Shadyside Church of Christ

Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and He indeed established His rule by overcoming the powers of Satan, even death.  From that time until today, people are invited into the kingdom to serve Jesus the King and receive the benefits of His rule.  He is coming back to take His loyal subjects with Him into "His heavenly kingdom."  Are you ready? Scriptures:   Matthew 3:...

Paul refers to our body as an earthly "tent" and notes that we "groan" while living in it as we look forward to a heavenly "house."  He writes that despite the pains of our decaying body, the inner person is being renewed day by day, and everything is working toward an "eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison."  With all this in mind, and more, the...

Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and earth.  In turn, Jesus has given authority to His disciples to carry out His will on the earth.  He has authorized Christians to investigate the scriptures for truth; to examine everything to determine good and evil; and to make disciples by proclaiming the gospel, baptizing the nations and teaching them to observe everything Jesus commanded. Script...

esus warned His disciples of the leaven (yeast) of the Pharisees and Sadducees meaning that their teaching was a harmful influence.  The world is like this today.  On the other hand, He taught that the kingdom of heaven was like leaven in a lump of dough, that it would permeate everything around it.  Christians need to be pro-active in influencing the world around them for good. Scriptures:  Galat...

Information is available to us today on all sorts of media platforms.  We can get guidance on everything from how to shoe a horse to what makes a good chef's salad.  But people have often been ripped off and totally misguided by some of this information.  Back in the day, Solomon wrote a "blog" for daily living.  What he wrote is fully trustworthy because it's the wisdom of God...

How much do we contribute to our own salvation?  Many believers like to think they contribute something.  We are schooled to be people who work hard and even "pull ourselves up by the bootstraps."  However, when it comes to our salvation, it doesn't work that way.  We don't have what it takes - zero, zip, zilch.  Thank God that He has given us what we need in His Son Jesus!  Ev...

Through the centuries, God has used people of varying backgrounds to accomplish His will: farmers, shepherds, fishermen, et al.  Joseph, the carpenter, is a great example of this.  He willingly took the pregnant Mary to be his wife and reared Jesus as if He were his own son.  We can learn much from Joseph. Scriptures:   Matthew 1:18-25;  Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23;  Luke 2:41-50;  Matthew 13:53-58;  P...

Jesus prayed for His disciples whom He was leaving in the world but who were not of the world.  This, of course, creates obvious problems for those who follow Jesus since the world has different values and often opposes Christians.  Nehemiah encountered opposition when he led a group of Israelites to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.  We can learn a lot from how he handled that situation. Scriptures:...

Once again, unidentified anomalous phenomena (new name for UFO's) are in the news.  Are there aliens out there?  Have we been visited?  Does the Bible have anything to say about unidentified anomalous phenomena or visitors from another reality?  Actually, the answer is yes, but probably not what you think. Scriptures:  2 Kings 2:5-14;  2 Kings 6:8-17;  Luke 2:8-15;  Acts 2:1-8;  John 4:23-24;...

This year we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of our country and particularly the freedoms which we enjoy.  Few peoples have enjoyed such freedoms.  However, Jesus came to give all people even greater freedoms.  "It was for freedom that Christ set us free" (Galatians 5:1).  What are these priceless freedoms?  Do you have them? Scriptures:   Galatians 5:1;  2 Timothy 2:24-26;  Romans...

Every one of us carries around a load of cares and concerns about life and one's soul.  They can become so numerous and worrisome that a person gets weighed down and unable to function properly.  Jesus is well aware of the weight of these loads and offers His help.  He will help you discard what you can, and then help you carry the others.  But you must do it His way. Scriptures:  Matthew 9:3...

Dads have a major responsibility in rearing their children in the training and admonition of the Lord.  As such, they need to take their cues from our heavenly Father in the way He teaches and disciplines us.  If they don't follow the Lord's example, their children will suffer both immediate and long term harm. Scriptures:  1 John 3:1;  Ephesians 6:4;  Hebrews 12:4-10;  Romans 8:14-17

Besides Jesus, Peter is the only human being to walk on water.  With the wind howling and the waves churning, Peter tells Jesus to command him to come to Him.  But it wasn't all about Jesus.  Peter had to do three things himself for this to happen.  Do you know what they were?  They are they same things we must do to follow Jesus and "walk on water." Scriptures:   2 Corinthians 5:7;...

According to a recent survey, many Christians are now using AI (artificial intelligence) for personal Bible study and even for spiritual guidance.  Is this a good idea?  Can a computer programmed machine be relied upon to give faithful and true witness to the word of God?  What tools has God already set in place for us to understand His word and provide spiritual direction?  Hmmm? Scriptures:  2 T...

From time to time, that TV preacher comes on the air and tells us we are sinners and need to get right with God.  He is absolutely correct.  But then, he tells you to say a prayer to confess your sins and that you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  He might even say to invite Jesus into your heart.  Sadly, none of these are taught in the Bible for us to do to get right with the Lord. S...

When the world's on fire, what will matter?  Will it be how much stuff you've accumulated, such as wealth, property, degrees, status, etc.?  Or will it be what you have done with the years and resources and talents God has given you to serve Him and to be a blessing to others?  Hmmm? Scriptures:  2 Peter 3:3-9;  2 Peter 3:10-13;  Luke 12:13-21;  Philippians 2:12-16;  2 Timothy 4:6-8

Rahab was a resident of Jericho when Israel came to conquer Canaan.  Yet, she and her family did not perish with the others of her city.  How did that come about?  Rahab's faith is noted two times in the New Testament.  How did she come to believe and in whom?  Rahab's faith is worthy of our attention. Scriptures:   Hebrews 11:1;  Romans 10:17;  Joshua 2:1-11;  James 2:25-26;  Joshua 2:1...

The Holy Spirit is given to us at baptism to help in this conflict between good and evil.  We can, however, resist or quench the Spirit as He leads us to do what's right and good.  Paul writes of the works of the flesh being in stark contrast to the fruit of the Spirit.  If we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit, love, joy, peace, et al, will blossom in our lives. Scriptures:  Acts 2:38;...

We briefly explore two questions.  What is the role of the Holy Spirit today?  It may surprise you that the Holy Spirit is not (as so many people mistakenly believe) all about the Holy Spirit!   Then, what is the "gift of the Holy Spirit" of which Peter spoke in Acts 2:38?  If we let the context inform us, the answer may surprise you as well. Scriptures:  John 16:7-15;  Acts 1:4-8;  Acts...

The topic of works in scripture can be confusing since there are several different kinds.  A work or deed is simply something a person does, but the reason or purpose for it is important.  There are good works and evil deeds which anyone can do.  Then there are works of the Law of Moses.  There are works of obedience and love.  We must be careful to differentiate among them. Scriptures:   Matthew...

The vine imagery is used in several places in scripture to refer to God's people and His desire for them to bear good fruit.  For the most part, Israel failed at this (Isaiah 5), and God planted the "true vine" - His Son Jesus to produce the desired good fruit of His glory.  Jesus warns that to bear much fruit, individuals must remain in Him, otherwise they will be cut off and burne...

The conflict between God and the devil has raged since the beginning.  Christians are naturally drawn into this battle by choosing Christ.  But this is a life and death struggle, and those who choose the side of the Lord must fight to win - otherwise, they will lose.  There's no place for slacking off or just going through the motions. Scriptures:   Revelation 12:1-4;  Revelation 12:5-9;  Rev...

Paul had great praise for Epaphroditus who risked his life "for the work of Christ."  Paul called him a "fellow worker," a "fellow soldier" and "my brother."  We can all learn much from Epaphroditus about serving in the kingdom of God. Scriptures:   Mark 10:43-45;  Philippians 1:3-8;  Philippians 4:18;  Philippians 2:19-26;  Philippians 2:27-30;  Philippians...

The word "evangelism" conjures up pictures of campaigns and door knocking.  But one of the easiest and still effective means of reaching people with the gospel is to invite them to worship.  Jesus invited people to follow Him.  When he had found the Messiah, Philip encouraged Nathanael to "Come and see."  He did, and the rest is history. Scriptures:   John 1:43-44;  John 1:45-4...

God gave Israel the blood of sacrificial animals to make atonement, or a covering, for their sins.  Now, Jesus' blood has been given to all people as a sacrifice for sin which will completely remove sins and provide forgiveness.  But how does a person avail themselves of Jesus' sacrificial blood?