“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents:
1) “Putting Away Lying” (Heath Rogers)
2) Jesus Was Tempted, Too (Bryan Gibson)
3) Sword Tips #53 (Joe R. Price)
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“Putting Away Lying”
Heath Rogers
“Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another” (Eph. 4:25).
After using the put off/put on illustration to describe the change in behavior that is to be produced by learning Christ (vs. 22-24), Paul proceeds to give several specific examples of such changes. He begins with a prohibition against lying.
“Lying” is translated from the Greek word pseudos which refers to all falsehood (rendered such in some modern translations). This involves telling lies, but it also includes the desire to deceive by telling half-truths and withholding facts demanded for a full disclosure of the truth.
The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). God is truth. He is the source of truth (John 17:17). God is incapable of lying (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18). Such an act would violate His holiness. If we are to be identified as God’s children, and if we are to maintain our fellowship with Him, we must put away lying and falsehood.
Some would have us believe there is a distinction between malicious lies and harmless little “white lies.” The Bible makes no such distinction. “…all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). The world abounds with rationalizations for deceit, making it easy to deal carelessly with the truth. We can fall into the trap of telling lies to protect ourselves or spare the feelings of others. We must put off this practice. All lies are sinful, regardless of who benefits from them.
In the place of telling lies, “let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor.” This appears to be a quotation or allusion to Zechariah 8:16, which called for God’s people to repent and treat others in a just and righteous manner. Our Lord came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). Part of following Christ is abiding in the truth, speaking the truth, and dealing truthfully with others.
The motivation given in the text for this change in behavior is the impact deception has on other believers – “we are members of one another.” The “one-another” admonitions are common in Paul’s writings. Working together as members of a local church requires effort on our part. Fellowship in the body of Christ is built and maintained, in large part, on trust. We must deal honestly with God’s word, and with one another. Deception undermines this fellowship, while honesty strengthens and protects it.
— Via Articles from the Knollwood church of Christ, February 2026
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Jesus Was Tempted, Too
Bryan Gibson
Immediately after He was baptized by John, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” This series of temptations is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; and Luke 4:1-13. Let’s see what we can learn from what happened.
The word of God gives us strength against temptation.
In response to each temptation, Jesus used the words, “it is written,” and then quoted a passage from God’s word. Using the word of God as part of His armor, He was able to “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11; see also 1 John 2:14; Psalms 119:9-11).
The devil looks for an opportune time to tempt us.
Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, when He was seemingly most vulnerable—after He had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. When Satan left Jesus, the text says “he departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). Don’t expect anything different when he goes after us.
Resist the devil, and he will flee.
That promise is made in James 4:7, but illustrated in the temptations of Jesus. Jesus resisted Satan at every turn, and Satan left him—maybe not for good, but he did leave.
Man shall not live by bread alone.
That’s how Jesus responded to the temptation to turn stones into bread. There is much more to life than just what sustains us physically. “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25). “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33)—that’s what life is really all about. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
Use what God has given for the purpose God intends.
Jesus had the power to turn those stones into bread, but to use that power strictly for his own benefit would be a misuse of it. In principle, we face this same temptation every day—to use what God has given us for a different purpose than He intends. Consider this one example: God has given us our bodies, but not to do with as we please (“the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord”—1 Corinthians 6:13).
Never tempt the Lord, or put Him on trial.
Jesus made this point to the devil, after the devil tried to get Him to throw Himself down off the pinnacle of the temple. God has forever proved his care for us by sending His Son to die on the cross (Romans 8:31-32). We don’t have to do things to see whether or not He cares for us. We don’t have to ask as the Israelites once did, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7). We’re the ones on trial here, not God.
No offer from Satan is worth losing our soul over.
All the kingdoms of the world and their glory—that’s what Satan offered Jesus, if Jesus would fall down and worship him. A particularly sly approach, because Jesus would ultimately be given dominion over all these kingdoms, just not by the means Satan proposed. He would first have to go the cross. Whatever Satan may offer, it’s not as valuable as our soul. He may even offer us a legitimate end to get us to use the wrong means. Don’t be talked into doing wrong, no matter what Satan may promise.
— via the Weekly Bulletin of the Prattmont church of Christ, December 8, 2024
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“And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).
Sword Tips #53
Joe R. Price
“Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death” (John 8:51).
The words of Jesus are unmistakable; The person who “keeps (his) word” will not experience death. Of course, Jesus is speaking of spiritual life and spiritual death.
We all have an appointment with physical death (Heb. 9:27). You must get ready for the death of your body by keeping the word of Jesus.
Genuine faith obeys Jesus.
In this verse, Jesus requires obedience in order to “never see death.” “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me” (Jno. 14:21).
If you desire spiritual life, then believe the word of Christ and start keeping it today.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…
6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday: 9 a.m. Bible Class (except for the last Sunday of the month Song Service) and 10 a.m. Worship Service
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)