Category Archives: Fellowship

The Church: The Family of God

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Bryan Hodge

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but… members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). What a change! God made it possible for those who were once “having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians … Continue reading →

Posted in Chruch, Family, Fellowship, Love, Textual study, Unity | Tagged bill and gloria gaither, brothers and sisters in Christ, church, church series, Ephesians 2:19, family, family of God, fellowship, household of God, jimmy jividen, koinonia, lannny wolfe, metaphor, our relationship with Jesus, philemon and onesimus, relationship between christians, relationship with Jesus, song: God's family, song: The family of God, the love of God | Leave a comment

The Church: The Body of Christ

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Bryan Hodge

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body…” (Ephesians 1:22-23). The book of Ephesians speaks of a body. There is one body (Ephesians 4:4). … Continue reading →

Posted in Chruch, Church Organization, Fellowship, Textual study, Unity | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12, annie johnston flint, authority of Christ, Chrisr's body on earth, chrysostom, church series, Colossians 1:18, Colossians 1:24, ears and eyes, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:4, Ephesians 5:23, hands and feet, head of church, Holy Spirit, j.w. mcgarvey, jew and gentile, metaphor, miraculous gifts, poem christ has no hands, relationship of body and head, relationship of members, Romans 12, spiritual gifts, the body, the body of Christ, the church, the work of the church | Leave a comment

Noseblind

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Bryan Hodge

“Anosmia is the inability to perceive odor or a lack of functioning olfactory – the loss of the sense of smell” (Wikipedia). Most people are not totally without the ability to smell. A much more common issue is a lack … Continue reading →

Posted in Chruch, Fellowship, Judgment, worship | Tagged 2 Corinthians 13:5, accustom to odor, anosmia, arrogance, auditorium appearance, clothes, dress, febreze, fighting in bible class, friendliness, giving, gossip, helping others to classes, impressions, James 1:22-25, John 5:44, noseblind, passing notes, self deception, self examination, self rightousness, smelly basement, swing in attendance, texting in worship, visiting church in Oklahoma, visitors, what message are we sending?, who do we want to please?, worship assembly, wrong terminology | 1 Comment

If You’ve Been Comforted, Comfort Others

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Bryan Hodge

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Influence, Example, Fellowship, Textual study | Tagged 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, comfort, comfort from God's word, comfort from others, eulegtos, helping others, trouble and tribulation | Leave a comment

Loving Loyalty

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Bryan Hodge

Society is filled with self-centered people. It always has been, to one degree or another. It is all about them. They are only your friends or close family members, so long as they see a direct benefit to them. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Chruch, Endurance, Family, Fellowship, friends, Love, Marriage, Priorities | Tagged Andrei Shleifer, baby boomers and church, brethren/local church, church shopping, Cicero, Cicero On the good life, Doug Bernheim, elisha hoffman, fair weaher friends, four areas of growth, frances havergal, friends/Family, husband/wife, ineritance, john hobbs, Johnson Oatman, Larry Summers, Levitt and Dubner, love, loyalty, News Week, parent/child, retirment homes, self-centered, Singapore, song I will be a friend to Jesus, song to Christ e true, song true hearted whole hearted, stephen dubner, super freakonomics, The Compelling Power of The Cross, visiting elderly parents, Wade Roof | 1 Comment

Peace Series: Let The Peace of God Rule

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Bryan Hodge

“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:14-15). Three things … Continue reading →

Posted in Appreciation, Clothing, Fellowship, God`s word, Love, Peace, Textual study, Thanksgiving, Word Study | Tagged alan adams illustration, Appreciation, belt, bond of perfection, bond of unity, brabeuo, Colossians 3:14-15, compliment, dealing with issues, girdle, john kachelman jr, let the peace of God rule, love, mark twain, peace, peace of God, peace series, thanks, the gospel of peace, the word of God, umpire | Leave a comment

Peace Series: Not Food and Drink

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Bryan Hodge

“The Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). The context concerns the eating of clean and unclean food (Romans 14:14). The church at Rome was composed of … Continue reading →

Posted in Chruch, Fellowship, Peace, Textual study | Tagged dioko, jew and gentile relations, joy, kingdom is righteousness and peace and joy, not eating and drinking, old testament dietary laws, peace, peace series, righteousness, robin haley, Romans 14, scruples, stumbling block | Leave a comment

Mercy Series: I Desire Mercy

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Bryan Hodge

“I desire mercy and not sacrifice and knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). Do not misunderstand. God required animal sacrifices and burnt offerings under the Mosaic Dispensation and the Patriarchal Dispensation (e.g. Genesis 4:4; 8:20-21; 22:1-14; Exodus … Continue reading →

Posted in Fellowship, Mercy, Priorities, Textual study, Word Study | Tagged 2 Timothy 1:16-18, animal sacrifices, be merciful, benevolence, burnt offerings, fellowship, homer hailey, Hosea 6:6, I desire knowledge of God more than burnt offerings, I desire mercy not sacrifice, kindness, many turned from paul, Matthew 12:1-8, not ashamed, not ashamed of chains, onesiphorus, onesiphorus ministers to paul, onesiphorus refreshes paul, onesiphorus sought out paul, paul's chains, persecution | Leave a comment

Mercy Series: Be Like-Minded

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Bryan Hodge

“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one … Continue reading →

Posted in Chruch, Fellowship, Mercy, Textual study, Word Study | Tagged affection, bowls, comfort of love, consolation in Christ, ei, encouragement, exhortation, fellowship, fellowship of the Spirit, if, koinonia, like-minded, mercy, oiktrimos, participation, Philippians 2:1-2. consolation, splanchnon, use of if | Leave a comment

I Can’t Help You

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Bryan Hodge

Dan Hicks once sang a song entitled, “How can I miss you when you won’t go away?” It is a funny song. The answer to the song title is self-evident. Let’s consider another question. This time the question is about … Continue reading →

Posted in christian growth, Dedication, Fellowship | Tagged all is o.k., are you really a Christian?, are you sure you are saved?, back slidding, Bible class, brevity of life, christian evidence siminars, dan hicks, everything is fine, excuse making, excuses, extra activities, fellowhip, Gospel meeting, growing in Christ, lack of attendance, lack of involment, life is brief, must help self, new converts class, no interest in study, nonattendance, noninvolvment, song how can I miss you when you want go away?, special classes, sporatic attendance, strange answers, teaching children, the need for growth, use of time, vacation Bible school, youth devotionals | Leave a comment