Gooch Lane Church of Christ Podcast

Volunteering can be dangerous. If one volunteers for a duty without having all the details, the job may very well be an unpleasant surprise! The prophet Isaiah was one such volunteer; though he didn’t have the details of the work, he had seen the presence of God and knew that no matter what he was called on to do, it was worthwhile and good. In this, he sets a tremendous example for the people of...

In this Community Bible Study, Greg Chandler presents the "Big Picture of the Bible" and concise explanation of the overarching story of the entire Bible. A sermon given by Greg Chandler on March 3, 2024.

The concepts of justice and righteousness run deep throughout the Bible. For certain, these qualities permeate the character of God as He provides what is very best for humanity. As God consistently displays these qualities, He expects the same of His people. Not only will this study focus on God’s display of these attributes, but it will also discuss how we can live these attributes in practical...

With springlike weather, it won’t take long for gardeners to begin getting excited about upcoming plantings. Care will be taken to get soil prepped and ready, seeds ordered, and garden tools sharpened so that everything will be conducive to good growth. What, though, if God was the gardener? Through the prophet Isaiah, God described His people as a vineyard, elaborating on the great care He had ta...

To be holy as God is holy means putting away all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander (I Peter 2:1). Still, there may be those who choose not only to keep these unholy characteristics but to also use them against others. While this is always difficult, it is especially hard when it is a fellow Christian. How does God expect me to deal with it if I find myself in such a situation? How do I...

Throughout the Bible, particularly Psalms and Lamentations, God demonstrates how to handle those times in life when it appears He is far away. Though the writers’ situations varied, they were united in recognizing the need to approach God to ask why bad things were happening and when He would come to their rescue. Their writings help the modern generation when those same types of situations occur....

Being holy as the Lord is holy brings one to love fellow believers with a sincere and fervent love. This type of love, however, requires significant changes in attitude; any thought or behavior that seeks another’s harm must be put away. As believers model their lives after their Savior, they become living stones that are fit for building a spiritual house for God. This study will discuss putting...

How do you know if you are holy as God is holy? In answering that question, many might say it is an Inner, “better felt than told experience.” Others might consider it great works that testify quite publicly of one’s changed status. Peter, however, states that proof of holy living is seen in the treatment of fellow Christians. This study will examine how attitudes and actions directed toward membe...

For years, Christians have sung about “amazing grace” and “grace that is greater than all our sins.” Indeed, a lack of appreciation for God’s gracious gift of salvation is to miss His grand gift seen in the work of Jesus Christ. This, however, is not the full picture of grace. The apostle Peter wrote, “Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”...

Nearing the time of His death, Jesus prayed to the Father not only about the mission He was bringing to its grand conclusion but also for those who would take His gospel into all the world. As a part of His requests to the Father, He prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). His requests did not stop here; He also prayed for those who would hear the message of the apos...

This study will focus on how both congregationally and individually, we can develop habits and strategies to grow in our holiness in 2024. A sermon given by Greg Chandler on January 7, 2024.

After 40 years in the wilderness, likely very little seemed new to Moses; however, a burning bush that did not burn up ended the monotony! As he approached this spectacle, he heard none other than the voice of God commanding him to take off his shoes since he was on holy ground. With this command, a 40-year partnership with God commenced that would forever seal his name as a faithful and loyal ser...

A report on the evangelism work in Malawi given by Larry Vinson on December 31, 2023.

No one enjoys being ripped off; however, thousands of years of unscrupulous business practices have sought to hide defects so that unassuming buyers receive inferior merchandise at premium prices. It was with this idea in mind that the Apostle Paul wrote, “Let love be genuine” or, as the older translations state it, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” His message was simple; don’t allow some inferior...

Language translation can be tricky business! Ask anyone who has sought to converse with another but inadvertently used the wrong word, thus bringing about confusion, misunderstanding, embarrassment, or all of the above. Sometimes the difficulty lies not in using the wrong word but in the fact that a word from one language does not easily find a comparable companion in another. Biblically, this is...

Working as a prophet of God required tough stock. These servants were often persecuted and vilified by those in darkness as God revealed His light through them. Jeremiah was one such man. His ministry was long and treacherous, with those who should have known better often being his chief enemies. Though unknown to him, he also foreshadowed the coming of another great Prophet who was much more than...

Few relationships in the Bible are closer than that of Paul and Timothy. As Paul saw Timothy’s spiritual maturing, he did not view him as the “future of the church,” though certainly that would be the case. Instead, he viewed him as a son in the faith and as a fellow soldier in the kingdom. His efforts proved invaluable to Paul, especially as he was imprisoned. The trust Paul had in this young man...

Borrowing the Lord’s imagery from Revelation 1-3, we will discuss how a congregation can evaluate its own efforts to please Christ and make sure that its lampstand is firmly in place. A sermon given by Greg Chandler on December 3, 2023.

The opportunity for salvation from sin is the best discovery one can make in life and, while God could have made this difficult to obtain, He did not. As Peter spoke to the crowds on the Day of Pentecost, these people realized their need for salvation. Years later, as he wrote what is now known as I Peter, the message that he gave to the crowd on Pentecost had not changed. This study will demonstr...

Throughout the Bible’s entirety, there is a heavy emphasis on obeying the commands given by God. In fact, Jesus stated, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). There is, however, the danger of coming to believe that obedience to the commandments is all that is involved in loving God; such a conclusion is spiritually detrimental! This study will focus on what it means to have...

With Thanksgiving Day quickly approaching, counting blessings should be on the mind of every American. For the people of God, this should be a daily endeavor. To emphasize the importance of thanksgiving, the biblical writers spent much time meditating on and encouraging others in the pursuit of counting blessings. In this study, we will focus on what it means to be grateful and how this can be ill...

Sadly, the 2,000-year-old pathway of Christianity is littered with many who began the walk with Jesus but chose not to continue. The writer of Hebrews warned his readers about this danger and strongly encouraged them not to give up on Jesus. This sermon will discuss what it takes to complete our journey with Jesus and what pitfalls to avoid along the way. A sermon given by Greg Chandler on Novembe...

A sermon given by Greg Kiel on Sunday, November 5, 2023.

After all the amazing miracles associated with the prophet Elisha, it may seem a bit surprising that he has only one fleeting mention in the New Testament. As the Lord opens the scroll in Nazareth to announce Himself as the One who fulfills the Scriptures as the Messiah, His listeners are perplexed. Can it really be that “our Jesus” is the one? Cutting no slack for their lack of belief, Jesus uses...

Healed from leprosy, Naaman rejoiced and vowed loyalty to Yahweh, stating, “There is no God in all the earth but in Israel.” With the prophet Elisha’s blessing of peace, he began his journey back home as a changed man. Sadly, this magnificent display of God’s power to heal and save was muddied by the ungodly actions of a man who believed a price needed to be paid for God’s kindness. This study wil...