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Death Is Not the End (Part Seven)
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughThere is life after death; there is an age to come in which all who have not been called to salvation will be raised to new life to hear what God offers.
Death Is Not the End (Part Four)
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughWhile various religions and some philosophies suggest an afterlife of some sort, the fear of the unknown transforms death into a foreboding Grim Reaper.
Death Is Not the End (Part Two)
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughJesus Christ's approach to death should guide our view of death. He considered His death a work of God, not to be regarded with fear or hostility.
Comfort One Another With These Words
CGG Weekly by Martin G. CollinsThe death of someone close hits us hard, but God provides comfort, often through others. We need to comfort the grieving with the hope about the resurrection.
What Is the Second Death?
'Prophecy Watch' by David C. GrabbeThe second death is an event beyond physical death. It disproves the traditional heaven-hell and immortal soul doctrines, yet demonstrates God's perfect justice.
Death Is Not the End (Part One)
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughAll men have been subject to the fear of death, and it is something that we have to strive to overcome. But Christians have been freed in order to fear God.
Death Is Not the End (Part Three)
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughHaving faced the perils of life with disturbing regularity, Paul was intimately acquainted with the certainty of death. He can provide us a positive example.
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Eight): Death
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughEcclesiastes 7:1-4 highlight the Bible's attitude toward death, particularly its insistence that we allow the reality of death to change our approach to life.
Death of a Lamb
Article by StaffSince the church no longer keeps the Passover with the slaughter of a lamb, we miss important and poignant details that could enhance our observance.
Christ's Death and the Immortality of the Soul
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe dangerous false belief of inherent immortal life has led to an acceleration of sin and the danger of eternal oblivion. Only God can give eternal life.
The Second Death
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeFor those who have submitted their lives to God, turning their lives around in repentance, there is no fear of the Second Death—eternal death in the Lake of Fire.
Smyrna: Faithful Until Death
'Prophecy Watch' by David C. GrabbeThe biblical city of Smyrna may be one that many know the least about. The city's name reveals the themes that the Head of the church wants us to understand.
The Death of His Saints
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeAt the moment of death, the course of the saint is finished. God sees all that has become of His investment of time, attention, love, grace, and instruction.
Fear of Death
Sermonette by Ronny H. GrahamFear of death originated with Adam and Eve's sin of eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and, in response, they tried to hide from God.
This Body of Death
'Prophecy Watch' by Ted E. BowlingThe Romans would torture murderers by shackling them to their victims, a striking picture of a sinful individual's relationship with his iniquities.
Should a Christian Pray for the Dead (Ecclesiastes 9:5)?
Bible Questions & AnswersPrayers for the dead are useless. The idea is based on the false teaching that man has an immortal soul. The Bible says that the soul itself can die.
Taking It Through the Grave
Article by William R. GrayWe have to live life with the thought that some things will stick with us through the grave. We will take nothing out of this life except our character.
God of the Living (2019)
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughChrist's comment in Matthew 22:32 about "the God ... of the living" gives absolutely no mention about a place of the afterlife, but only a condition.
From Dust to Dust
CGG Weekly by John ReissThe frailty and brevity of this life are bitter truths, but they are realities that we must confront. Yet there is life beyond the grave, as Scripture shows.
What Happened to the Thief on the Cross? (Part Two)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeBecause of the widespread belief in an immortal soul, many assume that the thief and Jesus were together after their deaths. The Bible says this cannot be.
The Immortal Soul and the Plan of God
Sermonette by Craig SablichNominal Christianity is grounded in the belief that man has an immortal soul, a doctrine that contradicts the Bible and the plan of God for mankind.
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Resurrecting Jairus' Daughter
Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsThe resurrection of Jairus' daughter is one of Jesus' greatest miracles. Here Christ's curious actions in raising the girl from premature death are explained.
Explaining the Unexplainable
Sermonette by Craig SablichHundreds of people claim to have experienced near death experiences where they went up to Paradise or to the gates of hell. Is this possible?
Dying—Once in a Lifetime (Part One)
'Ready Answer' by Charles WhitakerI Corinthians 15:51 and Hebrews 9:27 seem to contradict each other: Will some people never die, or will they die once like everyone else?
Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Part Two)
Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsJesus' parable preaches the gospel of the Kingdom by revealing salvation, the resurrection to eternal life, and inheritance of His Kingdom on the earth.
Heaven Must Wait
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughGoing to heaven is not scriptural. The soul is not immortal; it is equivalent to life. Mankind does not have a soul; he is a soul, subject to death.
Time and Life
'Ready Answer' by Richard T. RitenbaughThe way men and God look at time and life are very different. But if we come to understand God's perspective, we have a greater chance of living His way!
Basic Doctrines: The Fate of the Wicked
Bible Study by Earl L. HennFor centuries, preachers have scared churchgoers with the image of a fiery hell where sinners spend eternity. But is such a place or state biblical?
The Third Resurrection: What Is Its Value?
'Ready Answer' by StaffWhat purpose does the Third Resurrection serve? Is it just so God can punish the incorrigible? Does it play a part in OUR salvation?
God of the Living
Sermonette by Clyde FinkleaJesus proclaimed that God was not the God of the dead but the living, identifying Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were physically dead and in their graves.
Is Your Soul Immortal?
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughThe prevailing idea is that the soul is the indestructible part of a human being that lives on after death. The Bible reveals a different reality of life and death.
We Shall Be God
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Though it may sound pretentious or even blasphemous, God's Word shows that we will become literal offspring of the Eternal God, sharing His name and nature.
Dying—Once in a Lifetime (Part Two)
'Ready Answer' by Charles WhitakerTo some Hebrews 9:27 - 'it is appointed for men to die once' - seems to contradict I Corinthians 15:51: 'We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.'
The W's and H's of Meditation (Part Four)
Sermon by David F. MaasMeditating on the perils of our transitory existence paradoxically leads to a longer, happier life as our portion of God's Spirit grows within us.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirty-Four): Ecclesiastes 9:2-12
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAlthough some try to make their lives easier by compromising, Solomon warns that all evil leads to death, and that doing evil in any circumstance is insane.
Strategies for Escaping Babylon (Part Four)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasWe must respond to our precious calling, choosing permanent eternal spiritual treasures, such as knowing God.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Eighteen)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We accept most of our opinions, prejudices, and beliefs unconsciously. We must scrutinize our own beliefs through the principles of God's Holy Scriptures.
Jesus and 'the Spirits in Prison'
'Ready Answer' by Richard T. RitenbaughPeter's statement that Jesus 'preached to the spirits in prison' has baffled many a Bible student. The traditional interpretation is woefully off-base.
Back to Life (Part Two)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsIf God delays in answering a sincere prayer, His purpose is to increase faith, as in the case of His delay in providing Abraham with a son through Sarah.
Lazarus and the Rich Man
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man is often held up as proof of the torments of an ever-burning hell. However, the rest of Scripture gives a clearer picture.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Forty): Ecclesiastes 12:1-14
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughEcclesiastes 12:1-14 emphasizes the brevity and the progressively harder difficulties of life and urges youth to seek God before the decline of old age.
John (Part Eighteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughTrust in God's ability to resurrect can neutralize the most basic debilitating fear—the fear of death. Christ assures us that death is not the end.
Whatever Happened to Gnosticism? Part Three: Satan's Three Heresies
Article by David C. GrabbeWhen Satan confronted Adam and Eve, he fed them three heresies that Gnosticism incorporated into its parasitic philosophy and way of life.
God's Wrath and Hell
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughOblivion, not eternal torment in hell fire, is the merciful end for the wicked. God is both good and severe, but His mercy endures forever.
House of Mourning
Sermon by Bill OnisickThe prospect of death makes one more mature and self-aware, illuminating the meaning of Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 that it is better to go to the house of mourning.
Ecclesiastes: What Is It All About? (Part Three)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughTime must not be wasted walking into blind alleys and labyrinths, but must be spent walking the paths God has set before us, developing character through our choices.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirty-Three): Ecclesiastes 8:10-9:1
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughFor the called, enjoying life's pleasures should not be the top priority, but rather seeking first the kingdom of God, trusting that physical things will be added.
From Pilgrims to Pillars (Part Two)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasThe intensity of the heat in both the refiner's furnace and the potter's kiln resembles the fiery trials we must endure for the Refiner to remove the dross.
Resuming Ecclesiastes (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe only kind of pleasure that fulfills comes from applying God's Holy Spirit in serving others. We must seek those permanent things which are from above.
Ecclesiastes (Part Four; B)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod manipulates events to occur at precisely the right time. The timing God uses for us are just as precisely planned and scripted as they were for Christ.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirty-Eight): Ecclesiastes 11:1-8
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughSolomon counsels us to exercise diligence, work hard, plan for disruptions, obstacles, and roadblocks, spreading risk to work within this futile world.
Back to Life (Part One)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsSickness and hardship should not erode our faith in God's ultimately favorable purpose for us. A current trial may serve as a witness for the good of others.