April 23, 2023
Texts: Acts 2:42-45; 3:1; Eph 4:7-8, 11-12 Days 62-64 in Around the Bible in Eighty Days. Previously, we have seen the formation of community through a shared initiation (baptism), shared faith in Jesus the Messiah (through the apostles’ teaching), and a shared table (breaking bread). These were communal moments in Acts 2. Together, 3000 were […]
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Theodrama | Tagged: Apostle, Contribution, Evangelist, Fellowship, Generosity, Giving, Leadership, Pastor, Prayer, Prophet, Teacher |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
February 5, 2023
[Sermon begins at the 55 minute mark.] How do you persuade a wealthy congregation in Corinth to share their resources with an impoverished and ethnically different group of people in Jerusalem almost 1,000 miles distant? When they shared from their resources with the Jerusalem believers, Paul wrote, they would “glorify God by [their] obedience to […]
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Biblical Texts, Theology | Tagged: 2 Corinthians 8:8-10, 2 Corinthians 9:13, Generosity, Giving, Grace, Poor, Poverty, Wealth |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
February 5, 2022
[This is copied from my book Searching for the Pattern, pp. 90-104. Due to a recent bout with COVID-19, I have not had the energy or time to do any original writing on 2 Corinthians 8-9. However, I think the following captures the essence of Paul’s theological interests in this section of the letter. Two […]
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Biblical Texts | Tagged: 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Economics, Exodus 16, Generosity, Giving, Grace, Incarnation, Macedonians, Manna, Money |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
November 17, 2015
I have some suggestions for Christmas! But first a little biblical theology…. Israel enjoyed their Spring and Fall harvests with week-long celebrations. In the Spring, seven weeks after Passover, Israel celebrated the Spring harvest with the “Festival of Harvest/Weeks” (Pentecost). In the Fall, Israel celebrated the Fall harvest with the “Festival of Booths/Tabernacles.” These festivals […]
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Biblical Texts, Theology | Tagged: Alien, Deuteronomy, Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Weeks, Generosity, Giving, Hospitality, Immigrant, Stranger |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
March 2, 2011
James A. Harding, the namesake of Harding University and co-founder of Lipscomb University, placed as much emphasis on giving, tithing and trusting in God’s provisioin as he did any other topic. The sin of covetousness is idolatry and it “hurts the church more than any other,” he wrote. We hate the extreme, but we tolerate […]
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Spirituality, Stone-Campbell, Theology | Tagged: Churches of Christ, Giving, James A. Harding, Poor, Poverty, Wealth |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
May 28, 2009
Note: This is the second of six small group studies that are coordinated with a sermon series by Dean Barham, the preaching minister at the Woodmont Family of God. Eventually, his sermons will be available here. The first small group study lesson is here. Free from Debt and Free to Share Deuteronomy 15:1-11 Among other things, debt creates […]
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Spirituality | Tagged: Bible-Deuteronomy, Debt, Generosity, Giving, Poor, Poverty, Rich, Wealthy |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
December 24, 2008
While in Montgomery Alabama for a summer meeting in 1902, James A. Harding answered several questions from the “Question Box” which was available to hearers there. He answered a few of these through the pages of The Way (“Questions and Answers,” 4 [July 17, 1902] 121-123). One concerned the name “Christian Church” (which he opposed […]
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Stone-Campbell | Tagged: Assembly, Bible, Bible Reading, Christians, Denominations, Fellowship, Giving, James A. Harding, Means of Grace, Poor, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Sects, Stone-Campbell, Stone-Campbell Movement |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
October 28, 2008
“From each according to their ability, to each according to their need.” Karl Marx “At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality [fair balance, NRSV; or, equity], as it is written ‘He who gathered much did […]
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Society, Theology | Tagged: Bible-2 Corinthians, Biden, Capitalism, Economic Justice, Economics, Election 2008, Giving, justice, Marx, Marxism, Money, Obama, Palin, Poor, Poverty, Rich, Socialism, Wealth, Wealth and Poverty |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks