Orleans Church of Christ

09/10/2026

“I Know … but …”
A godly man named John Gill once defined the word “excuse” by telling folks, “An excuse is the skin of a reason stretched over a lie.” That’s an apt description, but excuses are, at best, feeble attempts to ignore responsibility. There is a vast difference between reason and excuse, yet the excuse offered is usually considered a good reason. It isn’t!
Two words that responsible souls should never use are “won’t” and “can’t.” The individual who declares “I won’t” is defiant, rebellious, and stubborn regarding the enactment of responsibilities. The person who says, “I can’t,” has no confidence, no initiative, and no passion for responsibility. Neither absolves responsibility; they simply leave it undone! Still, “I know I should, but …” is the cry offered in weak defense of laziness!
James calls this attitude SIN. “Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) When the Lord has given us directives from which His word is spread to the lost, or directives that govern our lives in His presence, those commandments are neither grievous (1 John 5:3) nor optional. If we love Him as we claim, we keep His commandments (John 14:15; 15:14). We do not offer “excuses.”
“I know, but …” comes in a variety of ways. The result is all the same: the responsibility is incomplete! “Someone else will do it,” and “I don’t do it as well as they do,” or “I’ll wait and see …” are all from the same barrel of laziness. Solomon said, “By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.” (Ecclesiastes 10:18) Solomon uses the word “sluggard” seven times in the book of Proverbs, each time showing the laziness of one who is charged with responsibility! Now examine Jesus’ direct words to this point: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27) Refusal to do what we are commanded to do is paramount to what the Pharisees did. Jesus said of them, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” (Matthew 23:2-4) No, the excuse “I know, but …” doesn’t work!
The severity of this reality is compounded by those who have been taught and understand the necessity to obey the gospel of Christ, but neglect to comply with God’s commandments. Of these, Paul writes, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) Evidently, souls who offer excuses rather than obey God’s commandments just don’t care! Their arrogant refusal to comply with God’s word insults their Creator, and yet they still refuse Him. “I know … but” becomes the same as saying to Jehovah, “I don’t care!” Imagine going to Judgment with that admission on your record! And don’t think this fact applies only to those who have ignored the requirements for remission of sins: it applies equally so to those who have obeyed, yet think “being faithful unto death” is optional! It is not! (Revelation 2:10; 2 Peter 1:1-10)
Without objection, let’s be busy in His service! Be grateful for every opportunity afforded you to do good (Galatians 6:10) and give your best to completing that responsibility. Serving God is a privilege we must not take lightly, and certainly never ignore! Often, Paul encourages us to “strengthen ourselves” in the Lord. To the Philippians he wrote, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Yes, we can do what is commanded of us, and must do these things without excuse! Let’s thank God that we are blessed with this responsibility, and please Him by serving it well!

09/10/2026

Our website www.Orleanschurchofchrist.org has just been updated to include the most recent sermons (THING I CAN CONTROL and INTERPRETATION OF NAMES), and the most recent Bible studies (Hebrews chapter 10, Luke 23, and Ephesians 3). We urge your perusal of these studies and remain willing to discuss them with you.

Orleans church of Christ study materials for bible students

09/09/2026

Don't forget our fall gospel meeting! These speakers are all "younger men" but eagerly and diligently preach Christ and Him crucified. None of them are "full-time" preachers, but rather they preach as they have the opportunity in rural congregations of the Lord's church. Come and encourage them as they encourage us with the preaching of the gospel!

09/04/2026

One and Only One Highway
Isaiah 35:8-10 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
No serious Bible student can read and study this passage and then come away thinking there is more than one acceptable highway in this prophecy. No less than ten times does Isaiah say “one highway”, “one way”, with the words “it, there, therein, thereon” referring to “an highway, a way, The way of holiness.” (Note the capitalization of The way.) These passages are in prophecy of the Lord’s gospel/doctrine. Luke proves this reasoning in Acts 19: 9 and 23, where we find opposition to “that way.” The context shows they opposed the GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Though he opposed it, even Felix knew “that way” (Acts 24:22). But notice they opposed THIS ONE WAY, and not a multiplicity of “ways.”
In today’s world, unfortunately, man has created over 5000 “ways” that man claims will lead souls to eternal life with God. Though Jesus said, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life (John 14:6), man arrogantly exalts his falsehoods to an imagined level with God’s wisdom and says, “This highway will get you to heaven.” When asked for “proof” of their beliefs, they offer either scriptures taken out of context (thus twisted to their own destruction-2 Peter 3:15-16) or man’s philosophy that they elevate to a higher appreciation than God’s truth. (see Isaiah 55:7-9) While an Old Testament prophet said this, note that the New Testament authors confirm it: “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.” (2 Thessalonians 1: 7-10 emp. mjd) There is only ONE highway, ONE way!
Within this ONE gospel, we learn of ONE church (Matthew 16:18) and ONE doctrine within that ONE church. An old mentor taught me a good “rule of thumb” when studying the word “doctrine.” He noted that when “doctrine” appears in the singular, it is speaking God’s ONE truth. But if “doctrine” appears in the plural form (doctrineS), it speaks of man’s beliefs. Christ only spoke God’s WORD, not “words” concerning the volume of His commandments for mankind. That being true, it baffles the minds of serious Bible students to realize how mankind has challenged the very God of heaven by saying, “Our doctrines (plural) are just as good as Yours.” Such arrogance!
Now don’t leave me on this point: This is precisely why those we try to teach often rebel against the teaching of truth and righteousness. We present ourselves as “the only right ones” instead of presenting GOD’S WORD AND HIS CHURCH as the only doctrine and kingdom acceptable to God! Yes, we can claim “our doctrine” as Paul did (2 Corinthians 4:3); yet, we must confess we obtained IT (singular) from studying God’s word (again, singular). We obeyed THE gospel and, by this obedience, have been added to THE church (Acts 2:47). Both THE word and THE church are in GOD’S authority and not man’s. Therefore, it is not saying to our friends we are trying to convert, “I’m right, you’re wrong,” but rather we’re saying kindly, “God is right, and can’t be wrong. We are showing you proof of what we believe and why we believe it (2 Thessalonians 5:21). Can you prove your convictions by offering book, chapter, and verse?”
More unfortunate is the reality that some Christians think, “Surely God will be merciful to those who love Him, but may differ with some of His doctrine,” or words to that effect. Read again Isaiah’s prophecy that we’ve shown is fulfilled in God’s granting us His WORD, which is THE GOSPEL, which leads us to obey Him, and then He adds us to His ONE church. Various religions are not “part of the one church,” for such an arrangement would cause schism, the very thing God prohibits! (1 Corinthians 12:25) His people are to be of the SAME mind, SAME judgment, SAME speech (1 Corinthians 1:10). That happens ONLY when souls are agreed with GOD’S word and avoid all opinions or doctrines of men, regardless of how sincere or how long-held those convictions have been. Yes, this truth upsets many who believe their convictions are “just as good as yours.” But God’s word is God’s word. We are not judged eternally by any other (John 12:48). It’s because we love the souls we teach that we remain steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in His work (1 Corinthians 15:58). It is NOT a matter of trying to get you to “join our church.” We don’t have one! It’s a matter of agreeing with GOD and obeying His word only. Compromise never works with the salvation of a soul, but obeying TRUTH does! Let’s all heed IT.

09/02/2026

The fourth lesson from Luke 22 has been added to our website, www.Orleanschurchofchrist.org We pray you will listen to it and profit from the study. You are encouraged to avail yourselves to all the materials on our site. All questions and comments are welcome as we stand willing to study with you from God's word only!

Orleans church of Christ study materials for bible students

08/31/2026

It has been some time in coming, but the once
"wintertime study" has been published. ANGELS ARE MESSENGERS is now available through Gospel Amory. See link below.
https://store.gospelarmory.com/pro.../angels-are-messengers/ I am only the author. All questions and/or comments regarding the book's content should be directed to me. I pray you find the study beneficial to your spiritual growth.

08/26/2026

We Are Blessed!
In an era when several daily realities are depressing at best, may I share with you a reality that is quite wonderful, quite exciting, and incredibly refreshing? While this congregation is considered “small” only because it is observed numerically, this congregation is quite large in several godly things; things that accompany salvation (cf. Hebrews 6:9). We are Blessed!
First, we are at peace! Several places struggle with “personality conflicts” that cause division. We are quite transparent in decisions made regarding the upkeep of the building (and these things are known to cause division!). We are diligent in our quest to reach souls with the saving gospel of Christ (Roman 1:16-17; Matthew 28:18-20). We greet one another, not with a literal “holy kiss” but with a firm handshake, smile, and heartfelt expression of joy! This is a blessing!
Next, we are serious about worshipping God! While at the beginning of our assembly (specifically, at the general greeting at the beginning of our announcements), you might hear us laugh or even make some amusing comments. Immediately when we announce, “Let us stand for prayer,” reverence abounds and serious minds engage. Our singing is enthusiastic. Our discussion of God’s word is fervent. Our partaking of the Lord’s Supper is with minds focused on His death (1 Cor. 11:17-34). Our giving is with the same reverence, knowing that every good and perfect gift came from our Father in heaven (James 1:17). From start to finish (and few, if any, are concerned with time limits), we are blessed to have a group of serious-minded children of God who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matt. 5:6).
We have active, noticeable spiritual growth! What a blessing this is! We have men who are not backward about stepping out of their “comfort zone” to do something they are not accustomed to doing. Some have grown from a fear of public speaking to making announcements quite well or presiding at the Lord’s table with respect and confidence, to wording prayers without repetitive rhetoric or “memorized packaged comments.” We have men who have grown from a small interest in teaching to teaching well and then preaching the gospel of Christ. We have women who volunteer readily to teach the younger attendees and do so often without much notice of their arrival. We have women who are adamant about the preparation of the Lord’s Supper and treat both its preparation and disposal with the same tenderness as those who attended the literal body of Christ before His burial. These same women show a great concern for others by expressions of joy for marriages and births, and expressions of sorrow for those who mourn. Indeed, this is a blessed church that emphatically shows the same loving care one for one another (1 Cor. 12:25). This is indeed a great blessing!
We stand ready, willing, and able to study with anyone anywhere concerning the salvation of their soul! Yes, we’re busy people, just like everyone who knows life requires responsibility. But we’re never so busy with our needs that we have no time to share the gospel of Christ with those who are interested and needful of this soul-saving truth. We have several who, with a simple request to do so, will take whatever time is needed to bring souls to the knowledge and obedience of truth! What a great blessing to have these souls in our midst!
We have shared the gospel on social media and the internet! While not everyone has this technology, we are blessed to have it and use it to the honor and glory of God. We have a website that shares the gospel with recordings of our bible studies and sermons. It has printed material for the diligent student to read, and with all of this, we welcome questions and critique. We have three “pages” on Facebook (Time For God, Orleans Church of Christ, and Mike’s Musings) that provide brief articles that challenge the reader to study more from God’s word and apply the lessons learned. We count these means as blessings!
Indeed, we are a blessed group! Paul’s inspired statement to the Ephesians says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3, emp. mjd) When we sing, “Count your many blessings,” it is impossible to be accurate in that count. We have neither the time nor the memory to count them all! Yet we do recognize how blessed we are and thank God for these incredible gifts! But we must permit these blessings to grow in their strength and ability. Each one must continue increasing his zeal for God … a zeal that is according to knowledge, not developed from our own lusts (compare Romans 10:1-4). We are blessed, and we thank God that it is so!

08/26/2026

Please mark the dates of our fall gospel meeting as September 27 through October 3. These young men all preach in rural churches of Christ in Lawrence, Orange, Greene, and Vigo counties in Indiana. They each have secular jobs by which they support their families, but they remain dedicated to preaching as often as requested. We are happy to introduce them to a larger group of souls, eager to hear the gospel. As we are encouraged by these men, we trust you will be encouraged as well!

08/19/2026

Announcing Another Opportunity
As with all faithful works of God, we continually desire to convey God’s word to those who have yet to know God’s truth. While diligent efforts are never in vain, finding souls who are genuinely interested in reading, studying, learning, and obeying God’s word is difficult. So, we strive to find avenues of opportunity (Galatians 6:10) where at least contact with these souls is secured. We think we’ve found another avenue of communication, but we need your help to make it successful.

We have created another page on Facebook with the identity TIME FOR GOD. If you use Facebook (which is among the most used social media outlets), search for TIME FOR GOD, and you should find it. We need you to click “follow” to receive it, then share that page with your family and friends by clicking “invite friends,” and bring this page to their attention.

Presently, we have set this page to appear daily at 7:00 AM with an encouraging Bible verse and a brief discussion of the passage. We aim to encourage those in this community to see God’s truth and urge Bible study with us so they can learn and obey that truth! This is where your help is most essential: you, being a user of Facebook, need to follow TIME FOR GOD and then invite your family and friends to do the same! The more this page is shared, the more souls are reached. Will we convince them all of God’s truth? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we did? But we can only help those who are willing to learn. Still, one out of ten is better than none!

Eventually, we hope to add video lessons to TIME FOR GOD. Facebook requires a “probation period” of sixty days before we can add “live video” (or even scheduled video), and at least one hundred followers. In just over twenty-four hours, we received 125 followers and 1500 views! We’re well on our way to reaching people with God’s truth, but this page is only the beginning of our desired contacts. There’s still lots of work to accompany this project and bring it to fruition!

We would appreciate your prayers and your involvement in this project by doing what we’ve requested: find the page, click “follow,” and share it with your family and friends. That’s it! We will gladly set appointments with any interested respondent and, from there, endeavor to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified, as we teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. (By the way, you can do the same with Mike’s Musings and Orleans Church of Christ on Facebook. These might help teach others also.)
Your Soul is Valuable!
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19) The word “redeemed” means “purchased; bought back.” Sin made the price of redemption of souls incredibly high. It cost the blood of Christ to purchase us from the clutches of eternal death (Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). But God the Father felt us worth the price (2 Peter 3:9). Your soul is that valuable.
Things of immense value in this temporal world usually receive the greatest protection from loss. We all know the security of Fort Knox, or of guarded governmental entities. But when it comes to the soul, many take little, if any, care in protecting it from eternal loss. Jesus said, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” (Matthew 6:20) What greater “treasure” do we have than our soul, and what better place to protect it than in the presence of God?
To place one’s soul in His presence requires obedience to His word. Granted, Jesus paid the price of our redemption, but we must comply with His commandments before we obtain that priceless gift! Hearing (Romans 10:17), believing (John 8:24), repenting (Luke 13:3), confessing (Matthew 10:32), and being baptized (Mark 16:16) are commandments Jesus spoke, and commandments we must obey if we love Him (John 14:15). How much do you love Him? As much as He loved you, in that He died for you? That’s how much value He placed on your soul! How much do you value it?
Your soul, though left to your choice regarding obedience or disobedience, came from God and is, in a sense, “on loan” to you. He expects to receive it again at the Judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Those souls who have heard him and obeyed (Matthew 7:24-27) build their souls on solid ground, enduring the trials of life without loss. Those who hear and do NOT obey lose all they have (ibid.), including their souls! (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) Your soul has received the attention of God the Father, and He has provided not only the sacrifice to save it (Hebrews 10:10) but also the law that, when obeyed, saves us from sin (Romans 1:16-17).
With all that attention, all that sacrifice, and all that promise of forgiveness from sin if we obey Him, can’t you see how valuable your soul is? And it doesn’t stop after baptism! 2 Peter 1: 1-11 shows the necessity of diligence (Revelation 2:10) to assure our entrance into heaven. This is how much God values us!

08/18/2026

Good morning! This is a new page -- TIME FOR GOD -- to Face Book. It comes from the Orleans church of Christ and is planned as a daily Bible Study article. Our objective is to increase the faith of every reader (Romans 10:17) and do so by "proving all things; holding fast to that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We ask you, please, to share this page with your family and friends, and when possible, come and study with us in person! Let's be sure to devote as much TIME WITH GOD as we can!