Shadyside Church of Christ

We celebrate just about anything these days from sports victories to birthdays to National Donut Day. But we Christians tend not to celebrate our spiritual victories very much, and that is a mystery. However, the greatest celebration ever is yet to come, and that will be when Jesus returns, raises the dead in Christ and lifts us all into the air to be with Him. It will be a reunion with those gone...

A lawyer asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life, and Jesus directed him to the scriptures. He identified the correct commands - those which had to do with loving God and one's neighbor. But this lawyer asked about who was his neighbor so that he might make himself look good by loving those particular people. Jesus masterfully turned the tables by telling the parable of the good Samaritan t...

Jesus called Himself gentle and humble in heart. And He also showed Himself to be just that in giving up divine privileges to become human. He was born into a lowly family and grew up a carpenter. He owned no property and accumulated no wealth. When He rode into Jerusalem and was hailed as a great prophet, He was on a donkey. He died the death of a criminal. Truly surprising for the Creator of the...

In removing the Aaronic priesthood of Moses, God ushered in a better covenant by a priesthood which would continue forever - Christ Jesus was ordained a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Under this new covenant, sins could be totally removed (forgiven) because the sacrifice was none other than Jesus Himself, the Lamb of God. Disciples of Jesus are privileged to serve as priests although they...

We continue in this series with a brief look at the priesthood under the law of Moses. Aaron, Moses' brother, and his sons were chosen by the Lord to be priests and they underwent a seven-day consecration ritual to set them apart for God's holy service. The law was very specific about the duties of the priests and the various sacrifices which were to be offered. But the priesthood became...

Since Adam & Eve sinned in Eden, there has been a need for a "go between" with God and man. God Himself provided for such a "go between" in the work and person of a priest. It was God who established the office of a priest and designated his purposes, duties and responsibilities. From early in Genesis, the work of the priest was performed, the most striking example being th...

God's Book regularly reminds us of the brevity of life, and that there is much to be done in the time we are allotted. Not meant to be a "downer," this is just to impress upon us the reality of life. We humans, however, tend to put things off and think we have "all the time in the world." Scripture affirms such is not the case, and that we need to get busy with what we nee...

It is said that no one can prove the existence of God. This may well be true, but God has left more than enough evidence, even very powerful witness to His existence. From the wonders of complex design and the intricate structures in the cell to the convicting power of Holy Scripture to the Person of Jesus of Nazareth both crucified and resurrected, the witnesses all testify with boldness and auth...

Why do we do some of the things we do? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Why did you by that home gym now collecting dust in the basement? Why did you buy that oversize truck which gets 9 miles per gallon? Sometimes we have no good answer. When it comes to our souls and spiritual lives, we need to have good reason for what we do. Paul suffered great and numerous hardships for the cause o...

Jesus was called a friend of sinners by his adversaries - and He truly was! The reason He became one of us was to give us comfort, peace and hope so He focused on the individual more than the situation that each was in. He "loved" the young ruler who had much wealth. He marveled at and praised the faith of a pagan centurion. He did not condemn the woman caught in adultery. He knew who we...

Paul has no hesitation in affirming this group of believers as the church of God and that they were in Christ, had received the grace of God, were in fellowship with Jesus Christ and would be confirmed "blameless" to the day of Christ. Then he goes on in the bulk of the letter (1 Corinthians) to point out all of their failings and even immoral behavior! We have to ask: "What's...

The new year 2018 is upon us (the Lord willing),  We know not what great blessings which God might bestow upon us which will be cause for rejoicing and thanking God.  We also do not know what troubles the devil might bring and temptations which the world will throw at us, so we need some words to fight by.  We need reminders of the power, glory and purposes of the God who is "for" us.  A...

Over the years, people have painted and sculpted what they thought our Lord looked like, but the New Testament is silent on Jesus' physical appearance. Was He short? Tall? Of rugged build? What color were His eyes? Hair? We just don't know. Perhaps God is telling us something in this?! But when we consider the whole person of our Lord, we do know what Jesus looked like. He looked like a...

It was prophesied in Isaiah that the promised Messiah was to be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Knowing that names correspond to the character and position of the one so named, we ask if Jesus fulfills the meanings contained in all of these names? Was this child born in an obscure village in occupied Judah really God being a man? And if it'...

All too often we make decisions or take positions with out really examining their logical consequences. Such is the case with atheism whose adherents often have chosen a non-belief in God to avoid having any restraints in their lifestyles (especially sexual) and to escape any end of time judgment (so they believe). However, atheism logically leads us to the following conclusions: We are worthless....

Without faith a person cannot be pleasing to God. But what is faith? Many have tried to come up with a simplistic definition, but since faith is such a complex idea, finding a definition is difficult. A "picture" of faith is a better approach, and this is exactly what God through the author of Hebrews gives us in chapters nine and ten of the book. It's worth careful consideration to...

Jesus was asked by what authority He taught what He did, healed people, cast out demons, etc. It was a legitimate question. Authority seems to be something which is shoved into the background these days. People are bending the rules, breaking the rules, and even making up their own rules! How does that work? Scripture affirms that all (legitimate) authority rests with God. He created this planet a...

It has been said that you can't out give God. God's blessings flow daily upon all people with gifts for the body, the heart and the soul. When Jesus lived among us, He was continually opening up a treasure trove of God's gifts to humanity. Sometimes, though, we fail to see the gifts and appreciate them. And sometimes, we just focus on the gifts and forget the greatest One of all.

Over the years, many have thrown aside Jesus and His teaching in favor of science, worldly religions and human philosophies to provide the answers to life's questions and give guidance on how to live. But Jesus is just as real today, and His words are just as true as they've ever been. And when we ask such questions as: Is there really a God? What kind of God is He? Why is there pain and...

We've all seen the TV shows in which somebody buys a house on the market, goes in and extensively remodels it, and then resells it. We like to watch them break down walls, tear out old kitchens and re-purpose living space. We love to see the finished home. When a person becomes a Christian, a similar process takes place. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus comes to dwell in that person. When He co...

In His confrontation with Satan, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Now we like to eat and do a good job of providing "bread" for the body. How much do you eat in a week? How many times? It seems we are always going to the fridge or looking in the pantry for something to nibble on. So how well do we do with feeding our soul? How...

Israel was "up against it" when they came out of Egypt. Pharaoh's army was pursuing and the Red Sea was a barrier in front of them. They could not see a way out and began to cry out in fear. But the Lord had a plan (He always does), and He made a way thru the Sea for them to escape. The Lord still helps His people out of trouble today. He is God!! When we can't see any way out...

Jesus refers to Himself as the good shepherd in John 10, and He speaks there of some of the blessings for those who are shepherded by Him. David wrote in Psalm 23 of the blessings which came to him since the Lord was his shepherd in life. If a person were truly letting Jesus shepherd them, would not their life be characterized by the one which David describes in his psalm? Hmmm?

Last week we talked about the design and purposes of God's family. But is God's family for everybody? Some believe that only certain folks are eligible to be part of God's family, the body of Christ, the church. You know, you have to have achieved some standard of good or not done certain things in your past. Is this true? And how does this all work? The Bible speaks of people being...

There are a lot of differing views floating around out there about the family of God, i.e. the church. Some people see it as this rather faceless body of Christians worldwide. Others believe it's all about a once a week worship service. What does the Bible teach about the family of God? Who is part of it, and what are its purposes? Like all things which God created, He designed for His family...