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The only door: why Jesus alone gives life to the church

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Jesus alone is the source of life within the church, which explains why someone can walk down a church aisle, join a congregation, and undergo baptism in any form, yet remain spiritually dead in their sins if they have never personally received Jesus Christ as their saviour.

A person could hold membership in dozens of local churches and still have no true connection to the body of Christ, because that body is Christ himself, his very life. Every genuine believer carries within them the resurrection life of Jesus Christ, and this is what sets them apart from everyone else, becoming the true source of their strength and power as children of God.

Jesus described himself as the way, the truth, and the life, stating plainly that no one reaches the Father except through him, calling this a narrow path found by only a few. Everything narrows down to this single person: without Jesus there is no resurrection, no salvation, no heaven, and no true church, regardless of what someone claims to believe or where their loyalties lie.

As creator of heaven and earth and head of the church, he alone stands as the one door leading to God.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6

The Office of prophet in the early church

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JEFF TURNER

Among the leadership roles Paul describes in Ephesians, prophets occupy a distinct place alongside apostles, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. Understanding this role requires distinguishing between a general sense of speaking truth and a specific, recognized office within the early Christian community.

While anyone preaching or teaching could loosely be described as prophesying, the formal office of prophet referred to specially appointed individuals serving within local congregations, distinct from the apostles who travelled to plant new churches. These prophets appear to have received direct revelation intended for their specific community, though their messages still required validation from fellow prophets and had to align with established apostolic teaching.

In essence, the apostles functioned somewhat like the early evangelists of their day, spreading the gospel across new territory, while the prophets functioned more like resident teaching pastors, instructing and guiding congregations already established.

Doesn’t this explain why, once the apostolic era concluded, the offices naturally transitioned into the ongoing roles of evangelists and teaching pastors that continue within churches today.

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation.

1 Corinthians 14:3

Don’t mistake winning an argument for winning a soul

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DAVID INGRAM

If you’ve spent much time defending the Christian faith online or in person, you’ve probably noticed a familiar pattern. It has become so common that it’s almost predictable.

Someone confidently declares, “There is no God.”

When you ask them to support that claim, the response is often, “The burden of proof is on you because you’re the one who believes God exists.”

At first, that may sound reasonable. But think carefully about what has happened.

The statement, “God exists,” is a claim. The statement, “God does not exist,” is also a claim. Both are assertions about reality. The only position that avoids making a claim is, “I don’t know.”

A common mistake in reasoning is to assume that only one side has a burden of proof. This is known as shifting the burden of proof. It occurs when someone makes a positive assertion but insists that only the other person is responsible for providing evidence. If a person claims there is no God, they have made a claim just as surely as the person who says there is a God. Neither side should be exempt from defending what they affirm.

As Christians, we should never be embarrassed to acknowledge that we are saved by faith given as a gift from God so that no one may boast. To be clear: I believe the Bible tells us that our faith is not something we manufacture on our own or that stems from our own ability to understand.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
— Ephesians 2:8-9

We do not hide our faith because it is God’s gift, not our achievement.

What should concern us is when someone confidently declares there is no God while insisting they owe no explanation for that conclusion. That is not skepticism. It is simply another belief being asserted without defense.

Yet even this is not the heart of the matter.

Christians can become so absorbed in debating logical fallacies that we forget why the conversation matters in the first place. We begin treating apologetics as though our mission is to outthink the unbeliever.

It isn’t.

The deepest reason people reject Christ is rarely intellectual. Scripture says the problem is spiritual.

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” (Psalm 14:1)

Notice that Scripture does not say the fool has examined all the evidence and reached an unavoidable conclusion. The issue begins in the heart.

Paul explains that humanity already has sufficient knowledge of God through His creation, yet suppresses that truth.

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them… So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him.”
— Romans 1:19-21

The Bible teaches that unbelief is not caused by a lack of information. It is a suppression of truth. Sin affects not only what we desire but also how we think.

This does not mean every objection to Christianity is dishonest. People often have sincere questions that deserve thoughtful answers. We should always be prepared to give a reason for the hope within us, doing so “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

But we should never imagine that the right argument alone can produce saving faith.

Paul wrote,

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
— 1 Corinthians 1:18

And again,

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him… because they are spiritually discerned.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:14

No one is argued into the Kingdom apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.

That should change the way we engage unbelievers.

Yes, expose faulty reasoning when it appears. Correct logical fallacies when necessary. Defend the truth faithfully. But do not mistake exposing an error in logic for addressing the real issue. A person can lose every argument and still reject Christ. Another can ask difficult questions and, by God’s grace, come to faith.

Our confidence should never rest in our ability to corner someone intellectually. Scripture warns us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Don’t work so hard to open the door of human reason that you neglect the door only the Holy Spirit can open.

Winning an argument is not the mission.

Leading people to the Savior is.

Triumphant Quartet teams up with Gordon Mote on new project

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TEXAS GOSPEL CANADA VOLUNTEER

The Triumphant Quartet plans to release new music in 2027, according to a social media post from the group.

The band said it has been working in the studio and is partnering with Gordon Mote on the upcoming project. Details about the songs and their release date have not been announced.

Triumphant thanked the musicians, writers and others involved in creating the new music.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the songs, the musicians, the writers, and every person who has helped bring this new music to life,” the group said in the post.

The band did not say when in 2027 the music would be released.

We’ll let you know when we learn more.

11th Hour finds gratitude in a new day with “Today is the day”

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TEXAS GOSPEL CANADA VOLUNTEER

Southern gospel trio 11th Hour is leaning into gratitude with their new single “Today Is The Day,” a song built on a simple but stubborn idea, that mercy resets every morning, whether you feel like accepting it or not.

Amber Eppinette Saunders points to scripture as the spark. “His mercies are new every morning,” she says, citing the familiar verse that anchors the song’s message. She and her bandmates, Garrett Saunders and Victoria Bowlin, wrote the track from a place of plain gratitude, the kind that comes from simply waking up and getting another day.

Eppinette Saunders penned the song alongside Kenna Turner West and Jason Cox, the same team behind the group’s previous release, “Just Keep the Faith.” Musically, “Today Is The Day” borrows a page from mid-60s Beatles records, favoring off-kilter phrasing over anything predictable. Producer Roger Talley builds the arrangement around staccato piano, a rhythmic backbone that pushes the song through its shifting tonal centers without ever losing the thread of its central message.

For Eppinette Saunders, the daily decision behind the song matters more than the music itself. “It’s about starting fresh,” she says, “trusting God a little more, and making the choice every day to be more like Him.”

11th Hour has built a decade-plus career on that same instinct toward renewal, adapting their sound while staying rooted in worship music. The group has landed multiple Top 10 hits on the Singing News charts and picked up award nominations across Southern Gospel music, including a Singing News Trio of the Year nod and an AGM Album of the Year nomination, with Eppinette Saunders herself nominated for Soprano of the Year.

“There is nothing more fulfilling than ministering to the body of Christ and sharing the gospel,” Eppinette Saunders says. “Every dream we have ever had, God has already fulfilled. He never ceases to amaze us.”

The trio shows no signs of slowing. Eppinette Saunders, Garrett Saunders and Bowlin say they intend to keep singing wherever the opportunity leads, treating each new stage as another chance to spread their message.