Stock photography on church web sites

Jonathan Charles
Is stock photography on church web sites appropriate? It irks me to see it. I think it is false and deceptive. You are lead to believe that these happy, multi-ethnic, multi-generational attend this church when they do not. Why can’t churches post pictures of their own members?

Discussion

Snippet 1 - The King hears the gospel

mmarprelate

Below is a selection from one of my unpublished novels. It is categorized as Christian Science Fiction. The main character, DeWitt Wynton hears the gospel clearly for the first time. ********************************************************************************************************************** Vitti had an almost impish sense of self-deprecation which was charming. I thought about that as I worked through the tea ritual. After taking a sip I spoke. “I should apologize for being unaware of your role in the church on Albicore.

Discussion

Many Trinitarians are actually Modalists

Ed Vasicek
Another thread led me to a paper by Fred Sanders in which he writes:
One of the most difficult aspects of coming to terms with Oneness Pentecostalism is

that these churches are culturally and sociologically evangelical. They have a high view

of Scripture‟s authority, a heart for worship, a passion for evangelizing, and a

commitment to living lives marked by holiness. Though they struggle with legalism,

they are often marked by grace, and they certainly say all the right things about salvation

Discussion

Genealogies

Barbara H.
There are two warnings about genealogies in Scripture:

I Timothy 1:4: Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

Titus 3:9: But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

What was the problem with genealogies?

Discussion

Confidence in the Word, Part 2

Gary Gilley
(See Part 1) This article appeared originally in Voice magazine, July/Aug 2009. It appears here with some format editing.

The church at Colosse apparently had come under the influence of the early stages of Gnosticism. Gnostics taught that certain individuals were privy to mystical sources of knowledge beyond the Scriptures. If one wanted to move on to maturity, according to the Gnostics, he had to tap into this extra-biblical knowledge through the methods that they taught. The Colossians, under this influence, were leaving behind the apostolic instruction concerning the Christian life (vv. 1-7) and were being deluded into adding at least five things to God’s Word.

Philosophy

Colossians 2:8-15 warns of the danger of being taken captive through philosophy and empty deception. “Philosophy” means the “love of wisdom” and the book of Proverbs tells us that the love of wisdom is a worthy pursuit (Proverbs 4:6). God does not oppose wisdom; He is against the wrong kind of wisdom. Paul warns of a pseudo-wisdom that can be identified by three characteristics:

• It is according to the traditions of men. That is, wisdom that comes from the mind of men, not the mind of God.

• It is according to the elementary principles of the world. This is likely a reference to the attempt to gain esoteric knowledge through mystical means, something the Gnostics loved (see v. 18).

• It is not according to Christ. True wisdom is found in Christ “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (v. 3). The Colossians were searching in the wrong place for wisdom. What they were looking for was found in Christ, through the Word, not in the philosophies of men.

Discussion

Confidence in the Word, Part 1

Gary Gilley
This article appeared originally in Voice magazine, July/Aug 2009. It appears here with some format editing.

Discussion