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By: Gary L. Hutchens Who are we? What are we? What are we doing? Here at Sunny Slope we repeatedly emphasize, at the risk of sounding redundant, that we are determined to simply be the church that everybody reads about in the Bible, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.
by: Gary L. Hutchens It is impossible to fully believe in Christ without also believing in the church, since the church is His body (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18, 24). It is impossible to faithfully follow Christ without being a part of His church, because into the church is where He adds the saved (Acts 2:47). It is impossible to fully know the teachings of Christ without also knowing the teachings of His church (1 Tim. 3:15). And, it is impossible to be properly dedicated to Christ without being properly dedicated to His church, since the two, Christ and the church, are inseparable.
by: Gary L. Hutchens I’m afraid many people have a somewhat clouded understanding of the church. Who are we? What are we here for? What are we supposed to do? What is my responsibility as a member of the church? What is our mission?
by: Gary L. Hutchens “Reconcile.” A technical sounding word little used in common conversation, it seems to be utilized in more formal communication. The word can have various meanings based upon the immediate application: “Restore friendly relations between,” could refer to a formal relationship such as in business dealings. “Cause to coexist in harmony; make or show to be compatible,” would apply to a marriage relationship that has been on rocky ground. “To restore to friendship or harmony,” would be the case in a close personal relationship. It is this last meaning that will primarily apply in this article.
by: Gary L. Hutchens During Aug. 16-22 of this year, 2019, my wife and I were blessed to be able to attend the Polishing The Pulpit Lectureship in Sevierville, TN. This was the fifth time for me and the fourth for my wife. We had not been to PTP since 2014. We both were so positively effected that she quickly expressed her determination that we need to be there every year from now on. We were encouraged spiritually, strengthened in our faith, instructed in God’s word and motivated in our dedication tremendously.
by: Gary L. Hutchens How many times have we heard the caution, “Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.” There has always been an atheistic element within our society, firm in their belief that there is no God. Less committed are the skeptics and agnostics, unsure whether God exists but leaning in the direction of the atheists.
by: Gary L. Hutchens Most people believe in God. But, as noted in previous articles in this series, there are those who disbelieve- atheists,- and there are others who doubt- agnostics and skeptics. There are a great many more whose belief in God is less than solid. Atheists, agnostics and skeptics would pretty much disregard the proofs for God’s existence contained in the Bible. But some who are still in the process of developing a firm, absolute faith in God might also find it difficult to place full confidence in scripture. That’s unfortunate since the teachings of scripture are the basis from which faith develops (Rom. 10:17).
by: Gary L. Hutchens As noted in a previous article, a number of people either disbelieve outright in the existence of God- atheists- or doubt His existence- agnostics and skeptics. Such individuals would naturally place little stock in the testimony of scripture in proving the reality of God. But there are a number of appeals to logic that serve as powerful evidence that God does exist and that He is the divine creator.
by: Gary L. Hutchens Is it reasonable to believe in God, the supreme being, creator and sustainer of the universe? Atheists say there is no verifiable scientific evidence of God’s existence. At least partially based on that belief, they absolutely do not believe in God. Agnostics tend to not believe in God. While conceding the possibility of God’s existence, they doubt that He exists. Skeptics probably hold more of an open mind than do agnostics, but still doubt God’s existence. It’s easy to see similarities in these various views.
By: Gary L. Hutchens “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Ps. 127:1). If God is not behind something, it will ultimately fail, no matter what it is. If God does not watch over something, it will ultimately come undone. If God does not protect the border, any boundary will ultimately be breached. There is no security, in the ultimate sense, this side of Heaven! That’s the long and the short of it. Consider the mighty city of New Orleans in regard to Hurricane Katrina.
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