Our preacher, Mark Stinnett, publishes articles for the church bulletin each week. These articles are designed to teach, encourage and challenge the members of our congregation. His latest articles can be found below with the most recent at the beginning of the list. Mark has archived all of his articles on his personal blog 'MicroMarks' which can be accessed at: micromarks.blogspot.com.
Preacher's Blog
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When Truth Does Not Help
When writing to the saints at Rome, the Apostle Paul addressed a point of contention in the church. Truth was declared, but truth was not the issue. In reading chapter 14 of the book of Romans we see Christians, presumably of a Jewish background, who were concerned about some of the food that they ate. They believed there were food restrictions. However, others, presumed to be Gentiles, non-Jews, did not have the same restrictions. One group judged the other. One group looked down on the other.
Paul, writing by inspiration, solved the problem, but not in the way you might expect. He wrote that “nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” (v. 14)
Did you see it? Did you see the truth? “Nothing is unclean in itself.”
That is truth. From that we can establish doctrinal correctness. Paul might have reflected on the words of Jesus: “Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated.?” A parenthetical statement follows from the inspired writer, Mark, “(Thus He declared all foods clean.)” (Mark 7:18-19)
So...we have the truth. All food is clean. We all have the liberty to eat anything we wish to eat, no restrictions. We should teach those who think there are food restrictions that there are no food restrictions. Right?
Going back to Romans 14, read the latter part of verse 14 again: “...but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” So, what are we to do with that? Paul continues...
For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.” (v. 15)
It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. (v. 21)
What is all this about?
First, this is not about food restrictions or food liberties. Yet, when dealing with that 1st century issue, Paul provided timeless instruction. Second, recognize that it is not truth that is the problem. Truth exists. Truth is vital. But truth did not help because of wrong attitudes toward fellow saints.
Paul clarified in 1 Corinthians 8…
Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. (v. 1)
If food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble. (v. 13)
Paul recognized that truth existed, but that truth needed to be handled properly. One’s knowledge of truth can be used pridefully. It can be used in a mocking way that shows disregard. A person can know truth and yet with an improper attitude, cause division.
There are some truths that are absolute. Paul declares that there is one God and one Lord and one Spirit and one body (church) in Ephesians 4. These are truths that cannot be compromised. We need discernment when it comes to truth. The food issue and some issues of our day are about the conscience and are not absolute truths that cannot be compromised.
When you stand before God in judgment, who do you want to be; the one who boasts in the knowledge of truth, knowledge of Christian liberties, doctrinal correctness, or the one who builds up fellow saints through love?
Mark Stinnett
October 5, 2025
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Turning the Head
I learned to turn my head because dad turned his head.
Why did we turn our heads?
It was the bikini-clad beauty on the car commercial or in the beach scene in a movie. I learned that we were supposed to turn our heads to avoid seeing something that we should not see. I didn’t understand the reason.
I later learned that turning my eyes away from the indecently dressed model/actress was to avoid lust. Instead of gazing and taking the risk of allowing my mind to develop improper desires...look away.
I have made a covenant with my eyes;
How then could I gaze at a virgin?
Job 31:1
Job made a promise to himself to turn his head and look away to avoid lust.
Since that early head-turning lesson from my dad, I have learned that there are other times to turn my head. Did you know that not only does the turning of one’s head have practical value, it is symbolic of rejection?
In Scripture, God turned his face or hid his face from His people when they turned to idols. (Leviticus 20:6; Deuteronomy 31:18) Do you see all the turning? They turned away from God, rejecting Him. In disappointment, He turned away from His people, rejecting them.
King David pleaded with God, “Do not hide your face from me,” a plea echoed one line later: “Do not abandon me nor forsake me.” (Psalm 27:9) In the beloved Psalm 51, David pleaded, “Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.”
For God to look at a person brings blessings; to turn away is rejection.
Is there anything in life that you should turn your face from?
Is there anything that you should reject by literally turning your head?
Sitting at the wedding of an acquaintance, the bride and groom stepped away from the officiant and approached a statue. They knelt before it and prayed. I could not look! It was offensive! It did not matter who the statue represented; nor the reason for bowing and praying. It was idolatry!
The Apostle Paul wrote…
Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. —Ephesians 5:11-12
Are you curious about sin?
Do you want to know more about darkness?
Do you want to talk about the things ungodly people do in secret?
Be careful with your gaze. Keep your curiosity in check. To whatever it is that you turn your head to look, there lies your heart’s interest.
Idolatry causes God to turn his face away; but a humble heart captures his attention as does one who is moved by His word. (Isaiah 66:2)
What about you?
Is there anything that causes you to turn your head and look away?
What kinds of things turn your head to draw your attention?
The writer of Hebrews encouraged the saints to “lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.”
If, like Lot’s wife we turn toward Sodom, we will become like Sodom. But if we set our gaze on Jesus, we will become like Jesus. On what do you gaze?
Mark Stinnett
September 28, 2025
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Is God Responsible for the Crusades?
Is God responsible for things just because they happen?
That is the idea you get when listening to many people of our day. As an illustration...
Everybody at church was praying for healing for Gladys (made up name). However, she took a turn for the worse and passed away. Overheard at the next church gathering was a well-meaning word of comfort that ended, “I guess it was God’s will to take her.”
Was it God’s will??
I have known people who expressed anger at God for ‘taking’ a loved one or for not coming through on a desired request. However...
Was it really God’s will (fault) that you did not get the job you wanted?
Was it really God’s will (fault) that the person you had your heart set on did not fall in love with you?
Was it really God’s will (fault) that your grandmother died?
I do not wish to sound unkind with my questions. Yet, it is important to see where this kind of thinking leads.
Some people follow the idea that God has everything in life mapped out for everybody (especially them). So, whenever something happens, it happened because it was God’s will. Otherwise, it would not have happened.
You cannot come to that conclusion when thinking about the idolatry of God’s people in the Old Testament. What about the crusades of the 11th century, prison camps in Nazi Germany, or the lives lost on 9-11-2001?
Did you know that the crusades were carried out in the name of Jesus Christ?! They were not merely approved, but called for by a church council in 1095 under the authority of Pope Urban II. The first crusade was over possession of the “Holy Sepulchre,” a church building erected by Constantine the Great in the 4th century, and considered a holy site by many people of the Christian faith.
In light of the crusades, reflect on the words of Jesus as He answered the Roman governor Pilate just before His crucifixion, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews.” (John 18:36) How does a fight over a building and land, regardless of its purpose/use make sense?? Does God really want His people fighting over earthly possessions? I find nothing in the New Testament to justify such a thing, even if it is done by devoted Christians and even if they devoted their war to God.
Think back to the Garden of Eden. God had instructed Adam that he could eat of every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was God’s will. He expected Adam and Eve to comply. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they opposed God’s instruction. No one could say, “Well, that’s too bad; it must have been God’s will.” Sin is never God’s will. Evil is not God’s will. Sin messed the world up, but it did not change God’s will.
God is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
That is God’s will.
God sent His Son into the world to repair the broken relationship between Himself and mankind due to sin.
That was God’s will.
Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.
That was God’s will.
Whenever something happens that you do not understand or you cannot explain or that disappoints you or is vastly different from your expectation...pause before you conclude that it was God’s will just because it happened. There are many things going on in this world today that are opposed to God’s will. Make sure you are not one of them.
Mark Stinnett
September 21, 2025
