The audio recordings of the lessons from the Youth Lectureship 2009:

• Chris Nicholson: Encouragement to Parents (part 1)
• Chris Nicholson: Encouragement to Parents (part 2)
• Chris Nicholson: When to speak up and when to stay silent
• Ryan Sollars: A young person’s place in the church
• Derek Long: Young leaders in the Bible
• Chris Nicholson: Maintaining your faith
• Chris Nicholson: Peer pressure
• Chris Nicholson: Faithful kids–the parents’ role
• Chris Nicholson: Faithful kids–the church’s role

This year’s Youth Lectureship is titled “Young Christians in a Nutshell” and runs from Friday, March 27, through Saturday, March 28. Speakers and topics include:

• Chris Nicholson–”Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t: when to speak up and when to stay silent”; Friday, March 27 at 7PM
• Ryan Sollars–”The nut shouldn’t fall far from the tree: a young person’s place in the church”; Saturday, March 28 at 10AM
• Derek Long–”From a small acorn a mighty oak is grown: young leaders in the Bible”; Saturday, March 28 at 11AM
• Chris Nicholson–”Not cracking under pressure: maintaining your faith”; Saturday, March 28 at 2:15PM

Download the 2009 Youth Lectureship Flyer to hand out to your friends, family, co-workers, classmates and neighbors. Also on Wednesday and Thursday nights (March 25 & 26) at 7PM, Chris Nicholson will give lessons on how parents can encourage their children.

One of the first impressions obtained by a visitor to our services today is the fact that mechanical instruments are conspicuous by their absence. Being so commonly used in churches of today, the fact that we do not use mechanical instruments of music causes surprise and wonder on the part of many and not infrequently the question is raised, “Why do churches of Christ refuse the use of instruments of music in worship?”

Essential to a proper understanding of this matter are two very important questions: First, “What is the purpose of our worship anyway?” The Scriptures are crystal clear that our worship must be for the purpose of pleasing our Heavenly Father, inasmuch as that is the design and end of all of our worship. Jesus said, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and » Continue reading “Did The First Century Church Use Instrumental Music In Worship?”

Christian unity is not achieved by accident. It is achieved with diligence, purpose and commitment. The inspired apostle declared, “Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3 NAS).

Often the question is asked, “How can unity of God’s people be obtained and secured?” The Bible is the answer. Never has God’s word caused division! People are not divided over what the Bible teaches. They are divided by what the Bible does not teach; or by ignoring, or violating what the Bible does teach.

There is a way for unity; a way so right that it cannot be wrong; that is God’s word and God’s way. This way that cannot be wrong is found in Ephesians. » Continue reading “Does God Have A Plan For Unity Among All Believers?”

The charge is often made that baptism is excluded from the plan of redemption because it is a “work.” And since no one is saved by “works” (Eph. 2:9), baptism cannot be essential to salvation.

Is baptism a meritorious human work? Absolutely not. It cannot be a meritorious human work because our Lord commanded it when He said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

The Bible clearly teaches that we are not saved by works (Titus 3:4-7; Eph. 2:9). Yet the Bible also clearly teaches we are saved by works (James 2:14-24). Since the Bible does not contradict itself, it is obvious that two different kinds of works are under consideration in the above passages. » Continue reading “Is Baptism A Human Work?”

In the article “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”, it was pointed out that the gospel of Christ was preached in every case of conversion in order to produce faith. As that faith builds in our hearts it leads us to repent of our sins and that is made known by the confession of our faith in Jesus Christ. That faith finally culminates in what the Bible calls the new birth, baptism. It is from this watery grave that one rises to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4).

Those who attempt to refute the teaching of the Word of God regarding conversion often respond to this evidence by stating, “But what about the thief on the cross? He was saved without being baptized!” » Continue reading “What About The Thief On The Cross?”

One of the least recognized and yet one of the most serious problems of our day is an incorrect understanding of what is involved in a man’s salvation. This is critically important. Misinformation or partial information concerning a business investment may cost a person his money, but it will not cost him his soul. On the other hand, misinformation or partial information concerning salvation will cost a man his eternal destiny in heaven. Therefore, the question, “what must I do to be saved” is undoubtedly the most important of all the questions that a person could ask in relation to his own personal life.

To be “saved,” in biblical terminology, means to be saved from sin, spiritual death and hell, and to be saved unto righteousness, spiritual life and heaven. The word “salvation” in New Testament times was a word with three tenses: » Continue reading “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”

Most of the religious world believes that the Ten Commandments are binding upon people today and that we must obey them. This false idea comes from the fact that people fail to rightly divide the Scriptures as Paul urged Timothy to do (2 Tim. 2:15).

The Ten Commandments are a part of the covenant God made with Israel and gave to them at Mount Sinai (Deut. 4:13; Gal. 4:24). Notice the statement by Moses when he said, “Then Moses summoned all Israel, and said to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, {with} all those of us alive here today’” (Deut 5:1-3 NAS). » Continue reading “Should We Obey The Ten Commandments Today?”

Is there truly a God? How can anyone be sure such a being exists? We believe that the existence of God, and questions such as these relating to it, can be intelligently answered. However, the existence of God cannot be demonstrated to the five senses of man. God’s existence must be accepted by faith just as the writer said, “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Heb 11:3). This faith is not blind. The same writer said, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Therefore, faith is a conviction founded upon evidence, and we believe the evidence for God’s existence is overwhelming. » Continue reading “Does God Really Exist?”