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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Faithfulness
I remember preachers pounding the pulpit urging Christians to “be faithful until death” (Revelation 2:10). What does that mean?
Perhaps it is an oversimplification, but you could say that it means that a Christians should not be unfaithful to Christ. (Hmm. Not helpful.)
We understand faithfulness in marriage; it has a twofold meaning. First, the husband and wife both bring to the marriage all that makes marriage a marriage. Second, neither one adds to the marriage something that would pollute the marriage.
Faithfulness also carries the idea of duration. So, in a marriage, husband and wife commit to each other for the duration of life.
Behind the actions of faithfulness is an attitude of faithfulness. A person intends to be faithful and does not deviate from that intention.
As in illustration, consider…
Many years ago my older sister and I left home at the end of our Christmas break to return to college. There was a blanket of snow on the ground as we began our trip south. Along the way the snow-covered highway became an ice-covered highway. Though driving slowly and carefully, I lost control. We spun around and slid into a ditch, the car pointing north. A kind man in a truck stopped and pulled us out of the ditch. There was no damage to the car and we resumed our journey south to college.
Question: At what point were we headed back home?
¨ The car slid off the road…heading home?
¨ The car was pointed north…heading home?
¨ We were pulled northward out of the ditch…heading home?
¨ We were a bit shaken up…heading home?
Though we had left the path there was never a point in which we intended to go back home. The mishap and the physical orientation of the car did not indicate a change of heart. Our intentions were always college bound (southbound). In fact, we later pulled off the road intentionally and looked for a place to eat, yet we were still on our way to college.
The illustration simply emphasizes that a person can be faithful to a choice, yet also experience setbacks along the way. Even then, faithfulness has the quality of perseverance and singlemindedness.
In short, faithfulness to Christ means no turning back from one’s choice to follow Christ. Once a devoted disciple to Christ, a Christian never quits, never returns to his former way of thinking and living.
Faithfulness also means, Christ only. There is no room for another Lord. You cannot mix Christianity with another religion or mix in another philosophy or mix in ungodly attitudes and sinful behaviors. The Bible never teaches “Christ…and,” rather, Christ alone.
In the Old Testament God is sometimes described as a jealous God. The Apostle Paul explained:
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
—Ephesians 4:5-6
Faithfulness is ALL Christ,
ONLY Christ,
ALWAYS Christ,
NO MATTER THE COST...Christ.
Mark Stinnett
March 9, 2025
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Is 'Free Speech' from God?
Free speech: It’s our first amendment right...right?
The forefathers of our nation saw fit to guarantee all Americans the right to free speech. It protects the free and public expression of the opinions of citizens from censorship, interference, or restraint by the government.
Because of its brevity and broad interpretation, the free speech clause of the first amendment has been tested in court cases including issues concerning commercial advertising, burning the U.S. flag, wearing military medals by non-military people, publishing materials anonymously, publishing obscene materials, taxation of media, and more. Decisions handed down by the courts have often protected the publication of false statements, classified government documents, and pornography. What began as good has been used by some for evil.
What do you think God thinks about free speech?
While the first amendment is more about governmental interference in the lives of her citizens, God is interested in relationships and truth. For that reason, we ought to give careful thought as to how we use our free speech.
Found in a list of sinful practices that oppose godliness is malicious gossip. (2 Timothy 3:3). The word that the Apostle Paul used was about making false and harmful statements about others. In the same list he also warned about reviling, the use of abusive speech against others such as mockery or the spreading of harmful statements whether true or not.
Paul warned about boasting in Romans 1:30. The word that he used was about making false statements to elevate oneself. In the same list is untrustworthy, describing someone who agrees to do something but does not keep his word. The laws of the land might not prosecute you for boasting or being untrustworthy, but God sees those as evil.
You would think that God did not have to tell His people that lying was evil. And yet, it seems that we need reminders. For that reason, lying is explicitly forbidden in Scripture in numerous passages. It is also at the core of boasting, breaking promises, gossip, slander, deception, and other sins of the tongue. Paul identified liars as unrighteous people in 1 Timothy 1:10 and then added, “and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.”
Sound teaching is wholesome teaching. The expected result of wholesome teaching is love and godliness. So, any kind of speech that does not produce love and godliness stands in opposition to God and His goals.
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,” Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29. We must not play games with God. We must consider what we say and how we say it. That applies to flaming emails, social media rants, judgmental political statements, and similar things.
We sometimes act as if exercising our civil liberties is of greater importance than maintain our relationship with God and others. We also sometimes forget the value of truth.
Parental wisdom has taught, “Think before you speak.”
That wisdom comes from God; free speech does not.
Mark Stinnett
March 2, 2025
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Wise Eyes
Two young boys, brothers, walked up to the banks of a river while on a camping trip. Surveying the wide river they both imagined themselves playing in the water. Just as the younger brother kicked off his shoes and started for the water, the older warned, “You’d better not go in; remember what dad said.”
Hesitating, the younger brother replied: “It looks pretty good to me. I don’t see a problem.”
With another reminder from the older brother, they stopped and spent their time skipping rocks on the water.
What stopped them from going in?
They were the ones at the river. They had firsthand knowledge. They could see no dangers. Yet, they hesitated. They stopped. They listened to the voice of their father echoing in their ears.
We are often like the young boys. We might approach life like a wide inviting river. We want to kick off our shoes and wade in without a care in the world. Our eyes are open. We see no dangers.
We stand at the side of the river of life. We can see that everything is safe. But our heavenly Father has warned us.
The boys could not see the dangers their father knew to exist. The same is true of us. We often cannot see the dangers that our heavenly Father knows to exist.
Fear stopped the boys, fear of their father. There was an element of scared fear, but they were not simply afraid. They knew their father and held him in high esteem. There was trust and respect and an understanding of potential consequences for disobedience. Fear. Respect. Honor.
Reverence and awe are not merely worship words. They are descriptive of our view of God every day and in all circumstances. Reverence and awe for God and His word will direct our feet to safety and steer us away from evil.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
--Proverbs 3:7
Do you have wise eyes?
Mark Stinnett
February 23, 2025
