The Village Church of Christ has been blessed with many baptisms. We had 29 last year and are on track to surpass that number this year.

The Lord promised to build his church. He declared, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). “Church” is from the Greek word ekklesia and means “assembly.”

“Must I get baptized to be saved?” Though there are plenty of passages that teach baptism has a role in salvation, many deny this truth because “baptism is a work and we are not saved by works.” Therefore, I would like to consider that argument scripturally.

In the early 1800s, some Methodist missionaries went into northeast Alabama to evangelize Indian clans. They came upon some English-speaking Indians and gave them a Bible to read, promising to return the next year.

When mankind fell into sin and was in danger of eternal death, Jesus the Lamb knew just what to do. He left the comfortable confines of heaven and wrapped Himself in the womb of a woman. Nine months later he emerged as an infant in the tiny town of Bethlehem (Lk. 2:4-7).

The Bible claims to be of divine origin. It says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The phrase “breathed out by God” (theopneustos) means that it is the product of His creative breath.

While there are many ways to prove that the Bible is inspired, prophecy may be the best way to do so. Even critics must admit that these words were uttered long before the events took place. The question is, “What will you do with such undeniable evidence?”

We need preachers who will call sin “sin”. Men with the courage to address the pressing moral issues of our day like abortion and homosexuality; and the ignored sins in society like divorce, foul language, and immodest apparel. Men who will be truth-tellers rather than ear-ticklers.