The Old Testament is a foreshadowing of the New Testament. There are many people, worship practices, and even situations in the Old Testament that correlate to New Testament teaching. This speaks to the Bible being a unit. In this introductory lesson (in a class setting), Gary simplifies what biblical typology is and discuss how Adam and Jesus are similar. Comments made by students have been edited out since they are inaudible. We hope you enjoy this study of Bible Typology "101".  As always your comments and questions are welcome.

What is the Church? Depending on who you ask you may get one of many answers but there is only one biblical answer. Gary answers three questions about the Church that will help you understand the biblical answer and see how essential the Church is to salvation. Your questions and comments are welcome. Enjoy the episode!

We are held accountable to God's wishes whether or not we know what they are! In this episode Gary uses an Old Testament example to show the reality of this truth and then shows how it applies to the decline of the home in America. Broken homes are all too common. Marriage is not respected like it once was and should be. Society has forgotten how God would have the home. Gary lays out what the Bible teaches about a proper marriage and what makes a strong home. We hope you will benefit from this discussion.

Pilot asked Jesus, "What is truth?" Previously Jesus said, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17). Notice that truth sanctifies. James 1:18 says, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." We are made Christians when we are born again (John 3:3-5). Psalms 145:18 says, "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." We understand that calling on the Lord and being reborn go hand in hand. Being baptized is the way we call on him. Ananias to Saul to be baptized to have his sins washed away, "calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).

Gary develops this topic and explains the above verses showing that the Truth is the Bible and that followers of Christ are baptized and faithful to him. We hope you will be encouraged by this sermon and share it with others.

This is not a selfish question, it shows self interest. Peter asked this question to Jesus. He asked, "Behold we have forsaken all, and followed thee: what shall we have therefore" (Matthew 19:27)? Jesus didn't chide him at all but said,

"Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first."

In this sermon Gary shows what means to follow Christ so that we can have the benefits Jesus promises. Promises that last throughout eternity. We hope this sermon will encourage you to remain faithful to Christ and that if you are not following him properly you will begin anew in submissive commitment. 

Thanks for listening!

The Bible is organized the way it is deliberately. It reflects the way God slowly and methodically revealed his will to mankind. It is an historical document partly chronological with thematic, episodic, poetic, proverbial, prophetic, and mandates interspersed. The Bible consistently portrays people as God's children and though fully mature in every human aspect the implication is that man could not immediately understand or at least appreciate sin's catastrophic effects or the magnitude of God's grace and power to save. No doubt man needed time to grasp redemption, otherwise God would have sent Christ into the world immediately after sin entered it and we could carry on as if nothing ever happened. Since this is not the case we are compelled to study the Bible to learn its significance, and it does take more than a casual read to understand it. Why would God require his book, which has the instructions to save the ones he loves so dearly, to be harder than a newspaper or children's' storybook to comprehend? Because he gave us a brain smart enough to grasp it and he expects us to use it! Hebrews 11:6 says every person has the responsibility to seek God. God is not impressed with intellect, or any other human attribute. He knows what he created. He wants our hearts, that is, our desire to be consumed with the thought of him. The greatest glory and honor that we can personally attain is to do things properly and only he knows how things are properly done. The Bible is his instruction book for proper living. With every accomplishment we make, whether spiritual or secular, we illustrate that his will is perfect and duplicatable. Our purpose is to glory him and live so as to be with him in eternity glorifying him forever. He one who truly loves us. (Isaiah 43:7, 1 Corinthians 6:20; Romans 15:6; Revelation 4:11)

In Acts 4:25 Peter quoted King David saying, "Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things?" What this mean? Gary discusses modern examples of those who reject God's will as the standard for living. He shows that people, communities and nations that contradict or defy God display anger because they are in conflict with moral standards. He also shows thankfulness for local, national and foreign community leaders who have supported the Church's mission and gives personal examples of these encouraging people. This lesson, full of scripture is sure to build your faith and help you overcome temptation.

The Church that was established in Acts chapter two was known as the Church of Christ in the first century (Romans. 16:16). Of course there are other scriptural names for the Church but this shows the origin for modern day churches of Christ. Alan Highers does a fantastic job of recounting Church history from its roots and explains why churches of Christ remain true to the New Testament Church. Let us know what you think about this episode and visit www.garymcdade.com for more.

Faith is the victory for sure, but what is faith? The term has been hijacked by denominational doctrine and the true meaning of faith has been lost. By the true meaning I mean the biblical meaning. When most people think of faith they take it to mean a belief in something that has no real evidence to prove it actually exists. This view is in direct conflict with scripture. We are told to "Prove all things," and the very definition of faith is that evidence and substance of observable facts are the basis of faith (1 Thess. 5:21; Heb. 11:1). The idea of belief without evidence has caused a massive plethora of conflicting view points. It allows people to believe anything they want and believe that any conflict of doctrine or point of view will be overlooked by God. It also is the fundamental reason the debate regarding the opposition of religion and science. Faith versus fact says the atheists and denominational Christians agree. That shouldn't be! Truth is truth and the Word of God is truth (Jn. 17:17). We hope you will be encouraged to see this topic discussed and leave us a comment, visit Gary's YouTube Channel and website for more study opportunities!

www.garymcdade.com

The Church is not something that just popped up after the ascension of Jesus. It did not evolve by followers of Jesus simply coming together to form a community. The organization of the Church did not develop over time. The Church was prophesied extensively in the Old Testament. It is God's plan for redeeming man. It was brought into existence purposefully. In this sermon Gary lays out how the Bible for-tells of the Church and its establishment on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. He also shows why it is so important to be a member of the Church and how to become a member of it. This sermon is sure to increase your confidence as a Christian or kindly encourage you to become a member of the Church of Christ (Romans 16:16).