By
Shelby G. Floyd
Sleep” is used in several different ways as a metaphor to illustrate the Christian life and death. It sometimes refers to “the sleep” of death: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Continue reading “WAKE UP”
By
Shelby G. Floyd
Jesus Christ is the best example of being a servant. He did not ask his disciples to do that which he refused to do himself: “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:27-28). There is great joy and satisfaction in learning to serve others in a cause that is greater than us. The cause of Christ demands that we learn to be a servant. Continue reading “SEVEN SERVANTS”
By
Shelby G. Floyd
The members of the churches in Galatia were fickle and disloyal to the gospel of Christ by which they had been saved. They were easily led astray by “false brethren” and “false teachers.”
Astonished
In this context Paul addressed them in his opening remarks: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7). It is amazing how quickly some people can change their belief. It is because many people do not have a strong conviction of their faith. The Galatians appear to be “anybody’s dog who would hunt with them!” Continue reading “A DIFFERENT GOSPEL”
By
Shelby G. Floyd
In Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia, we have a statement that has some difficulty in being understood clearly: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood…” (Galatians 1:15-16 NKJV.) Continue reading “CALLED BY GOD’S GRACE”
By
Shelby G. Floyd
How many of you have participated in the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon? How many of you would like to? How many of you plan to run some day? That would be a great challenge would it not? In order to run in that race it would require a lot of training in order to be in good shape to finish the race.
I was involved in track when I was in high school. I ran the 220 yards, 440 yards, and 880 yards race, which was a half-mile. I remember that I was always able to finish the race. Sometimes I won the blue ribbon, sometimes the red ribbon, and sometimes not so good. But I always finished the race.
Today I speak to you about “Running the Race of Faith.” This is a good time at the first of the year to consider a subject like that. Everybody loves sports. Many times we talk about sports fanatics. The word sports “fan” came from the word “fanatics.” A fanatic is someone who does unreasonable things in regards to sports. But a fan is someone who does reasonable things in support of his favorite team. Therefore it is a good thing to be a fan and support the team that we love. Continue reading “RUNNING THE RACE OF FAITH”
By
Shelby G. Floyd
Bread is one of our most basic physiological needs of the body. When Lewis and Clark set out on their transcontinental expedition, bread was one of the staples that they prepared enough to take them to the mouth of the Columbia and back to St. Louis. We all need bread—healthy food to have a healthy body. In Abraham Maslow’s “hierarchy of human needs,” bread would be at the foundation, because it is difficult to think about anything else when a person is hungry. But bread alone will not motivate a person to be all they can be and reach their full potential both here and hereafter.
In the book of John, Jesus had told the people that “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:28-29). The crowd of people who came out to see and hear Jesus, challenged him to give them a miraculous sign in order that they might believe in him:
John 6:30-35
So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'”
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
NIV
Jesus is the bread of life and the water of life. Without him and God’s word that he brought to us, we will shrivel up and die spiritually. It was Jesus who said to the devil who encouraged him to turn the stones into bread: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4, NKJV).
Man is a triune being—spirit, soul and body: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NIV). Notice that in the divine order it is “spirit, soul and body,” not “body, soul and spirit.” Man is a spirit with a body—the spirit is the primary nature of man. The spirit will survive only when it is fed with “the bread of life!” God’s children should feed on “the bread of life” every day and especially when the whole church comes together to worship on the Lord’s Day.
Copyright © 2016 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved
Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142
By
Shelby G. Floyd
In order to have a successful life, every person must have some priorities. Near the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught his disciples that God demands first place in their lives. There is not one person that gives God first place in every area of his life. Therefore in order to pursue this goal, we must grow spiritually and do our very best to give Christ top priority every day.
In Matthew’s account of the gospel Jesus said to his disciples, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6: 33). When we analyze this statement there are several things that are very obvious: Continue reading “FIRST THINGS FIRST”
By
Shelby G. Floyd
David, the second king of Israel wrote most of the Psalms. These Psalms indicate that David was a very spiritually minded man of God. For example he wrote:
Psalms 122: 1
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
NKJV
David was glad when someone said, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Some today may be sad or even mad, instead of glad, when it is time to go into the house of the Lord. Continue reading “MAD, SAD OR GLAD!”
By
Shelby G. Floyd
All of God’s people should live our life in such a way, that when we come to the end, we can look back without regret. This means that we must dedicated to the Lord, study his word and rely upon divine wisdom to make the right choices. Life goes by fast and how many times do we hear someone say, “If I had my life to live over again I would have done such and such.” John Greenleaf Whittier wrote,
For all sad words of tongue and pen,
The saddest are these,
‘It might have been’.
“It might have been” represents those who have neglected the great salvation offered by Christ.
In the book of Hebrews the people are warned not to neglect what is important:
Hebrews 2:1-3
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.
NKJV
If we will heed what is said and not neglect our duty, then we can look back without regret and not think about what “might have been.”
No doubt Esau was filled with remorse and regret after he realized he sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. Esau was a profane person and was filled with regret, “For you know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he carefully sought it with tears” (Hebrews 12:17). No doubt he looked back and wondered again and again, “what might have been.”
Every one of us has a sphere of influence for Christ and the church. We have opportunities to do good for those out of Christ and for those especially who are in the household of God (Galatians 6:10). Let each one of us zealously work to bring our friends and acquaintances into Christ.
Copyright © 2015 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved
Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142
Credit: Google Images
By
Shelby G. Floyd
Jesus taught that if we confess him before men he will confess us before the Father. He also said that if we deny him before men he will deny us before the Father:
Matthew 10:32-33
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
KJV