The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all active in our salvation. They had to do certain things for us to be saved. Consider some things that were necessary on God's part for us to be saved: 

• “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭33‬ ‭
• “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬ ‭
• “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬
• “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬

We have God's Provisions, and then our Response to His provisions.

Use the Whole Bible and don't mince words. There is not a single verse in the Bible that gives you exclusively what is essential to salvation, but the entirety of God's Word tells us what we must do to be saved.

#salvation #grace #faith #christiancharacter #dietoself #christmakesmewhole #fearGod #pride #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalLove #GodIsLove #FaithPodcast #ScriptureStudy #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #LoveInAction #FaithAndLife #SpiritualGrowth #BibleVerses #ChristianTeaching

Do you get a lot of mail? Do you get letters from family, friends? Typically what fills my mailbox is bills and ads. Imagine with me – today Rickie goes outside to the mailbox outside of the church building, and in our mailbox is a letter addressed to the church at Campbell Road – a letter written from Jesus. In the letter He shares with us what He sees in this church – the things done well, the areas of weakness, the encouragement for the future. What would His letter say?

#victory #winning #won #victoryinjesus #christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #walkwiththelord

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 3:3-5).

Isn’t life largely about perspective? If we see people and painful situations as threats, those threats imprison our hearts. We can languish for days, even weeks longing for the problems or people to just go away. We often end up frantically trying to get out any way we can.

#christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #willard #chroniclesofwillard #walkwiththelord

What section of Scripture you find most meaningful in defining Christian character and why?

It’s incredibly hard to choose just one.  

When I opened up my Bible to begin answering this question, I, without flipping any pages, opened up to 1 Peter 2:14 which the two pages covers through 5:10.  No one person or text defines Christian character exhaustively, not even the accounts of Jesus in the gospels, but the collective of the New Testament scriptures is where we get the comprehensiveness that is Christian character.  So, when I opened up to the first epistle of Peter, I took notice of the section beginning in chapter 2 verse 11 and 12 where it reads...

#christiancharacter #dietoself #christmakesmewhole #fearGod #pride #selflove #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalLove #GodIsLove #FaithPodcast #ScriptureStudy #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #LoveInAction #FaithAndLife #SpiritualGrowth #BibleVerses #ChristianTeaching

Jesus is introduced as Prince who came to the earth, Ruler, Redeemer who loosed us from our sins by His blood. Revealed by our God who is said to be the Alpha and Omega. This is to people who believe He is the Alpha. He began this process. He is God Who became flesh and came into this world. 

But the thing these people of God want to know is, will He be the Omega. The One who had been there at the beginning will He be there when it is all over? He was there when all this process of creation and redemption began, will He be there when it all ends?

#victory #winning #won #victoryinjesus #christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #walkwiththelord

What if your life was compared to a section of beach just wide enough for your to walk back & forth, but extended from the water all the way back to where the sand ends. What would it mean to get closer and closer to the water?

#washedbytheword #dietoself #christmakesmewhole #fearGod #pride #selflove #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalLove #GodIsLove #FaithPodcast #ScriptureStudy #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #LoveInAction #FaithAndLife #SpiritualGrowth #BibleVerses #ChristianTeaching

Keys to Revelation: 

1. Realize the Specific Audience.
2. Realize the Specific Setting.
3. Realize the Specific Time Table.
4. Realize the Specific Style of Writing.
5. Realize the Specific Purpose of the Book.

#victory #winning #won #victoryinjesus #christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #walkwiththelord

Such an encouraging word, rejoice. The word sounds wrong if you don’t say it with a lilt in the tone of your voice. Rejoice! I believe the quintessential scripture on what it means to rejoice is found in Philippians 4:4-7 where Paul begins, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say Rejoice.” What follows is an instruction manual in the mindset of a rejoicing Saint.

The predicate statement is that we should be constantly rejoicing. In our relationship with God. In our relationship with others. In the blessings God provides.

#christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #willard #chroniclesofwillard

Kindness and encouragement go a long way in helping every kind of relationship. More importantly, love is kind and kindness is a fruit of the spirit (1Cor. 13:4; Gal. 5:22). The emphasis is that we can tell the character and heart in a person by how kind they are. We can tell the Holy Spirit is in them when we see the fruit of the spirit.

#christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #willard #chroniclesofwillard #walkwiththelord

When looking for seashells:

Do keep everything you find?

Do you find beauty in broken shells?

Do you discard the broken and only keep the whole ones?

What if God discarded the broken...

#broken #dietoself #christmakesmewhole #fearGod #pride #selflove #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalLove #GodIsLove #FaithPodcast #ScriptureStudy #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #LoveInAction #FaithAndLife #SpiritualGrowth #BibleVerses #ChristianTeaching

Contentment is disturbed because our plans are broken.  The family brings home a friend or additional family pops in for dinner.  The vacation is busted when our flight is cancelled.  You are deep in work, focused upon the task at hand and someone taps you on the shoulder and says, “by the way…” as you jump out of your skin from being startled.  Life is moving according to plan, then your employer eliminates your position, you are unemployed.  So many ways our contentment can be undermined, altered, ruined.  How do we handle these intrusions?

#christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #willard #chroniclesofwillard

Over the months, Willard and Elise spent more time together, both inside and outside church. Sunday mornings became a rhythm of shared coffee, quiet reflection, and casual conversation. Weekdays found them collaborating on outreach projects, balancing the meticulous care of Willard’s work with Elise’s creative spark...

#willard #will #willardp #willardpfranklin

“The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.”

Proverbs 3:35 (NKJV)

One of the great realities of life is that every person is moving toward a destination. We are all becoming something. Day by day, choice by choice, habit by habit, we are building a life that will eventually produce either honor or regret, glory or shame. That is the simple but powerful truth found in Proverbs 3:35: “The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.” Solomon is not merely talking about what happens at the end of life. He is describing the natural outcomes that flow from the paths people choose. Wise living tends to produce honor, respect, trust, and blessing. Foolish living tends to produce embarrassment, regret, broken relationships, and loss. Every person wants glory, but many people make choices that lead toward shame. The challenge of this proverb is to honestly examine which path we are walking.

#ai #wise #fool #wisdom #foolish #inchrist #speaklife #dietoself #vanity #fearGod #pride #selflove #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalLove #GodIsLove #FaithPodcast #ScriptureStudy #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #LoveInAction #FaithAndLife #SpiritualGrowth #BibleVerses #ChristianTeaching

The wind was howling, really howling.  The snow was falling so fast that when I turned back to look where I had been, there were no tracks.  I had been skiing most of the morning doing well, but as the day progressed, the conditions deteriorated.  This was a full-on blizzard!  I had not planned well.  I only brought a pair of sunglasses, no goggles.  My glasses froze over and became useless as the temperatures dropped.  I thought to myself, “how am I going to find the way down, I can’t see a thing.”  Through squinting eyes and the stinging snow, I ran into Matt, just about literally ran over him.  One of his boots had broken and he was moving down the mountain with great difficulty, trying to hold one ski in one hand, poles in the other skiing on one leg.  Thankfully he let me team up with him.  I carried his stuff and he looked ahead to see the way.  The blizzard was so fierce he could only see 10-15 feet.  So, we would ski that far, stop, look and move ahead that distance.  It took a while, but we finally made it down.  Funny, we didn’t see anyone else on the mountain!  Funny nothing.  Everyone else was smart!

#christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #willard #chroniclesofwillard

Life has to be more than just work; surely we have a greater purpose in life. It has been said, “We play at our work and work at our play.” But surely life is more than work and play.

Flawed is the thinking that our greater purpose is to solve the world’s problems, eliminate terrorism, or feed and clothe all the hungry. Noble though they may be, there is a greater purpose. It can be found right under our noses, and that purpose will provide fuel for a meaningful life.

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12-14).

#christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #willard #chroniclesofwillard #walkwiththelord

“My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things, From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, And who are devious in their paths; To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words, Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God. For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead; None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life— So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness. For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it; But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

#wise #fool #wisdom #foolish #inchrist #speaklife #dietoself #vanity #fearGod #pride #selflove #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalLove #GodIsLove #FaithPodcast #ScriptureStudy #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #LoveInAction #FaithAndLife #SpiritualGrowth #BibleVerses #ChristianTeaching

How many times have you heard that line? For those who are older, likely you heard it a lot. Many times, that was used as an expression of derision saying, “you don’t think for yourself, you just quote scripture.” What’s wrong with that? When I was a child, we had memory verses weekly. We were quizzed on those verses, and it could have been one we learned 5 weeks ago. We recited the books of the Bible. Sometimes we were asked to recite starting from Isaiah or 2 Corinthians. Sometimes we were asked, “the book before…” I thought they were inventing methods of mental torture. But it was a method of emphasis upon knowing God’s word.

#christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #willard #chroniclesofwillard

“A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

#wise #fool #wisdom #foolish #inchrist #speaklife #dietoself #vanity #fearGod #pride #selflove #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalLove #GodIsLove #FaithPodcast #ScriptureStudy #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #LoveInAction #FaithAndLife #SpiritualGrowth #BibleVerses #ChristianTeaching

A mother’s son became very angry and exchanged harsh words. The mother told her son, “go take a walk.” The son complied in disgust. He stomped out of the room then out of the house and began to walk the neighborhood. As he walked, he mumbled to himself complaining about how his mother was unfair. At times he would stomp grumbling as he rehearsed the event. He eventually returned home where his mother was waiting. As he walked up to her, she could see the expression on his face was one of anger. As she asked how he was feeling, he began to vent that anger towards her. She raised her arm pointing to the sidewalk and said again, “go take a walk.” He stomped away. As he took that second walk, his thoughts began to change. He rehearsed his mother’s words instead of his own. The realization of his disrespect and belligerence became apparent. The further he walked the more labored his footsteps became; finally returning home. As he opened the door his drooped shoulders and bowed head told his mother the condition of his heart.

#christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #willard #chroniclesofwillard

How often do we focus on talent, education, intelligence, or athleticism? In our world it’s the smart, beautiful, witty, and athletic ones we consider successes. If, on the other hand, you’re fat, ugly, dumb, and clumsy you are nobody.

Judging people from the outward has always been around. Nebuchadnezzar did it with Daniel. He thought that because Daniel was good looking he was also be smart. When Samuel went into the house of Jesse, he saw all of David’s brothers. They all looked like kings, but God did not look out the outside: he looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).

#christjesus #love #pray #prayer #gaintheworld #jesus #church #christ #newepisode #churchofchrist #TheOneTrueGod #willard #chroniclesofwillard #walkwiththelord