We often talk about the dangers of intoxication. However, for the person who is struggling with substance use, they may feel that there is no benefit to coming off the substances. Many people who resort to substance use do so because they are trying to escape the painful realities of their life. For that person, being sober is scarier than the inability to think straight when intoxicated. With that in mind, let's examine some of the benefits of sobriety...

Imagine for a moment a basketball team in which each member was trying to gain all the glory for themselves and saw the other players on their team as competitors. No matter how skilled those individual players were, the team would lose. For a basketball team to succeed, the individual players must work together, coordinate, and pass the ball. When they work as a team, they can overcome anything. The same is true in marriage...

It is common to hear marriage spoken of in derogatory ways. And I understand why. The world does not promote healthy or Godly attitudes about self, others, or relationships. Thus, many people end up being selfish and sinful in their marriages, and then (little wonder) they have negative experiences with marriage...

The beginning of a new year is a fascinating time. Many people optimistically make plans and resolutions for the coming year, deciding what they want to accomplish and feeling excited about what the year may bring. Others might feel indifferent about the new year, anticipating another year of the same old grind. Some people may even dread the new year, fearing some unknown event or dreading challenges it may bring, and feeling concerned that they will not live up to some stan

According to certain theologians, some of God’s commands seem to unequally impact those who have been harmed by cruel people. Because of this the argument is made that God’s commands don’t pertain in certain situations. These are often presented in hypothetical “what if” statements. These statements are formed in such a way where following God’s commands looks like the cruel option, and going against God’s law seems like the merciful option...

We live in a very negative and pessimistic society. Doom and gloom permeate every aspect of culture. Unfortunately, that pessimism has also permeated the church. Many Christians will only look at the negatives of any given situation. They see how hard it is to resist sin, so they despair of ever being able to overcome their bad habits. They see how difficult evangelism is, so they start to think that the church can never grow...

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when members of the church of Christ were known as people who knew the word. Sadly, that cannot be said quite as confidently about us in more recent decades. Too many people make excuses for not memorizing Scripture. They may say that they are not smart enough or that it is too difficult. They may say they are too busy. Regardless of which excuse someone uses, they are refusing to put the work in - but it can be done...