Playlist:

playlist Go to the Division (topic) playlist

Unity and Division: The Blessing and the Curse (Part One)

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker

Unity seems to be 'godly,' while division is 'ungodly.' However, unity and division are not as black and white as we typically think of them.


Unity and Division (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Even though God desires brethren to dwell in peace and unity, at times HE ordains and causes disruption and division. How do we explain this apparent paradox?


Division, Satan, Humility

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Throughout the course of Biblical history, whenever sin appears, confusion, division and separation are the automatic consequences.


Unity and Division: The Blessing and a Curse (Part Two)

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker

A curious phenomenon ties together several biblical stories: God makes a judgment and divides His people into two groups, often splitting them down the middle!


Unity and Division: The Blessing and the Curse (Part Three)

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker

God instructed the Israelites to divide themselves by tribes on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal to pronounce blessings and curses, providing lessons for us.


Satan, Division, and Humility

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Competition is the root cause of war, business takeovers, and marital discord. Solomon describes man's rivalry with one another as a striving after wind.


Unity and Division: The Blessing and the Curse (Part Four)

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker

God commanded the Israelites to utter blessings from Mount Gerazim and curses from Mount Ebal, most of which deal with hidden sins that give rise to hypocrisy.


The Zero-Sum Game

Commentary by Mark Schindler

Despite the often wrong-headed propaganda promoted by the mainstream media, voices of common sense and logic occasionally manage to ascend to power.


Pride, Contention, and Unity

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The sin of pride underlies many of our other sins, and it is often the reason for the contentions we get into as brethren.


Humble Your Hearts and Be No Longer Stubborn

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

The peace that passes all understanding comes from yielding to God's will, asking Him for a soft, pliable heart to replace the hard heart of stubbornness.


Unity (2006)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Like the symphony orchestra, only as an instrumentalist submits to the leader, working with the other members of the ensemble, can unity be accomplished.


Antidote For Disunity!

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We will become united as we draw closer to God. If we regard a brother in Christ as a competitor rather than as a trusted ally, unity will be impossible.


The Epistles of II and III John (Part Two)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

John warns Gaius of the treachery of Diotrephes, who had initiated a mutiny against God's true ministers, putting out of the church those who did not follow him.


Psalm 133 (1998)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Unity comes only through the initiation of God. If we would follow the suggestions in Romans 12, we could do our part in promoting unity in God's church.


Unity and Unleavened Bread

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

As members of Christ's body, we must function for the good of the whole body, not competing with other parts. We must continually function as a son of God.


Unity (Part 7): Ephesians 4 (D)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Because of our lack of self-discipline and willingness to guard the truth, we have allowed our theological base to deteriorate under the persuasion of the world.


Of One Accord

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Confusion and separation have been man's legacy since Eden. Christ is working to put an end to division, enabling us to be one with the Father and each other.


The Whirlpool of War

Article by John O. Reid

In God's vast experience, He knows that war produces hatreds that last for generations and destroys people's lives, reputations and potentials.


Unsharpened (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by Joseph B. Baity

Have we convinced ourselves that unity of fellowship within our group, our congregation—our spiritual family—is just too hard?


Unity

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Each member of Christ's body must choose to function in the role God has ordained to produce unity, emulating Christ in striving to please the Father


Two Loaves, Baked with Leaven

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

The leavening indicates that the wave loaves speak to this life rather than the resurrection. It is accepted by God only because of the other sacrifices.


Troubling the Household of God

Sermon by Mark Schindler

If we allow the old, carnal man to dictate how we speak or make other decisions, we will trouble the household of God and inherit nothing but the wind.


Who Are We and Where Do We Fit (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God has placed us all in the body where it has pleased Him. We dare not imitate Satan by letting self-centered goals eclipse God's purpose.


The Christian and the World (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We must realize we are walking on a razor's edge, with the Kingdom of God on one side and the world with all its sensual magnetic charms on the other side.


A Search for Identity

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God gave His approval for the destruction of the Worldwide Church of God into numerous groups, allowing heresies so He could see who really loves Him.


Differences of Opinion

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Satan champions self-opinion and mob behavior. God's church has never been immune to division because each member has only part of the truth.


A Distant Reflection

'Prophecy Watch' by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Considering the events and trends exhibited in the modern church of God, will it follow the disastrous example of early second-century Christianity?


Understanding Unity

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We must separate ourselves from the world, sacrificing ourselves to God's purpose to become at one with God, waiting for Him to unify us to others.


Knowing God

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

To fulfill one's purpose, one must be singularly focused on what one wants to accomplish. Divided minds result in no productivity or even devastation.


Reconciliation and Unity

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

It is foolish and pointless to use the same charm, social skills, and duplicity toward God as we use to deceive others and, sadly, even ourselves.


James and Unleavened Bread (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The epistle of James stresses both faith and works, emphasizing those factors necessary for growth, enabling us to produce a bountiful harvest of fruit.


Grace, Faith, and Love

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Pride condemned Satan to a fate of manipulating rather than serving. This presumptuous self-centered trait creates disunity and ultimately destruction.


Debate

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Bible takes a very dim view of argument, debate, discord, and strife. In all matters of contention, we must strive to put ourselves above the fray.


All in All

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

What does 'all in all' mean in relation to God and Christ? It has great significance to Christians today as they seek the Kingdom of God.


Unsharpened

Sermonette by Joseph B. Baity

The church of God may have focused too intensely on elusive esoteric principles and neglected the basics, such as developing solid relationships.


Strategies for Escaping Babylon (Part One)

Sermon by David F. Maas

Every form of government fashioned by carnal human beings, including democracies and constitutional republics, are riddled with fatal flaws.


Unresolved: The Way We Were

Sermonette by Joseph B. Baity

All unresolved—and that includes hidden—sins occupying the deep, dark recesses of our memory possess the ability to create a gap between us and God.


Envy: The Most Precious Daughter

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

It is easy to follow in Satan's footsteps, courting his daughter Envy, reaping the disquiet which accompanies her. Envy comes from pushing God from our thoughts.


A Badly Divided Nation

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Our country is divided politically and culturally more than at any other time since the Civil War and the population as a whole has become more callused.


Unity (Part 8): Ephesians 4 (E)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The group that one fellowships with is less important than the understanding that there is one true church, bound by a spiritual, not a physical unity.


The Wisdom of Men and Faith

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The pressures and conflicts that the church has undergone is part of the spirit of the time that has embroiled religious and political institutions worldwide.


Facing Times of Stress: Persecution

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Persecution involves a wide spectrum, ranging from torture, physical beating, social excommunication, imprisonment and death. Our boldness should match Paul's.


John (Part Twenty-Six)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

While the other accounts of Jesus' trial and crucifixion seem to show passivity, John shows Jesus totally in charge, purposefully and courageously moving.


John (Part Seventeen)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The shepherd and door analogies in John 10 depict the close relationship of Jesus with His flock as the security and stability provided by His protection.