpoint pen. Ball point ink smears too much. Don’t like pencils much either. When you erase, you get that nasty eraser all over the page. I like my pages clean and neat.

     

    • Mike Riley 12:59 pm on June 11, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      You know what they say – cleanliness is next to godliness! :)

  • Laura 1:47 pm on June 1, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Interesting hair cut? 

    I’m a woman. The words “interesting” and “haircut” should NEVER appear in the same sentence!!!!

     

  • Laura 10:04 am on May 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    I know the Lord is good, because … 

    He loves His entire creation equally. He makes it rain on the just and the unjust. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. He extended His plan of redemption to any and all who will come.

     

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