Early Church of Christ

Brothers fighting over inheritance, disciples living on rice and beans, and heard-hearted scrooges living it up...does Jesus have something to say about that? Oh, you bet he does, and taken to heart it can change lives for the better at every level.

Monte Tuttle of Eastern European Missions gave us an update on the exciting things God is doing and Eastern Europe, Greece, and beyond.

As Jesus and his disciples approach Jerusalem, Jesus starts preparing them for the tension and spiritual battles that lie ahead.

Jesus and the Persnickety Dinner Host No one likes being judged, even less being called out for some faux pas by the host of a dinner party in front of all the guests. Yet, that is exactly what happened to Jesus. And when it did, Jesus used the occasion teach a lesson to the Pharisees about how holiness really comes about (hint: it's not from keeping traditional, elaborate hand washing ceremonies)...

Poor vision most often sets in over time, not overnight. Things at a distance get a little blurry, or as you age you find yourself having to move the menu farther and farther away so that you can read it. As Jesus speaks to a crowd full of religious leaders and lawyers, he reveals to them that their spiritual vision has gone bad. They are no longer able, because of sin, pride, and cynicism, to see...

It has always amazed me when reading the gospels how often Jesus' critics reacted in knee-jerk fashion, completely ruining what ought to be a beautiful moment of blessing. In today's text, we begin with Jesus driving out an evil spirit from a man who had been held captive and mute. When he spoke again, surely his words were praising God for his newfound freedom, and the crowd was amazed...but not...

German reformer Martin Luther once said, "To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." Jesus himself held prayer as a vital, daily part of his relationship with the Father, both privately and with his disciples. No wonder, then, the disciples come to him and ask him to teach them to pray as he did. Jesus gladly obliged, and gifted them--and us--with not...

Oswald Chambers, in his profoundly popular devotional book "My Utmost for Highest" (1924) said, "The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best." This is a lesson that Jesus taught Martha one day as she was getting crabby about her sister taking the time to learn from Jesus when she could have be...

Kent Jobe, who grew up in the Early CofC congregation and now preaches at the College Avenue Church of Christ in El Dorado, AR, shared an encouraging message with us on The Greatest Commandment.

SO...HOW DO I GET TO HEAVEN? It is the question that everyone has, but many refuse to ask, hoping that opening doors for others and not being on COPS: MOST WANTED will be enough. But this man had the guts to ask it: "Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answers his question with a question that leads to another question: "Who is my neighbor?" In other words, he asks...

FROM VICTORY TO VICTORY As the 72 disciples returned from their mission to spread the good news about the Kingdom of God to various towns and villages, they could barely catch their breath as they shared their excitement about their victories on the trip. And then Jesus shares with them a vision of a bigger picture, a greater battle, and an even more important victory--one that has repercussions f...

THIS IS YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT... [cue the Mission Impossible theme] The air was thick with a sense of urgency and excitement as Jesus gave instructions to 72 disciples--newly minted missionaries to villages that lie between them and Jerusalem. This second mission trip would go better than the first, but these last minute details showed they would also need to be even more fo...

A SERIES OF CHALLENGING EVENTS Luke 9 has been absolutely packed with important events and teaching in the life of Christ, and this last section ups the volume. Jesus is increasingly intense and open about the coming crucifixion, but the disciples are missing the point(s). In today's passage, we will find them--and by extension us--pushed by Jesus to cast the sideshows and temptations aside and fo...

As Jesus, Peter, James, and John came back from what was both figuratively and literally a mountain top experience, they found a healing gone wrong and frustrated crowd. It was enough to make Jesus ask question how long even his patience could last. You know those moments. It's like coming back from a much needed vacation only to find that everyone has slacked off in every way, and made all the cu...

WHO IS THIS MAN, JESUS? This is still the central question Luke's constantly bringing us to. Who is Jesus? In Luke 9:18-20, Jesus asks Peter who he thinks he is. Peter's reply: "God’s Messiah." Many in our time see Jesus as merely a great moral teacher. He had some wonderful things to say, but he is a "god". But this brings us to a problem that I will let C. S. Lewis, author of Mere Christianity e...

WHO IS THIS MAN, JESUS? Throughout Luke's gospel, this has been the central question, asked in various ways, over and over again. You have asked this question, too, haven't you? Who is Jesus? Is he just another teacher, a prophet, something more? THOSE WHO KNEW HIM BEST The disciples had been so impressed by his teaching that they left everything they knew to follow him, study him, and slowly beco...

There is an old hymn that gets stuck in my head and heart from time to time, one I learned in the earliest days of my walk with Christ, one that never lets go. "O To Be Like Thee" was written by Thomas Chisholm in 1897. Its music may be dated, but its spirit should never be. As we continue our journey through the life of Christ in the Gospel of Luke, its second stanza fits like a soundtrack: Oh! t...

Poor disciples. It had been a hard, exhausting day, followed by a near-deadly storm at night, plus the emotional drain of having been rebuked by Jesus for having so little faith. And this was supposed to be their trip to rest and recuperate. We don't know if they left the boat and expected to finally rest, or if by this time they were trepidatious about what shoe was going to fall next. If it was...

WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH, THE ROUGH GET...A NAP??? When I was a kid, my dog was terrified by storms. The slightest clap of thunder and opening of the back door and she was in the house, down the stairs, and into a corner that was the single farthest spot in the house from that door back out into a scary, loud storm. She expected us to give her a place of peace when peace had fled her world. I ima...

Guest Speaker: Jerry DeBord

This week we are further into Jesus' use of parables in his teaching ministry. Jesus was a master at using simple stories and examples to illustrate and illuminate deeper truths. This time, he starts with lighting a simple oil lamp in in the middle of a dark room...

As Jesus continues teaching throughout the Judea countryside, he shares a parable about a farmer who goes out to sow seed in hopes of a great harvest. But there are a couple of things about this farmer that seem, well, upside down and backwards. Just what is Jesus up to?

Yann Opsitch, retired professor from ACU, preacher at the Jim Ned Church of Christ, missionary, and author from France was our guest this year for Missions Sunday. He shared his story of coming to faith, and passages that led him to faith and ministry along the way.

TABLE FELLOWSHIPThroughout the New Testament, there is a great value assigned to time spent around a table. So much, in fact, that Jesus slandered by his enemies as being a drunk and a glutton! (Luke 7:34) Truth is, Jesus loved people, and loved to meet them where they were most themselves--he loved to be at their table. Just think of all the scenes from Zacchaeus to Mary and Martha's house at Bet...

John the Baptist. If ever there was a man whose convictions and faith were so solid that the word "doubt" might be taken as offensive, it would be John. Yet, here we are. At the time of the events in Luke 7, we find that John is in prison (see Matthew 11 for this detail), and his disciples are keep him informed about Jesus' incredible ministry. So John send them to ask if he really is the Messiah....