Category Archives: Uncategorized

A Heart of Faith

A friend of ours has given us a number of audio files with lessons that have been preached by Paul Earnhart. As I walk in the morning, I love to listen to those lessons—his words not only get my brain thinking but help open my heart first thing in the morning; for those of you who know me well, you know that is no easy task for me at that time of day! This morning, I was listening to a lesson about what it means to believe in Jesus. Brother Earnhardt makes a distinction within the lesson between subjective faith (one that is based on my own experience and feeling) and objective faith (one that looks beyond my own experience and to God’s instruction). As an illustration of this, he discusses the attitude of Peter and the others when they have fished all night with no success, and Jesus comes and tells them to go out again and cast their nets. Subjective faith would say: “What does he know? After all, I am a fisherman, and I know these waters—there’s nothing there to catch this day! I mean, He’s a carpenter! What does he know about fishing?” Objective faith would say, “I may be a fisherman, but He is the Lord. I will go.” That kind of heart of faith is so inspiring to see in the pages of Scripture, but why is it so difficult to cultivate day to day?

The one example of such faith that Brother Earnhart mentions has always struck me as well—the example of Abraham’s utter willingness to sacrifice Isaac—the son whom he loved, the son God has promised him. Would I, as Abraham did, be able to say, “Yes, Lord, I will do as you say”? My heart breaks for Abraham each time I read that account. Brother Earnhart points out that if you had encountered Abraham that day and questioned how in the world sacrificing the son that God had given him would ever lead to the completion of the other promises God had made, Abraham would have most likely said, “I don’t know. But God does.” Isn’t that the very basic heart of faith? I certainly don’t know, but God does. No wonder it is asserted that Abraham believed the LORD, and his faith was accounted to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3).

God has so graciously and clearly taught me His path in His Word, and in so many ways what He wants of me is so clear, but I struggle with daily application. I am struck by how often in my life I have “kicked against the goads” of the circumstances that have been put before me in life, knowing in my head the truth that God works all things to His glory. Knowing in my head that any challenge, any suffering will bring me closer to Him if I will allow His molding to take place, yet I battle. I want to know why I am the one who has to deal with these things, why life can’t work out the way I want it to, why there isn’t a less painful way of handling a situation, and on and on. But a heart of faith simply says, “Yes, Lord. You see the path I do not, so will follow your lead.” A heart of faith simply does what God asks, and leaves the rest to Him, knowing He is able to handle the rest. I am reminded of the plea the father makes to Jesus in Mark 9:24, “Lord, I believe, please help my unbelief!” I DO believe He can handle it all, but oh, how I long for the answers and the vision to see how it will all work out in the end. But that isn’t my portion. It is God’s to know, and mine to follow. His path is always right, even if doesn’t make perfect sense to me. My dear friend Dixie Goolsby once told me that before she goes to bed at night, she likes to read Psalm 23—that this is not a psalm of death, but a psalm of life, and how right she is. It teaches me the gentle heart of a trusting faith:

The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not want;
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me by still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies,
You anoint my head with oil,
My cup overflows
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD, forever.

May we all grow to rest and trust in the love of the Good Shepherd in full, obedient, faith.

– Tracie

The Green Commentaries – Bible Study Textbook Series – New Testament

This is the post of the New Testament (Old Testament here).
I inherited a set of commentaries from my father and have really enjoyed them. They are no longer in print but the publisher College Press has put them on their website and have given me permission to put them here. The files are large but the pdf’s are searchable and are a great asset when you are really wanting to dig deep into a passage. I especially like the background and cultural information. Feel free to download them for personal use. Also visit College Press for a good selection of religious books (and thank them for allowing people to download these commentaries for free).
Due to the large number of files, I am separating the files into three posts: Old Testament, New Testament, and Supplementary Materials

The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 1
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 2 Part 1
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 2 Part 2
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 2 Part 3
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 2 Part 4
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 3 Part 1
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 3 Part 2
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 3 Part 3
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 3 Part 4
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 3 Part 5
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 3 Part 6
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 3 Part 7
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 4 Part 1
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 4 Part 2
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 4 Part 3
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 4 Part 4
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 4 Part 5
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 4 Part 6
The Gospel of Matthew Vol. 4 Part 7
The Gospel of Mark Part 1
The Gospel of Mark Part 2
The Gospel of Mark Part 3
Luke – Applebury Part 1
Luke – Applebury Part 2
Luke – Applebury Part 3
The Gospel of Luke – Butler Part 1
The Gospel of Luke – Butler Part 2
The Gospel of Luke – Butler Part 3
The Gospel of John Vol. 1 Part 1
The Gospel of John Vol. 1 Part 2
The Gospel of John Vol. 1 Part 3
The Gospel of John Vol. 2 Part 1
The Gospel of John Vol. 2 Part 2
The Gospel of John Vol. 2 Part 3
The Gospel of John Vol. 2 Part 4
Acts Made Actual Part 1
Acts Made Actual Part 2
Romans Realized Part 1
Romans Realized Part 2
Romans Realized Part 3
First Corinthians – Applebury
Second Corinthians – Applebury Part 1
Second Corinthians – Applebury Part 2
Second Corinthians – Applebury Part 3
First Corinthians – Butler Part 1
First Corinthians – Butler Part 2
First Corinthians – Butler Part 3
Second Corinthians – Butler
Guidance From Galatians
The Glorious Church: A Study of Ephesians
Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Part 1
Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Part 2
Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Part 3
Thinking Through Thessalonians Part 1
Thinking Through Thessalonians Part 2
Thinking Through Thessalonians Part 3
Paul’s Letters to Timothy and Titus
Helps From Hebrews
A Chain of Jewels From James and Jude
Letters From Peter
Hereby We Know: A Study In The Epistles of John
The Seer, The Savior, and the Saved (Revelations) Part 1
The Seer, The Savior, and the Saved (Revelations) Part 2
The Seer, The Savior, and the Saved (Revelations) Part 3
The Wonder Book of the Bible (Revelations) Part 1
The Wonder Book of the Bible (Revelations) Part 2
The Wonder Book of the Bible (Revelations) Part 3

From the College Press Website:
Bible Study Textbook Series

Many of you are familiar with the Bible Study Textbook Series (The Old Green Commentaries). These were very popular several years back and many of you have requested copies of these timeless treasures. Because reprint cost are so high we have chosen not to reprint but instead, we are offering them electronically for free. These commentaries are being made available for your personal use. Feel free to download them to your computer. These files are very large and may take a while even with high speed and DSL services. If using dial up service please be aware the your download times may be extensive and you may encounter problems during the download. If you have problems downloading these files you want to consider using a download manager.
Thank you for your interest in College Press.

Sailing Too Close To Shore

This was submitted by Greg, hope you like it.

The following is an excerpt from a prayer believed to have been written by Sir Francis Drake:

“Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.”

~ Sir Francis Drake

I really like this quote and it reminds of a story from my childhood. During my teenage years, my family used to go to the lake for skiing and swimming. This was truly a family affair encompassing three generations, and oftentimes, there would be close to 30 of us there. It was my Grandpa’s job to drive the boat. He was a fairly strict man and liked going about his business with little fanfare. When it was time to ski, he would take one passenger in the boat, as a lookout, while he pulled the rest of us…usually one at a time. Which is another story for another time. Anyway, the lake we usually went to was a small lake, about 600 acres. As young men, most of us could ski a full lap before exhaustion made it impossible to hang on to the rope.

I remember one particular afternoon when one of my cousins had just completed a full lap and was bragging that he had made it all the way around without falling. At which time Grandpa turned to him and said, “if you don’t fall down, it means you aren’t trying anything new.” Now keep in mind that my Grandpa is a man of relatively few words and is not one to readily criticize another. What he was telling my cousin was that it’s not very challenging to stay in the wake behind the boat and definitely not worthy of bragging about. He was also wanted him to challenge himself by getting outside his comfort zone, the wake, and start working on his cutting and jumping skills.

When I reflect on his comments some 25 years later, I realize that his comments can be applied to all aspects of our lives, including our pursuit to strengthen our relationship with God. The quote by Sir Francis Drake says the same thing that Grandpa was telling my cousin that day. You will never truly be great at something if you don’t fall down a couple of times along the way, and I believe that it applies to our journey to become good Christians as well. You can’t get there by just doing the minimum amount required, like say…going to church on Sunday. You have to face your own weaknesses and work on them. You may have to get out of your comfort zone and help others. Whatever it is, you’re certain to fall down a couple of times…Greatness doesn’t happen without practice.

What honors God?

It is a Tozer kind of day.

If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch? – A.W. Tozer

We struggle incessantly trying to find out God’s will for us. People attempt to accomplish this in many different ways. Some pray to God for wisdom (James 1:5) and diligently search the scriptures for guidance. Some pray to God for the answer and then have to assume that God has blessed whatever endeavor they are contemplating because God “made them feel at peace.” This “Godly” answer may contradict the scriptures but they assume that is OK since they “know in their heart” the truth. Which method is most pleasing to God? God has given us his written word and an intellect to search it. He expects us to work out our salvation (Phil. 2:12). Are we honoring Him by honoring His Word or are we honoring him by ignoring his Word?

Of Faith and Works

James 2:26: For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works id dead. ESV

Some interesting thoughts on this passage by A.W. Tozer:

Whoever said you could be a Christian without being a disciple? You cannot be a Christian without being a disciple. The idea that I can come to the Lord by grace, and have all my sins forgiving, and have my name written in heaven, have the carpenter go to work on a mansion in my Father’s house and at the same time I can raise hell on my way to heaven. I say it is impossible. It is unscriptural, it is not found in the Bible at all. You are not saved by your good works, no never are we saved by our good works, but we are not saved apart from good works. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone, but out of that, springs immediately goodness and righteousness.
Flowers do bring spring, but you cannot have spring without flowers. It is not the birds that bring the summer, but you have no summer without birds. It is not righteousness that saves me but salvation brings righteousness. The man who is not ready to live right, he is not saved; he will not be saved, and he will be deceived in the great day.

Tozer: Mystery of the Holy Spirit by A.W. Tozer page 117

Submissions

A submissions page has been added to encourage people to submit articles, book reviews, or files that they have founding encouraging and informative. Please take the time to put something together. It might be just what someone is needing.

Is The Bible Reliable?

Is the Bible a reliable source of information? How did we get the Bible? How were the scriptures handed down through the centuries? If the Bible isn’t reliable then we shouldn’t bother studying it. If it is reliable then it should trump everything else. The Bible is reliable and the following books will hopefully help you in coming to a better understanding of how the Bible that you have got there. It is an interesting story and will strengthen your faith.

How We Got the Bible by Neil R. Lightfoot

Gospel Argument for God by Kenneth Chumbley

The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus by Lee Strobel

The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ by Lee Strobel

Sermon on the Mount

In this series of sermons, Paul Earnhart who preaches for the Douglass Hills church of Christ shares his insights on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, addressing the very heart of what it means to be a Christian.

Sermon on the Mount 1
Sermon on the Mount 2
Sermon on the Mount 3
Sermon on the Mount 4
Sermon on the Mount 5
Sermon on the Mount 6
Sermon on the Mount 7
Sermon on the Mount 8
Sermon on the Mount 9
Sermon on the Mount 10
Sermon on the Mount 11
Sermon on the Mount 12

The Green Commentaries – Bible Study Textbook Series – Old Testament

I inherited a set of commentaries from my father and have really enjoyed them. They are no longer in print but the publisher College Press has put them on their website and have given me permission to put them here. The files are large but the pdf’s are searchable and are a great asset when you are really wanting to dig deep into a passage. I especially like the background and cultural information. Feel free to download them for personal use. Also visit College Press for a good selection of religious books (and thank them for allowing people to download these commentaries for free).

Due to the large number of files, I am separating the files into three posts: Old Testament, New Testament, and Supplementary Materials

Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 1 Part 1
Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 1 Part 2
Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 1 Part 3
Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 2 Part 1
Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 2 Part 2
Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 3 Part 1
Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 3 Part 2
Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 4 Part 1
Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 4 Part 2
Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings Vol 4 Part 3
Exploring Exodus Part 1
Exploring Exodus Part 2
Exploring Exodus Part 3
Exploring Exodus Part 4
Leviticus Part 1
Leviticus Part 2
The Book of Numbers Part 1
The Book of Numbers Part 2
The Book of Numbers Part 3
Deuteronomy Part 1.pdf
Deuteronomy Part 2.pdf
Deuteronomy Part 3.pdf
Studies in Joshua, Judges, and Ruth Part 1
Studies in Joshua, Judges, and Ruth Part 2
Studies in First and Second Samuel Part 1
Studies in First and Second Samuel Part 2
Studies in First and Second Samuel Part 3
The Book of First and Second Chronicles Part 1
The Book of First and Second Chronicles Part 2
The Book of First and Second Chronicles Part 3
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther Part 1
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther Part 2
Studies in the Psalms Vol. 1 Part 1
Studies in the Psalms Vol. 1 Part 2
Studies in the Psalms Vol. 2 Part 1
Studies in the Psalms Vol. 2 Part 2
Studies in the Psalms Vol. 2 Part 3
Pondering the Proverbs Part 1
Pondering the Proverbs Part 2
Pondering the Proverbs Part 3
Pondering the Proverbs Part 4
Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Part 1
Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Part 2
Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Part 3
Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Part 4
Isaiah Vol. 1 Part 1
Isaiah Vol. 1 Part 2
Isaiah Vol. 1 Part 3
Isaiah Vol. 2 Part 1
Isaiah Vol. 2 Part 2
Isaiah Vol. 2 Part 3
Isaiah Vol. 3 Part 1
Isaiah Vol. 3 Part 2
Isaiah Vol. 3 Part 3
Isaiah Vol. 3 Part 4
Daniel
The Minor Prophets: The Prophets of the Decline (Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, Amos, & Hosea) Part 1
The Minor Prophets: The Prophets of the Decline (Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, Amos, & Hosea) Part 2
The Minor Prophets: The Prophets of the Decline (Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, Amos, & Hosea) Part 3
A Study of Micah Through Malachi (Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, & Malachi) Part 1
A Study of Micah Through Malachi (Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, & Malachi) Part 2
A Study of Micah Through Malachi (Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, & Malachi) Part 3
A Study of Micah Through Malachi (Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, & Malachi) Part 4

From the College Press Website:
Bible Study Textbook Series

Many of you are familiar with the Bible Study Textbook Series (The Old Green Commentaries). These were very popular several years back and many of you have requested copies of these timeless treasures. Because reprint cost are so high we have chosen not to reprint but instead, we are offering them electronically for free. These commentaries are being made available for your personal use. Feel free to download them to your computer. These files are very large and may take a while even with high speed and DSL services. If using dial up service please be aware the your download times may be extensive and you may encounter problems during the download. If you have problems downloading these files you want to consider using a download manager.
Thank you for your interest in College Press.

Books on Understanding Your Spouse

As we work to make our marriage better we soon realize that we think differently than our spouses.  This difference can lead to a lot of friction in the marriage.  The books For Men Only and For Women Only utilize surveys of large numbers of people (Christian and non-Christian) to reach some pretty important conclusions.  We recommend that you get these books to help your relationship be stronger and happier.

For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women

For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men