“Jeff grew up in a Christian home in the West. He was involved in church and in a Christian youth group. During his teens, he had a crisis of belief and began a search for meaning and purpose. That search led him away from church and to a radical jihadist group.”
 
“Beyond going to church today and going to heaven later, Jeff’s Christian experience lacked a compelling vision that gave him the reason to wake up every morning. Jeff found this strong sense of world-changing mission, purpose, and challenge in the radical terrorist group." 

​It is a sensitive subject that has touched most all our families, and we need to bring God to it!

Marriage was His idea from the beginning (Genesis 2:18-24). It is the very foundation of our society. God calls us to stay with our mates for as long as we live (Romans 7:2-3). To find a way to make it work, and not look for a way out. He does allow divorce and remarriage for those whose mates are sexually unfaithful to them. All others who have divorced or been divorced must be reconciled to their spouses or remain unmarried. Another marriage by such persons is adultery and those involved in such marriages are adulterers (Matthew 19:1-9; Mark 10:11-12; Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11). No matter the circumstances, divorce is always painful. No wonder God hates it (Malachi 2:16), because He cares for us so (1 Peter 5:7).

One of the most wonderful aspects of the church is that it is a family (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Timothy 3:15). God created Adam and Eve, and since then everyone else was born into the physical family. We have been born again into the spiritual family of God, the church (John 3:1-8; Galatians 3:26-29; 1 Peter 1:20-25).
 
God is our Father (Matthew 7:7-11; Ephesians 4:6). Jesus Christ is our elder brother, Lord and Savior (Titus 1:4; Hebrews 2:14-18). The Holy Spirit is our comforter and helper (John 14:26; 15:26). We have spiritual fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters in God’s family, too (Matthew 12:46-50; 1 Corinthians 4:14-17; Galatians 4:19; 1 Timothy 5:1-2; Philemon 10). All over the world there are those to whom we are bound by a common love for God and faith in Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:13).

​People frustrate us. They hurt us. We are appalled at something they said or did. Some get under our skin more than others. At times we feel that everybody is out to get us. Our anger may get the best of us. It causes us to say and do things we would not normally say and do. It can destroy ourselves and others.
 
So, what do we do? How does God teach us to deal with others, especially when we get really mad at somebody? 

​Just after 9-11 the roads were crowded on Sunday morning and people were filing into church buildings but that didn’t last long.  People don’t have time, they are too tired, too sick, there are too many hypocrites… I’ve heard all the excuses.
 
I suppose that assembling for worship could be made illegal tomorrow and many wouldn’t even know it until Christmas or perhaps next Easter when they decide to make an appearance at church. Others will find some way to get to church on Sunday morning but don’t seem to really care if they make the other services of the church.
 
If that’s you, I hope that you will seriously reconsider this whole matter of going to church.

​God bless all our “moms” on this Mother’s Day!
 
Here are a few passages from the Bible dealing with the concept of motherhood. They remind us that children are a gift from God; they teach us of the importance of our mothers and the honor they deserve.

• Genesis 3:20
• Exodus 20:12
• Leviticus 19:3
• 2 Kings 4:30
• Psalms 127:1-5
• Proverbs 1:8-9
• Proverbs 11:16
• Proverbs 23:22-25
• Proverbs 31:10-31
• Isaiah 49:15
• Isaiah 66:13
• Ezekiel 16:44
• Luke 2:51
• John 19:26-27
• 1 Peter 3:1-7
• 3 John 1:4

 
Spend some time reading, meditating and praying on these things that they might fill your heart and transform your life, today!

​There are those who believe that the church of Christ is just one of many other denominations and that it was founded by Alexander Campbell in the United States in the 19th century but this is not what the Bible teaches nor is it consistent with the historical record of the church of Christ.
 
Jesus promised to build His church (Matthew 16:18). The first congregation was founded in Jerusalem by the inspired preaching of the gospel of Christ through the apostles of Christ (Acts 2). As the gospel went forth many other churches of Christ were established throughout the world (Acts 1:8; Romans 16:16; Colossians 1:23).

​Many churches call themselves a Bible Church. They claim to adhere to the Bible, but they are not the church you read about in the Bible.
 
Most of them are accepting of denominational churches, largely made up of persons received from denominational churches and hold to the same doctrines as denominational churches yet refer to themselves as nondenominational (not affiliated with any denomination) when in fact they are interdenominational (drawing from many different denominations). The church of the Bible was undenominational (opposed to denominationalism). Christ built only one church and He did not want it to be divided into many different kinds of churches built by men (Matthew 16:18; John 17:20-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4; 5:23).

I have many friends and family members whom I dearly love that belong to different kinds of denominational churches. Each of these churches profess to be Christian but such denominations did not come from Christ. The Bible does not mention any such denominations.
​
The Bible teaches us that Christ built only one church (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:5; 5:23) which consists of every Christian (Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:13). These Christians would congregate in various locations around the world. These congregations were not a part of different denominations but were all churches of Christ (Romans 16:16). There were not many different kinds of Christians. They were all just Christians and members of the church of Christ.

​How is a person to navigate through life with all its challenges? There are so many decisions, changes, problems and questions. Who? What? When? Where? How? Why?
 
None of us has all the answers. You can read a lot of books and still not know what to do. Some just let life take them down whatever path it leads them. Others have their own mind about what they want and where they’re going.
 
But the Bible teaches us to let God be the navigator of our lives if we want to be truly blessed. This is the wisdom of Proverbs 3:5-7. Here we learn how to let God navigate life for us.