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Genesis 1 and Free-Moral Agency
CGG Weekly by John W. RitenbaughWhat does Scripture say about free-moral agency? Are we human puppets on a string, manipulated from above? How does free will relate to God's sovereignty?
Free Will or God's Sovereignty?
Sermon by David C. GrabbeIn the troubling paradox that God has sovereignty over all events and that He grants humans the ability to make meaningful choices, antinomian Protestants have assembled prooftexts, allegedly proving that God's called-out ones are not expected to put forth any effort or make any commitment in the conversionary process because …
Freedom's Dark Underbelly
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAny freedom to choose must be accompanied by a set of standards against which choices are made. The people of the world do not have this freedom.
Bondage and a Freewill Offering
Sermonette by Mark SchindlerA free will offering, when deeply considered, should help us to consider each holy day more deeply the cost of real liberty God has freely given us.
Our Declaration of Independence (Part One)
CGG Weekly by John ReissIt is good for us to remember the freedom that God has given to us, those in the church of God, a freedom that the rest of the world just does not have.
Providence
Sermonette by James BeaubelleStudying examples of God's hand both favoring and putting down, we must reach out to Him daily for His Divine Providence to be at work in their lives.
Little Choices
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughTrue Christianity is a religion of constant vigilance in a conscious endeavor—striving, struggling, and making choices—to do what is right to please God.
Succeeding in the New World
CGG WeeklyEach individual settler in the New World had not only to protect and provide for himself, but also to sacrifice for the community's sake.
The Sovereignty of God: Part Seven
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughOne aspect of sovereignty that causes some confusion is predestination. God's sovereignty does not remove a person's free moral agency — we must still choose.
Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe term 'grace' describes a generous, thoughtful action of God, accompanied by love, which accomplishes His will, equipping us with everything we need.
Sovereignty and Choice
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeSome theologians see law and grace at the opposite ends of a continuum. They cannot imagine how God's sovereignty and man's free moral agency can co-exist.
The Sovereignty of God (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn the example of a child summoned by a parent to clean up his room, the child's dawdling and complaining are not predestined nor are they part of God's will.
Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn terms of salvation, works cannot save, but good works are the fruit of God's involvement. Grace frees one; works prove that one has been freed.
Fasting: Building Spiritual Muscle
Article by David F. MaasThough fasting deprives the physical body of nutrition and strength, a proper, biblical fast adds conviction and depth to the inner, spiritual man.
The Sovereignty of God: Part Four
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughGod not only rules in heaven, but He is also sovereign on earth! He is not an absentee landlord, but One who is actively involved in administering His creation.
Why Are You Here?
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God, following a pattern, routinely calls the lowly and weak to guard against pride. God will transform the weak of this world through His Holy Spirit.
The Sovereignty of God and Human Responsibility: Part Eleven
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughGod's sovereignty and free moral agency set up a seeming paradox. Just how much choice and freedom do we have under God's sovereign rule?
The Sovereignty of God: Introduction
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughGod's sovereignty is one of the most important issues a Christian must consider. Have we acknowledged that He has total authority over us in particular?
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Fifteen)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Our relationship with God is often strengthened through hardship. We must choose to yield to God, living for a much higher goal than raw materialism.
No Failsafe Needed
Sermon by Mark SchindlerThe free-will God has allowed mankind has led to some tragic consequences or disruptions, but none of these are outside of His control.
Are These Your Feasts? (Part Two)
CGG Weekly by Mark SchindlerWhen a famine of the Word covers the land, only a few have the God-given free-moral agency to choose to be fed the truth. Are we making the proper choices?
The Ship Is Yours
Sermon by Mark SchindlerJust as the captain of a ship wants decision-makers, not just order takers, God expects us to make decisions in accordance with His will.
Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughEven though we have the free moral agency to run counter to God's purposes, we court disaster if we presumptuously plan against these purposes.
The Sovereignty of God: Part Nine
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughGod's sovereignty seems to imply that prayer is pointless. Yet the function of prayer is not to change God's mind, but ours!
The Sovereignty of God: Part Five
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughIs God sovereign over angels? What about mankind's choices? God's sovereignty is absolute as He directs events toward the culmination of His plan.
Are These Your Feasts? (Part One)
CGG Weekly by Mark SchindlerThis earth is a prison, and Satan is its jailer. The inmates—mankind—do not realize that there is no free will! A prison takes away freedom.
Do We See the Line?
'Ready Answer' by Mike FordLonesome Dove contains the story of a cowboy who fails to perceive the line between right and wrong, and for his lack of moral sense, he pays with his life.
God's Sovereignty and the Church's Condition (Part Two)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughGod's hand was definitely involved in the scattering of the church. We should respond by growing and preparing ourselves for His Kingdom.
The Sovereignty of God (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod not only upholds, but also guides and propels His creation, periodically overruling man's mismanagement with floods, fires, winds, and earthquakes.
Sovereignty and 'Once Saved Always Saved'
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThose who believe in the "once saved always saved" doctrine fail to see that God has a more extensive and creative plan for mankind than merely saving him.
God's Creation and Our Works
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughLike Joseph, we need to realize that God—not ourselves—is the Creator, engineering events that form us into what He wants us to become.
The Providence of God (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughEven when we exercise free moral agency, God engineers circumstances and outcomes so that we are virtually forced to make the right decision.
Image and Likeness of God (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe true nature of God differs greatly from the trinitarian concept. Having created us in His form and shape, God is developing us into His character image.
The Sovereignty of God (Part Twelve)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThose who emphasize one trait of God, or one doctrine, at the expense of the others run the risk of distorting the truth, creating a grotesque caricature.
Stewardship of God's Temple (Part Four)
Sermon by David F. MaasOne of the most marvelous gifts God has given humanity is water—having both physical and spiritual dimensions, serving as the symbol of God's Spirit.
Human Nature: Good or Evil?
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughProgressives tend to believe that human nature is perfectible and evolving. Conservatives tend to believe that human nature is evil and must be controlled.
Self-Government (Part One)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Regardless of whether one submits to God, government, or community, self-government is the best means to having a safe, smooth course toward an objective.
The Faithfulness of God (Part Three)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God is absolutely faithful to His promises. We attain salvation is entirely by grace; God owes us absolutely nothing.
Communication and Leaving Babylon (Part Two)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughOur human nature reflects the nature of malevolent spirits' attitudes. The only way to overcome it is through God's creating a new heart in us by His Spirit.
The Providence of God (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe have to exercise faith, realizing the timing will be right for us, enabling us to accept His provisions and decisions for us without fear or anxiety.
Sin Is Spiritual!
'Ready Answer' by Richard T. RitenbaughMany people divide sin into physical and spiritual sins, but the Bible clearly says that all sin is lawlessness.
The Summertime Soldier and Sunshine Patriotism
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe must put our lives, treasure, and honor on the line, picking up our cross daily, declaring our independence from carnality, evil and bondage to sin.