The church of Christ on McDermott Road

When Ahab and Jezebel ruled over Israel and the land was plagued with drought, there were some, like Elijah, who bravely spoke truth to power. There were some, like Obadiah, who worked quietly behind the scenes. There were others, like 100 prophets, who simply hid in a cave. During challenging times, we all need to be reminded that others don't have to respond to the crisis exactly like us in order to be faithful to God.

For the last few weeks we have been discussing how we deal with racial strife and tensions that exist both in the world and even in the church. One of the problems is that these conversations themselves sometimes lead to less unity instead of greater unity. Rather than listening to one another, we end up accusing one another or being dismissive of one another. Consequently, because these conversations often end with hurt feelings and regret, we often choose to avoid conversations about race.

But that’s not healthy either. We’ve made progress in this area and there is still progress that needs to be made. The only way to do so is to have more conversations and have the right kind of conversations. That’s what I hope tonight’s discussion will empower us to do, have better conversations.

My guest tonight is Melvin Otey, a former federal prosecutor and an Associate Professor of Law at Faulkner University. I was very blessed by this conversation and I hope you are as well.

The idea of Sabbath, taking one full day out of seven to rest, must have seemed absurd in the ancient world. And it may still be seen as absurd today. Some of us spend so much time working that we’ve convinced ourselves the world would fall apart if we slowed down; and some of us play so hard when we’re not working, that it hardly resembles rest at all. We need to be intentional about not just resting from work, but resting from being busy. We have to allow ourselves time—every week—to slow down and remember that God is at work and we have eternity to enjoy God’s blessings. Resting reminds us that we don’t have to try to squeeze everything into this vapor of a life. (Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3)

They say time heals all wounds, but I don’t believe that. Wounds need to be treated, not ignored. When a wound is ignored and left untreated, it festers over time. Sin harms individuals, families, communities, and whole nations. Over time, the wounds caused by sin can continue to affect future generations. As one example, slavery may have been abolished in the United States 150 years ago, but our society is still grappling with the consequences today. Time and worldly solutions are no match for the hurt and destruction sin causes. The Gospel is the only solution for the wounds that run so deep. That’s why I want to invite you to listen to a conversation I had with Dr. Corey Markum, history professor from Freed Hardeman University. He offers his unique insight to help us understand how our context has been shaped and how we might navigate this current context as followers of Jesus. I hope you find this conversation helpful.

Perhaps contrary to popular opinion, work was not a result of the Fall. Adam was originally tasked with work in the Garden of Eden before he ate the fruit. Humans are designed and destined to work. While work can certainly be done in a spiritually and emotionally unhealthy way, it should not be seen as a “necessary evil,” but a God-honoring use of skills, resources, and talents. In nearly every profession—whether it is collecting garbage or organizing numbers on a screen—there is a way to “image” God’s goodness in the way we help bring order to a chaotic world. Are we intentional with our time and our thinking as it pertains to our work. (Scripture: Genesis 2:15-22)

Antwan Brown, from the Azalea Dr. Church of Christ in Charleston, South Carolina, joins Wes McAdams tonight to discuss these questions: 1. Does the Bible teach that there is really only one race, the human race? And if so, does that mean we should stop talking about racial problems? 2. As it pertains to the church truly acting like a multiethnic, multinational, multilingual family, what positives and negatives have you seen? 3. How can Christians, of any ethnicity, help strengthen unity within the church?

David Foster Wallace once said, “There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody  worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” When we do not intentionally make time in our week to worship God, we inevitably spend our week worshiping other things. Worshiping God puts everything into perspective. Something this important deserves more than one hour of our week. Throughout the week, how much time do we really devote to things like prayer, singing, reflection, and discussion about the greatness of our God? (Scripture: Psalms 29:1-11)

In this episode of our "Current Events" series, Wes McAdams visits with Tennessee State Representative John DeBerry about how we strive for the causes we believe in with love and without compromise. Our text for this episode is from Ephesians 6, which teaches us who we are fighting and how we are to be fighting.

Peter wants his audience to understand that their old life doesn’t make sense in their new context. In fact, once you come to know Jesus, it’s hard to believe you used to live the life you once lived. But when you’re in the midst of that old life, it’s the only thing you know. Chances are, there are still things you’re doing that you’ll look back on and say, “I can’t believe I ever did that.” But the only way to get to that point is to make better decisions today than you made yesterday…you’ll be glad you did. (Scripture: 1 Peter 4:1-6)

In tonight's "Current Events" discussion, Wes McAdams visits with Shelton Gibbs IV, Judge Elect from Kaufman County, Texas. They discuss how, as Christians, we should strive to make peace in our divided and polarized world.