Christian naturism

Dr. Smither is a member of the staff of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, VA and an Associate Professor of Church History and Intercultural Studies, while also directing the Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies. Augustine as Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders would originally be developed as his dissertation to achieve his Ph.D. in Historical Theology from the University of Wales in Lampeter, UK. Book Summary In Augustine as Mentor, Dr. Edward Smither begins a…

"Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. (John 15:20 NIV) Full confession moment: One of my pet peeves are the never-ending lists that tell the church, and most noticeably church pastors and leaders, what they are doing wrong and how to fix it. While I'm sure many of these are well-intentioned, they often come off a people looking for popularity and…

community within the Christian faith. He does so not just based on his own personal preferences, but based on scripture and the convictions the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book, the author is trying to say what the meaning of Christian community is and why it is important for us as Christians to have it. Due to this emphasis, this book is not only a helpful resource for those involved in ministry, but those outside of ministry as well. This leaves those inside and outside of the Christian…

John 14: John 14 begins a four chapter section (14-17), commonly known as the “Farewell Discourse”. It is primarily composed of Jesus' utilizing his final moments with his disciples to teach them and assure that his ministry will not fail upon his impending crucifixion. John’s theology here becomes dense, as a lot of what Jesus addresses here would have been relevant to the Johannine community in particular. The Farewell Discourse follows a basic pattern, as it was a recognizable genre at…

him as to which he lives within us. As to why we shall continue to show gratitude and obtain his path love for a better like hood of life to get to enteral life as promise once continue to follow the commandments and lessons that has been left. As Christian followers it is our mission to carry out the same mission of Christ. Being willing to sacrifice for our own good, remaining faith to our word, and to carry out love and peace onto all. Jesus Christ was place here to lead by example of how it…

I listened to a sermon given by R.G. Lee called, “I Love Jesus Because.” He is a very enthusiastic preacher and he starts out by saying, “I love Jesus because I can pray in his name.” We need to be grateful to Christ and love him because we can pray in his name. When he prays in Jesus’ name, he rolls upon the mind of God, all the memories he has. He has forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. God has casts our sins into the depth of the sea. Not on the surface where men can look at them, but…

The work of the Spirit in the scriptures is often not specifically laid out, and role of the Holy Spirit has historically been down played in Christian circles. In twenty-first century Christianity, the Holy Spirit is often neglected in theological systems which causes confusion on the topic. The work of the Holy Spirit is the primary mean by which a Christian comes to believe in God the Father and in the Son Jesus Christ. Spirit’s work is internal. It regenerates a believer unto salvation, and…

was “Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” It speaks to Mary’s role as the mother of the most important and influential child. She wants to treasure and remember the special moments as her child grows, but for me as a Christian, parent and pastor, I wanted to treasure and ponder this sacred story seeking to understand the best way to share with the body of Christ today. In preparing a sermon I read the text daily. There is no step in the preparation that does not…

An explanation of the letters: My first letter was to my home church Gracepoint community church. I commended Gracepoint for the many good works they do. They are always striving to impact the community in any way that the can. Whether it is the weekly dinners for the less fortunate, or sponsoring a refugee family or supporting so many different local and foreign missionaries. Gracepoint strives to better communities. Where I criticized the church was the failure of some of the congregation…

The Called & Favored: Our Lord has promised never to forsake those that waited on Him. Psalm, 37:-7 "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass." The precious Blood of Jesus brings comfort to those that put their trust upon the Lord. Therefore we have a Father to depend upon in time of trials and tribulations. 1 Peter, 4:-12-16 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery…