Tag: Southern Gospel Radio

When the church must Act in discipline

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JEFF TURNER

The Bible gives clear steps for dealing with a believer who falls into sin. We are told to love that person and to pray for them. We are also called to correct and guide them. These actions seem natural to many Christians. But there is another instruction that may sound severe.

In First Epistle to the Corinthians chapter 5, Paul writes that when someone who claims to be a believer refuses to turn from sin, the church must hand that person over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. These words can seem hard to accept, yet they are written plainly in Scripture.

I believe Paul is speaking about removing that person from the fellowship of the church. To be part of the church is to live within its care, teaching, and protection. When someone is put outside of that circle, they are no longer sheltered in the same way. Paul explains this by saying that a little leaven spreads through the whole batch of dough. In simple terms, one sinful influence can affect many others. Like a spoiled apple left in a box, the damage does not stay in one place.

There are times when people argue that such a person should remain in the church so they can be shown patience and kindness. Love and patience do matter. The church should correct gently at first. However, when a person’s sin begins to spread and harm others, and when that person will not repent, stronger action is required. If the behaviour continues without change, the church must remove the person from fellowship.

Church discipline is not meant to be cruel. It serves two purposes. First, it guards the church from harmful influence. Second, it may lead the sinner to face the weight of their actions and turn back to God. The goal is both protection and restoration.

Scripture also teaches, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” Epistle to the Galatians 6:1

A few words about the foundation of the church

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JEFF TURNER

When Jesus spoke to Peter in Matthew 16:18, he made a statement that has been understood in different ways. He said that upon a certain rock, he would build his church, and the gates of Hades would not be able to overcome it. The question is what did Jesus mean by this rock.

The Roman Catholic Church has long taught that Peter himself was the rock Jesus mentioned. According to this view, Peter traveled to Rome and became the first leader in what would become the papacy. The church, they say, was built on Peter as a person. However, I believe this understanding faces problems when we look at what the Bible shows us about Peter.

Right after Jesus made this statement about building his church, he had to rebuke Peter harshly. Jesus told him to get behind him and called him Satan. This happened because Peter was trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. It would seem strange for Jesus to say he would build his church on someone he had to correct so strongly just moments later.

Peter also showed weakness at other times. When Jesus was arrested and taken away, Peter denied even knowing him. He did this not just once but three separate times. These actions show that Peter was not a stable foundation on which to build anything lasting. He struggled and failed like any other person.

The actual meaning becomes clearer when we look at what happened just before Jesus made his statement. Peter had declared that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus praised Peter for this confession because God the Father had revealed this truth to him. It was not something Peter figured out on his own.

When Jesus said he would build his church on the rock, he used different Greek words. For Peter’s name, he used the word that means a small stone or pebble. But for the rock on which he would build his church, he used a different word that means a large rock formation or bedrock. I believe Jesus was making a clear distinction between Peter the person and the truth Peter had just spoken.

Was the rock Jesus spoke about the confession itself? The truth that Jesus is the Christ and the son of the living God. He is the foundation of the church. This truth came from God through Peter’s mouth, but it is the truth itself that matters, not the man who spoke it. The church stands on who Jesus is, not on any human leader.

Our faith is not in any human being, no matter how devoted they are. Our faith is in Jesus Christ and the truth of who he is.

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 3:11

Why I don’t ‘preach politics’ on Christian radio

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DAVID INGRAM

Throughout my adult life I’ve been asked to support this or that political cause. While there is nothing wrong with standing for one’s principles, I would not post political causes I support on a website like this, or use the microphone to proclaim my political stance on on a Christian radio station. I realize there are a lot of people in Christian radio advocating for one cause or another, and that’s between them and God. But today I don’t partake in such a thing because for me, the question of whether or not it’s the right thing to do is clear. Why? Because we should do NOTHING that would push others away from the message of salvation through Jesus.

I realize my stand on this may anger some Christians. I’ve had conversations about this with people who say “Oh, you think such-and-such is OK?” or “Why won’t you speak out against them because they support such-and-such?” Now to be clear, I will speak out against people who do evil things, even political parties who do, but I won’t do so on a Christian platform that is supposed to spread the Gospel of Jesus.

How many times have you heard over-generalized complaints about Christians that centre around some extreme political position? The implication being that if some Christians are extremists, then all Christians must be? By the way, judging an entire group, Christians or any other identifiable group, based on a subset is called a fallacy of composition. It’s irrational to do so, but this is the way people often function. Here is the important part: Whatever you do, do it for glorification of God. How can you glorify God by pushing people away from Jesus?

So, am I saying to ignore sin? Not at all. I am saying that people repent of sin when they realize their focus should be on Jesus, not because I gave them a stern talking to, or because they want to be a good member of this or that political organization. Once a person has accepted redemption for their sins through the blood of Jesus, they will ask questions about all sorts of things. Isn’t this a better time to talk to them about such matters? I have yet to meet a man or woman who said they came to Jesus because someone complained about their politics.

Throughout history man has tried to set up governments based on Christianity. Isn’t this something Christians should want? History also teaches us that some very evil people who realized that the only way they can get power in a theocracy is to claim to be Christian. We have seen time and time again how their very non-Christian acts have led to bad things being done in the name of God. So-called Christian governmental leaders doing bad things is also something often exploited by anti-theists who want to convince others that Christianity is bad.

The Bible tells people how to live in a corrupt society. But can you find any verse where Jesus ever advocated for regime change by force or politics? As I write this I think of when Judas and armed men came to abduct Jesus in Matthew Chapter 26. Starting with verse 50 it says, “…Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

People can vote their conscience, and I hope Christians are guided in their decisions. Not guided by me, but by the scriptures and by prayer. But I don’t advocate for politics in the pulpit, or on Christian radio. The Bible’s message isn’t one of social change. It’s about salvation and the changes that come after one is saved.

Salvation is not complicated

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

I think it’s human nature to think that if something is profound, it has to be complicated. But our relationship to God is not. If salvation depended on our ability to understand, would that mean that a mentally challenged person could never be saved? Salvation has nothing to do with our ability.

No one can hide their past from God. Every action and thought is known to Him, yet His love still reaches out with an offer of rescue.

The first truth is that every human being has sinned. Scripture says all people fall short of God’s glory and none are naturally righteous. Admitting this is a good starting point.

The next truth is that Jesus Christ declared that He alone is the path to the Father. God showed love to the world by sending His Son so that believers would not perish but receive everlasting life. The purpose of His coming was salvation, not condemnation, yet those who refuse to believe remain under judgment. Jesus also said a person must be born again to enter God’s kingdom. Without accepting what He did, each person would bear the penalty of sin, which leads to spiritual death and separation from God.

God does not desire anyone to end in Hell. Christ died to give eternal life as a gift. Sin earns death, but God offers life through Jesus Christ. This life cannot be purchased or earned because the price was already paid by His sacrifice.

Here’s the part that goes against what our human nature tells us. We are not saved by something we do. It’s about not rejecting. A person has to stop trusting their own goodness and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. The promise in the bible is that if someone confesses Him openly and believes God raised Him from the dead, that person will be saved. Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest anyone should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8–9


Cole Watson joins The Perrys as newest vocalist for 55th anniversary season

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

The Perrys have announced Cole Watson as their newest vocalist, completing a lineup that now includes Libbi Perry Stuffle, Jared Stuffle, Joseph Reed and Watson as the group marks its 55th anniversary in ministry.

Watson, a native of Gadsden, Ala., brings an extensive performance background to the group, having previously sung with Exodus, The Troy Burns Family, Gold City and most recently The Kingsmen. He credits his father, Mike Watson, with instilling in him a lifelong love of gospel music.

“I am honored to stand alongside Libbi, Jared and Joseph,” Watson said. “I grew up listening to my dad and grandparents sing The Perrys’ songs, and now I have the privilege of singing some of those same songs as a member.”

Libbi Perry Stuffle, a founding family member of the group, said the addition came after significant prayer.

“We are very honored to have Cole and his wife, Brooklyn, as part of The Perrys family,” Stuffle said. “We have all prayed fervently for God to send the right person, and He did.”

Watson and his wife, Brooklyn, join the group as The Perrys enter what the ministry is calling a new chapter. Watson acknowledged the weight of stepping into one of Southern Gospel’s most recognizable rosters.

“Brooklyn and I are thankful for this new chapter,” he said. “We know that God is in this, and we don’t take that lightly.”

The Perrys have been a fixture in Southern Gospel music since their founding and have built a following across multiple generations of gospel music fans.