Tanglewood Church of Christ

Jesus warned His disciples several times that suffering and persecution would come to them. The Book of Acts documents some of the early persecutions they endured. The Epistle of I Peter and the Book of Revelation strongly urged their readers to prepare for something much worse that was to come. Our present lesson presents a brief overview of what happened in the two centuries following the New Testament period. Click the blue button to listen.

"Words to Live By – Adoption." The Apostle Paul uses the Greek word for adoption four times to describe the relationship between Christians and God. However, the New Testament meaning of adoption is not the same as our modern meaning. Today, we speak of families adopting an infant or child to give the little one a home and to fulfill the needs of the family. In New Testament times, adoption was almost entirely an activity between adults, in which a man of high position, wealth, and power "adopted" another man who had little or no status and social standing. This "adopted son" became heir and successor to his "father," being elevated to the high position and status of the father.
      One of the most outstanding examples of this type of adoption was the great Augustus Caesar, who was adopted by his uncle Julius Caesar while a young man. Until then Augustus was a part of the "plebian" (middle) class, while his uncle was of the aristocracy and part of the Roman Senate. Several later emperors were similarly adopted by the emperor before them. Learn how we have been elevated in status and wealth, and have become heirs, by our adoption by our Father! Click the blue button to listen.

What was it like to live as a Christian in A.D. 100? Certainly there was a tremendous difference in comparison to the culture at large in the Roman Empire. Society as a whole at that time was marked by divisions of class, gender, citizenship, and wealth. In addition, the empire was rocked by natural disasters and wars. National leadership vacillated between brilliance and gross incompetence. Mercy and kindness shown to those unlike yourself was considered a character flaw and weakness. How Christians lived among themselves and in contact with those around them had a significant impact on the spread of the gospel message. Click the blue button to hear more.

With today being Father’s Day, how appropriate it is to examine the beautiful teachings of the Gospel concerning our relationship to God. A very significant part of our relationship to Him is contained in the two words in our title: Abba and Father. Click the blue button to listen.

By A.D. 100 all the apostles had died or been martyred. The Faith had spread all across the Roman Empire and beyond. Now these churches composed of second and third generation believers faced new challenges. These challenges fell into several areas: (1) What or who was the authority with the apostles gone? (2) How do they deal with increasingly severe and widespread persecution? (3) How are they to identify and refute false teachings and teachers? In this message we try to briefly discuss these questions and prepare for future in-depth discussions on the history of the church between A.D. 100 and A.D. 200. Click the blue button to listen.

This morning we begin a new series focusing on key words and concepts which define and clarify the Christian faith. Other fields of study such as medicine, computers, and astronomy have words with special meanings often not understand by the "unlearned." In a similar way, certain words are used in the Bible, particularly the New Testament, is very specific ways. This was not with the intention to hide truth, but rather to be very precise about the truth! Learning more about these words and their meanings will both enrich our understanding of our faith and equip us to live with greater purpose. Click the blue button to hear our introductory lesson in this study.

As the New Testament church spread out from its beginnings in Jerusalem, it soon encountered the non-Jewish world. This world was a multi-national culture of many religions, philosophies, and languages – all very different from the Jewish culture with its belief in one God, the revelation of His Word, and the coming of a Messiah. How would the first century church do? Very, very well as it turned out! Click our blue button to listen to this bit of church history. Of particular interest is the fragmentary evidence we have concerning where the apostles traveled and did their work.

After Jesus’ resurrection, He repeatedly commanded His apostles to carry the good news about Him “into all the world.” (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 1:7-8) How were they qualified and equipped to do this? What would motivate them to take on such an awesome task? What were the results? To hear our lesson, click the blue button.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (John14:2) While the Scriptures do not attempt to answer all of our questions about heaven, they do affirm over and over that it is a real place, the abode of God, the place to which Jesus ascended, and where He is preparing a place for us! What does the Bible say about heaven? To hear our message, click the blue button to listen.

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son…" (Galatians 4:4). God had worked all through history to bring out the perfect time to send His Son into the world. Tonight we look at the world into which Jesus came. Three different major cultures intermixed during Jesus’ life and the beginning of His church. Those three cultures were the Jewish, Greek, and Roman. Each contributed major influences and very useful things which God then used in the First Century Church. To hear more click the blue button.