Posts by Liberty Church of Christ
Baptism and the Risen Jesus
We have been discussing the connection between baptism and Jesus in this space in recent weeks. We find Jesus referenced in passages about baptism more than anything else; baptism is in or into the name of Jesus, meaning that we united with him, commit to follow his teachings, and enjoy the blessings he bestows. Last week, we looked at one of those blessings prominently discussed: forgiveness of sins. Baptism unites us with the death of Jesus, where he shed his…
Forgiveness of Sins
In our last article, we discussed how, above anything else, baptism is associated with the name of Jesus: we commit ourselves to become his followers, we unite ourselves with His teachings, and we receive His blessings. What are those blessings? First and foremost is the forgiveness of sins. The Day of Pentecost Imagine the scene that Luke records in Acts 2. Jerusalem was bursting at the seams with pilgrims who had come for Pentecost. Suddenly, a sound like a violent…
Opportunity Still Knocks
From time to time, I think it is good to revisit articles that have been written by others in the past—even if I have printed them in this space before. The following article is by Cleon Lyles and originally appeared in “Just a Moment” in March 1962. Looking at my records, it appears that I published it here back in July of 2018. But there’s a lot of us who either weren’t here at that time or perhaps missed it—and…
Growth vs. Bloat
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus…
We Ought to Be a Most Thankful People
It has become my own Thanksgiving tradition to print historical Thanksgiving Proclamations in this space. The American Presidency Project at the University of California-Santa Barbara has collected all of them for anyone to read; if this sort of thing interests you, I encourage you to check them out. I find historical Thanksgiving Proclamations to be interesting with the insights they provide into the times in which they were issued. While perusing that database, I cam across this lesser-known example from…
A Note from the South Pacific
We were privileged to have our brother Rod Kyle, the missionary we support in New Zealand, report to us on Wednesday evening. Many of you were unable to be here for that, so I thought it might be good to include an excerpt from the latest email he sent us from earlier in the summer right before he left on his tour of the US to report. Barbara emails these to everyone when they come in, but it could be…
Fear-Based Discipleship in the Churches of Christ
I have written and preached on this topic more than once since I have been here. But this article by Jack Wilkie, published this week, was so on point I wanted you to read it too. It’s length barely allows it to fit here, but it is worth your attention. As always, I encourage you to check out his substack, “Church Reset.” -BP “ I just hope I’ve done enough to get in to heaven.” Every time I hear an…
Once More Upon a Pew
I published this in the bulletin here before, a little over 3 years ago. But in thinking about our call for Bible class teachers (and Bible class attendance!), it came to my mind again. Of course, it goes beyond just Bible class—with restarting our Wednesday evening services this summer, our new Sunday night routine, and numerous other opportunities for service as we try to reengage after an unusual last 18 months, there are constant announcements made and items in the…
9 Excuses People Make for Not Going to Church
I didn’t really know what I wanted to say this week here. I almost left it blank just to see who noticed. But then I stumbled upon this article by Wes McAdams that touches on some things I’ve been thinking about more directly (read: less passive-aggressively). Think about it. -BP I don’t like the phrase, “Going to church.” It makes people think “church” is simply an event to attend, rather than who we are every day of the week. That…
Disciples Aren’t Made on Sunday
This is another article recently published by Jack Wilke. It is actually an excerpt from his book, “Church Reset,” which we used in a Bible class here a few years ago. I wanted to print it in this space because it goes hand in hand with our current sermon series on building real community in the church. If you missed that class, consider buying the book and reading it for yourself—it has some excellent insights. -BP There’s a reason Jesus…
Are You Christian, or Christian-ish?
I read this new article on Jack Wilkie’s “Church Reset” substack a couple of weeks ago and knew immediately I wanted to share it here (and would have then if I did not already have something written). It neatly encapsulates some of the very same concerns that I have talked about before. As always, I encourage you to check out his page for more excellent content. -BP Are you Christian, or Christian-ish? What’s the difference? The Christian-ish is a phenomenon…
The Church of Christ and World-Powers
We celebrated Independence Day earlier this week. While we often reflect on the Founding Fathers of our nation at this time, I also think it is valuable for us to occasionally contemplate what our spiritual forebears might teach us.. David Lipscomb was the editor of the Gospel Advocate for more than 50 years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Fittingly, we have for your consideration his views on the relationship between Christians and the civil government, a topic…