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Peruse Bible teachings and church happenings

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Add To Your Faith | Arete | Seeing Your Purpose

Friday, February 07, 2025

When I was a teenager, I spoke like a teen, I thought like a teen, and I reasoned like a teen. That era of my life sorely lacked purpose. I just “went with the flow,” doing whatever seemed exciting, fun, or rewarding at the time. I didn’t think often or very seriously about how my choices would affect others or where they would ultimately lead me in life.

But when I became a man, I put away teenage-ish things. At least, I’m trying to.

One of the hallmarks of maturity is learning to live with purpose, on purpose. And if we’re going to add arete—moral excellence—to our way of life in the sight of God, then we must embrace a purpose more dependable than our own ever-changing whims and wishes.
The Bible gives us this wisdom in several ways.

When Barnabas first spent time with the saints in Antioch, he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord “with steadfast purpose” (Ac. 11:23). And in the rest of the New Testament, we can see that they did! Antioch was a sending church. They commissioned, encouraged, prayed for, and supported missionaries that went all across the north coasts of the Mediterranean to teach about Jesus. They did what Barnabas taught, and many heard the Good News as a result.

This wisdom is woven into several of the metaphors used to describe God’s people, the church: a field (1 Cr. 3:9), a temple (2 Cr. 5:1), a priesthood (1 Pt. 2:9), the branches of a tree (Rm. 11), and household pots and containers (2 Tim. 2:20-21). Those things all serve a purpose beyond themselves. Branches bear a tree’s fruit. Pots and pans are made for specific uses. A priesthood serves their god’s/God’s pleasures. Et cetera. All of them serve an end, just as our existence serves an end: to give God glory.

The time for living life by whims and wishes is past, brothers and sisters. We should never expect that sort of thing of ourselves, even in our teenage years. Those who live with excellence will seek to know, understand, and fully embrace the purpose of glorifying God to motivate us to excellent Christian living. That’s the kind of arete that succeeds in spades and that doesn’t grow weary as years go by.

- Dan Lankford, minister

The Times When You Worship

Friday, February 07, 2025

Three times in the Exodus narrative, an individual or group bows the head and worships God.

  • The first is when Aaron announces that God has heard them and has come to set them free from slavery (Ex. 4:31).
  • The second is when God explains the punishment he will inflict upon Egypt on the night of the Passover (Ex. 12:27). 
  • The third is Moses himself, at the moment that Yahweh reveals himself as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:6-8). 

These passages show us a pattern for worship. Not a pattern for corporate worship (church assemblies); rather, for personal worship. They show us the importance of worshiping God in our hearts and from our hearts. They show us worship as an act of the mind and the heart and the body, by which we laud and magnify God. At the moments in which they were truly impressed by God, the Israelites humbled themselves (“bowed their heads”) and lifted him up (“worshiped”).

Do you ever do that? Do you ever take a pause in your life to just praise God, either in your heart, through singing, by reading a psalm of praise aloud toward his throne, or by some other act of adoration? This is an important practice for his people, and it’s one that I fear (though I don’t know for sure) we neglect. Our worship assemblies are crucially important, but they are only a part of a whole life that is given in service and worship to him (cf. “spiritual worship,” Rom. 12:1).

The frequency and and depth of private worship may be a stronger indicator of our devotion to God than our attendance at worship assemblies. Like Paul and Silas praising God and singing hymns while in prison… or James’ prescription for a saint to “sing songs” when he is joyful… or the Psalmist who speaks of praising God for his wisdom “all the day”… Our daily lives ought to be defined by adoration and praise for God. It’s more than corporate religious activity; we too ought to frequently bow our heads and worship YHWH, just because he is worthy of adoration from our hearts.

- Dan Lankford, minister

Two Incidents | Three Aircraft | Seventy Tragic Deaths

Wednesday, February 05, 2025

Last Wednesday night, just about the same time that we were starting our midweek Bible study, an American Airlines jet collided in midair with an Army helicopter right in the middle of Washington, DC. Both vehicles burst into flame and went down into the Potomac River. News outlets and officials were fairly certain by the next morning that no one had survived the crash, and since then, that has been confirmed. Sixty-four passengers and crew from the plane and the three soldiers from the helicopter were all killed.

And then, just two days later, another plane—this one an air ambulance that was transporting patients out of Philadelphia—crashed nose-down into a Philly neighborhood. Seven people were killed either by the crash from injuries received from it. The plane was in the air less than one minute before it met its end, and again, there were no survivors.

Tragedies like these tend to generate ripples of worries that spread far beyond the scope of the incident. We worry that these incident indicate that the entire air travel system is broken or becoming dangerous. We worry that something malicious was done to bring down any or all of the aircraft. We worry that its happening in D.C. might indicate some sort of national-level attack. All of these concerns, and more besides, were heard repeatedly in the news coverage last week. And so, again, the ripples of worry about something like this tend to spread beyond the incident itself.

Here are three reminders to help us be wise about events like these:

First: That tragedies are an inescapable part of life. It’s a reality that we should accept. In fact, airplane incidents happen more regularly than we probably realize—some with fatalities and some without. You might remember Captain Sullenberger’s emergency landing in the Hudson River in 2009, or the door blowing off the Alaska Airlines jet in March of last year, or the Baltimore bridge that collapsed that same month. All of these just remind us that life simply doesn’t guarantee us perfect safety. And this has always been the case (cf. Lk. 13:4). That’s why our hope for ultimate safety isn’t in this life. It’s with God, in eternity.

Second: While tragedy is a reality that we will face often in life, we can’t allow ourselves to become desensitized to it. We must still allow ourselves to mourn the loss of life every time we see it. We mourn the deaths of some 70 people who died suddenly, praying that God will take their souls into his care and that they knew Jesus, by whom they may find rest. As the scripture says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care” (Mt. 10:29, NIV). If God cares about the deaths of all of his creatures, then we must especially be willing to join him in caring about these people’s deaths.

Third: That while many things in life are increasingly predictably safe (these were the first 2 jet crashes in the U.S. since 2009), nothing is guaranteed. So let’s just take a reminder to be ready for our time to meet the Lord at all times, “because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Mt. 24:44).

We continue to live in this world, but our hope, as always, must be anchored behind the veil in the presence of a God who is both almighty and thoroughly good.

 - Dan Lankford, minister

When Victory Becomes Complacency

Friday, January 31, 2025

Sometimes victory is the greatest enemy of excellence. That seems counterintuitive, but it’s nonetheless true. Often, our success does not lead to more success, instead it leads to complacency. I’m sure this phenomenon pops up in many different places in life, but I see it most often in athletics. 

I see it in the team who wins the championship one year but misses the playoffs in the next because they just don’t have the same drive and hunger to win it all. I see it in the phenom who finally makes it to the big leagues but stops working because they feel they have “arrived.” I see it in the player who is awarded that enormous contract and then never plays hard again. Sometimes victory is the greatest enemy of excellence. 

Might that also be true when it comes to spiritual things? I think that’s a temptation for all of us. We use our spiritual success as an excuse to slouch back into spiritual complacency. What’s that look like? Maybe a little like this…

“I conquered my temper, my worry, my lust, etc. Now I can just coast to the finish line.” 

“I built a beautiful marriage and raised good kids. My work here is done!”

“I helped convert my dear friend. I worked on them through my teaching and my example for years and they finally responded! I’ve done my duty in evangelism.” 

“For the past two decades I’ve been that person who made every visitor feel welcome, I’ve opened my home liberally, I’ve been a picture of hospitality. Time for someone else to take up the mantle.” 

These are not small things! These are tremendous spiritual victories! Yet, if we’re not careful, victory becomes complacency. Adding “arete” to our faith means that we continually press on toward excellence despite our accomplishments. It means that, like Paul, we forget the things that are behind and press on toward perfection. It means we refuse to allow what has been done to distract us from what still needs to be done (Philippians 3:12-14).

- Jonathan Banning, Minister — Temple Terrace Church of Christ

Your First Thought About Money..?

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.” (Phil. 4:11-12)

When you receive money—a gift, a paycheck, or some kind of support—what’s the first thought that goes through your head? As believers, I really believe that our first thought ought to be a prayer: “God, thank you for this gift.” As Paul was grateful for the support he received from the Christians in Philippi, we ought to be grateful for the providence of God in our lives, at whatever level of wealth he provides. Like Paul, we learn to be content with God himself first, and then we will naturally be content with whatever blessings he provides.

So here’s today’s challenge question: When you receive money, is your first thought, “I hope this is enough” or “What’s if this isn’t enough?” Or… Is it, “God, thank you for graciously providing for me/us”?

I hope that more and more of us are able to learn true contentment, whether we have little or much, and whether we live on little or much. In any and every case, the secret to contentment is to be content with God himself first. And once we’ve got that figured out, the rest of contentment will take care of itself.

- Dan Lankford, minister

His Power O’er All The Earth

Sunday, January 26, 2025

The month of January has shown us some dramatic behavior of the natural world.

Fires that started in Los Angeles on January 7 have continued to burn and to spread. Nearly 16,000 structures have been destroyed and 28 lives have been lost. Mercifully, rain was predicted for the area this weekend, but the damage that’s already done is staggering.

Then there are the winter storms which have blanketed balmy Southern states with far more snow and ice than they are used to. All-time record snowfall in some areas like coastal Alabama and southwest Texas brought dangerous road conditions that led to the deaths of at least five people and the complete halt of a lot of infrastructure.

Times like these serve to remind us that while we may applaud ourselves for great human accomplishments, we remain nowhere close to omnipotence. In fact, we can be overwhelmed by the very things that we need and enjoy. Fire is a gift that brings warmth, sanitizes, and helps us prepare food. But right now, it’s a major threat to life. Snow is a gift of moisture to the earth and a thing of pure beauty. But right now, it’s a roadblock to human movement.

We need to occasionally be reminded of all that out-powers us. We can have some dominion over the natural world, but we will never have total control. That remains solely in the hands of the one who created it and rules it with just the sound of his voice (cf. Mk. 4:41). And so when we see the great power of God’s world, we bow our heads and worship him: the creator, the sustainer, and the sovereign ruler of it all.

- Dan Lankford, minister

New President. Same King. Same Christianity.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

On Monday, our country witnessed the peaceful transfer of power from one commander in chief to another. Was that transfer of power awkward? Yes, at times. If you watched the inauguration, then you surely felt that. But we can live with awkwardness when we have the gift of peace, and Monday’s ceremony was peaceful—a fact for which we ought to be grateful to God.

Our new presiding citizen spoke openly about some of the large-scale challenges that this country faces and about his intentions to change the prevailing direction set by some past administrations’ ideologies. Most presidents make similar statements in their inaugural addresses, and almost all of them deliver on some of their ambitions while failing to deliver on others. They each want to see an America that fits their understanding of what is best and right in this world, and so, with the considerable power which we the people have granted them, they set about making that happen.

To some people, these transfers of power and ideological shifts feel like they rock the very foundations of reality. Some people believe that the success or failure of everything rides on decisions made in the world’s highest offices. But Christians aren’t thrown off balance by these things. We serve the one who truly holds THE highest office, who sits on the throne above all thrones. And he is unchanging. He is immutable. He is all-powerful. And he is perfect.

And along with that, Jesus taught us that it’s not the world’s most powerful people who shape and re-shape the foundations of the world. He said that the people who do that sort of thing are poor in spirit. They mourn. They are meek. They hunger and thirst for righteousness. They are merciful. They are peacemakers at home and in their communities. And they are almost always persecuted for their efforts. Those people are the salt of the earth and the light of the world—the real agents of righteous transformation (cf. Mt. 5:1-16).

So whether you are more inclined to be excited or disheartened by Monday’s change in the presidency, I hope that you find a peace that passes understanding in the ongoing knowledge of who truly rules in the kingdoms of men (cf. Dn. 4:17, 25, 32). And I hope we can all grasp the truth that when the Holy Spirit is at work in us, we have more power to change the world than anyone who holds a high political office. Because we have, on our side, the divine power to destroy strongholds and arguments and lofty opinions until every thought is taken captive to obey Christ (2 Cr. 10:3-5).

- Dan Lankford, minister

Serve God Without Excuses

Sunday, January 19, 2025

When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3-4), Moses was understandably nervous to answer the great calling. But his understandable nervousness turned into unfaithful excuses. Four times in the conversation at the burning bush, he gave God reasons why he didn’t think he was the one for this task (and the fifth time, he simply said, “Please send someone else.”). His fearfulness had turned into disrespect. What may have started as humility had become cowardice. It’s no wonder that by Exodus 4:14, God was getting angry with Moses.

We often do the same thing with God’s commandments. We do not have the chance to argue verbally with him, but we go back and forth in our minds, rationalizing whether we will obey or make excuses for disobeying.

  • God says: “Give to those who are in need.” We respond: “But I don’t have enough, and they wouldn’t appreciate it properly anyway.”
  • God says: “Teach the lost about salvation thru my son.” We respond: “But evangelism isn’t my gift, and I don’t even know any non-Christians.”
  • God says: “Keep far away from sexual immorality.” We respond: “But I have needs that aren’t being met,” or “How will I find my soulmate if I don’t…?”
  • God says: “Don’t be greedy for money.” We respond: “I’m not being greedy; I just need enough money to give me security and joy in life.”

Our excuses do nothing to change what God has commanded; they only serve to anger our Father when we behave as disobedient children. We must have humble hearts to simply trust and obey—to do what God asks of us and make no excuses. Moses eventually obeyed God’s commands. Let’s strive to be more compliant than he was.

- Dan Lankford, minister

Moral Mediocrity | Add To Your Faith

Friday, January 17, 2025

Peter implores us to add “arete” to our faith—as a runner strives with all his might to finish first, so too should we strive in our faith (I Corinthians 9:24). We run like we want to win! Still, we must admit that sometimes our lives are not characterized by moral excellence but moral mediocrity. We have our moments when we slack off or give half-hearted effort. We run not like those who want to win, but as if we’re content to simply finish the race somewhere in the middle of the pack.

Why does moral excellence become moral mediocrity?

Jesus tells us in Matthew 13 when He explains the Parable of the Sower and the seed that feel on the thorny ground (Matthew 13:18-23). If you read carefully, you’ll notice that the fate of the thorny ground is different than the fate of wayside or rocky soils. The seed that falls on the thorny ground doesn’t die like the others—it just never bears any fruit. That is a picture of moral mediocrity. It’s a picture of the Christian who fills their pew every Sunday and has their picture in the directory but has no positive effect on the kingdom.

Jesus informs us that disciples settle into moral mediocrity for this reason: “the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22). Do you see what Jesus is saying? The word of God is calling you to strive for moral excellence. Through the word, the Spirit calls you to transform your life in extreme and radical ways so that you can bear fruit for God, but worry and wealth choke the word—they hold it back, restrain it, suffocate it, prevent it from having its intended effect on you. In a fertile heart, the gospel makes breathtaking changes, but the weeds of wealth and worry render the gospel impotent. Those consumed with worry or inflamed with the desire for abundance will always fall short of “arete.”

So, this week let’s ponder these questions… In what way is worry keeping me from fully obeying the Gospel? In what way is my desire for abundance holding me back from total devotion to Christ?

- Jonathan Banning

Mountaintop Moments

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

“Mountains, especially Mt. Horeb, or Sinai as it is also known in the Old Testament, figure largely in the spiritual history of Moses. Horeb makes its first appearance in the story here [in Exodus 3] as the mountain of new beginnings, and in chapters 19 to 34 it is the mountain of revelation… Beyond Horeb lies Mt. Pisgah, which could be called Moses’ mountain of disappointment, as it was there that he viewed the land he had been forbidden to enter (Deut. 34:1). Then, in the distant future, there is the place of Jesus’ transfiguration, Moses’ mountain of homecoming (Mt. 17:1-3).”  [Alec Motyer, Commentary on Exodus, p. 34]

Mountains figure prominently in the grand narrative of the Bible, for Moses and for us. For Moses, three mountains trace the beginning, end, and even eternal continuation of his life. For us, the Bible’s significant mountains are Sinai—the mountain from which God established his law for Israel, Jerusalem—the mountain from on which our salvation was provided by Jesus, and the heavenly Zion—the new Jerusalem in which God dwells directly with his people (Rev. 21-22).

These mountains remind us of a powerful truth: That even though Moses knew God in a way no one else has (cf. Ex. 33:1), Moses was among those who longed for the relationship with God that we can have—the perfected relationship of salvation through Jesus. And some day, because Jesus laid down his life for us, we will stand side by side with Moses, face to face with our Father for all eternity.

- Dan Lankford, minister

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