Back to the Bible

Major construction has begun on Highway 290 in front of the church building, which is scheduled for 2 years. Because of this, you may have to drive a different way to get to the building.

From Highway 290 in Houston: Turn left at the first light (Blue Bell Rd / FM-577). This takes you into the industrial park. Follow the road until you get to the stop sign at the feeder road, then turn right onto that road, and then turn right onto Highway 290. Stay in the right-hand lane and our parking lot entrance is just after the pawn shop. Please be aware that you are turning from a main lane of 50-MPH traffic.

From State Highway 105: Turn left onto Blue Bell Rd (FM-577), cross Highway… Continue reading

by Joe R. Price

President Obama formally notified Congress on Thursday that the U.S. government needs another $1.2 trillion in borrowing authority. "The written certification to raise the debt ceiling to $16.394 trillion starts a 15‑day clock for Congress to consider and vote on a joint resolution disapproving of the increase" ("Obama Sends Congress Notice to Raise Federal Debt Ceiling", BusinessWeek.com).

Our debt of sin is even greater than the U.S. national debt. We have no ability, no strength, to pay the debt of sin we owe (cf. Matt. 18:23‑27). But thanks be to God, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6).

In spite of our sin (indeed, because of it), God’s love offers us escape from sin’s crushing debt… Continue reading

by Stan Cox

Paraskevidekatriaphobia is a medical term, derived from the Greek language, used to nominate the fear of Friday the 13th. (paraskevi—Friday; dekatreís—13; phobia—fear). The day (one of which occurred this past week) is considered by many a day of bad luck, though such a correlation with the date seems to be of relatively recent origin, (the last 150 years or so).

The term phobia is used to designate an extreme or irrational fear or aversion. Consider the following quote from Wikipedia:

“According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Making it the most feared day and date in history. Some people are so paralyzed… Continue reading

by Joe R. Price

By the start of the third decade of the 16th century, William Tyndale had already been on the run for five years. The king of England, Henry VIII, had declared him a felon. Fleeing Roman Catholic authorities in London (never to return to England), he went first to Cologne, France, and then Worms, Germany. What crime had this "evil" man committed? Of what rebellious act of treason was he guilty? He dared to translate and then print the New Testament in the English language!

In England in the 1520′s (indeed, throughout Europe during the middle ages), unless you were literate in Hebrew, Greek or Latin, reading the Bible for yourself was impossible. You had to rely upon what the Roman Catholic clergy said the Bible contained… Continue reading

by Alexander Campbell

Christians, do you read the Bible in your families every day? Do you read it in your closet every day? And do you read it not to quiet your conscience as a work of penance; but do you read it as a pleasure anxiously to be sought after? If you do, I need not tell you what utility, pleasure, and happiness is in the blessed employment. But if you do not, you may rest assured there is something greatly wrong, which, if it is not abandoned, subdued, or vanquished soon, will cause you sorrows, if not agonies, when you will be less able to conflict with them than at present. Resolve this moment, I pray you, that you will begin today to read the Bible, to enjoy… Continue reading

By Mark Mayberry

On the night of His betrayal, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, thus stressing the importance of humble service (John 13:3‑17). In this lesson, let us consider how cultivating such a spirit of service helps overcome an assortment of self‑destructive attitudes.

Key to Overcoming Poverty

A spirit of service is key to overcoming poverty. Sometimes physical privation is purely circumstantial; sometimes it is rooted in pathological behavior (Prov. 13:4; 21:25‑26; 26:13‑16). Regarding the former, we should be sympathetic and supportive; regarding the latter, Holy Scripture stresses the need for changes in lifestyle. Diligence must replace a spirit of slothfulness; exertion must replace a spirit of entitlement; self‑control must replace a spirit of self‑indulgence. Heeding the inspired apostolic admonition, let us serve others, in sincerity of heart, with good… Continue reading

by Jerry Fite

Are you tired of living like the world? Are you fed up with feeling empty? Is your soul crying out for change that makes you better? Then, take a moment and think on the following exhortation: “and be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

If we are to continue in this body, we must remain in this world and continue to intermingle with our fellow man. Being “fashioned” by the world’s wisdom and mores is a constant danger. God does not point us to some uninhabited mountain or deserted island to avoid the world’s influence. The divine antidote is… Continue reading

Today, many people all over the world will be celebrating what is thought to be the birth of Christ and it will be emphasized in many “churches”. Have you ever stopped to wonder about the origin and history of Christmas with all its various activities and symbols? Probably not. Perhaps you would reply, "Yes, it originated when Christ was born. Jesus is the reason for the season." But are you sure? Could you prove it from the Bible? “Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good, abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21). When Jesus was on earth, He was challenged about His authority and responded, “The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” (Matt. 21:25). In religious matters, there are… Continue reading

by Shane Williams

When King Hezekiah saw that the king of Assyria intended to capture Jerusalem, he immediately went into action to defend the city. He blocked off all the springs of water outside the city, repaired broken sections of some walls and built towers on them. He also made a large number of weapons and shields. But when he had done all that was humanly possible, he realized it would not be enough. So he called the people together, and in the face of their desperate situation he reassured them, saying (II Chron. 32:7), "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.” … Continue reading

by Frank Walton

“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind¼” (Job 38:1).

The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced there were 226 tornadoes on April 27, 2011 across the southeast United States, which were more tornadoes sited in a single day in America than any other day in weather history. Alabama suffered the deadliest attack of tornadoes in over 80 years, with 238 killed, of which 7 were a few miles from where I lived. {This article written before the most recent tragedy in Joplin, MO.}

I looked in my back yard at noon when the first of 3 three tornadoes hit, & I saw several large trees being whipped around like little blades of grass. Amazing power! A friend of mine, Tommy Peeler, said… Continue reading

by Joe R. Price

The U.S. Pentagon officially announced the end of the Iraq War on Thursday after almost nine years of U.S. military presence in that country. As the last soldiers come home and are reassigned we are both thankful for their service and cautious of new enemies of freedom still on the horizon.

Christians must remember that our enemy Satan never rests. We must always be vigilant against his incursions into our lives (1 Pet. 5:8). Only with the “whole armor of God” will we stand in the day of peril (Eph. 6:13).

Christians fight this battle every day. Fighting the good fight of faith lasts a lifetime (1 Tim. 6:12). We have victory in Christ, yet we can never declare the end of these wars:

1. The… Continue reading