Communication With the Dead: Is it Possible?
What happens after death? Is there a life beyond the grave? If so, is it possible to communicate with those…
Comparison of Old and New Covenants
Feature Old Covenant New Covenant When established at Exodus at crucifixion Parties: God and national Israel (Ex. 19-24) Christians (Luke…
Complete list of all articles on archive.gci.org
This list compiles our various index pages. It includes You’re Included, but not Speaking of Life and other miscellaneous videos. …
Confession – a small group study
Introduction The awesome God we worship is eager to forgive us, as is revealed in the words of Psalm 103:…
Confessions of a Part-Time Waitress
I don’t have a lot of spare time between waiting on tables. But may I take just a moment to…
Confessions of a Youth Evangelist
It was the right idea, but the focus was wrong. I worked for more than a decade with an organization…
Confirmation Ceremony
A confirmation service can take place during the worship service or at any convenient location and time. In our congregations,…
Conflict at Rome: Romans 14
Have you ever heard someone in the church say, “I just want to go somewhere I can be comfortable”? Some…
Connections (the Journal)
Connections is a journal written by ministry wives and women in ministry of Grace Communion International. We are making it available to everyone…
Connections for Clergy Family Support
Resources for a successful ministry and life Personal Counseling or Retreat Needs Marble Retreat is one of the most established…
Conspiracy Theories and Rejection
Transformed by Truth, by Joseph Tkach Chapter 5 Just before he died in January 1986, Herbert Armstrong told his handpicked successor—my…
Coping with Stress…Without Alcohol or Drugs
What do we see in the world around us? Overcrowding. Interpersonal conflicts. Economic uncertainty. International strife. Uncertainty about the future….
Courage in the Commission
The famous American pilot Eddie Rickenbacker once said, “Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no…
Covenant Enacted by Blood (Hebrews 9:15-23)
Our salvation was obtained, the author of Hebrews tells us, because Christ “has died as a ransom to set them…
Covenant, Law and God’s Faithfulness
Central to GCI's reformation is the teaching that God's covenant with humanity was fulfilled on our behalf in Jesus Christ. By looking back from the vantage point of Jesus' declaration on the cross, "It is finished," we are able to understand not only what God was doing with Israel via the covenant (to which was added the Mosaic law), but also God's related plan for all humanity that reaches back "before the creation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4).
Covenants in the Bible
To understand the old and new covenants, we need to first understand what the word covenant means. In simple terms,…
Creation and Evolution: How Did God Bring About the Rich Variety of Species on Earth?
Almost 150 years ago Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species. The debate between science and religion has been fast…
Creation out of nothing
One of the more enigmatic questions posed by our understanding of the cosmos is this: Why is there something instead…
Creation vs. Evolution
The ongoing creation versus evolution debate made the news when Ken Hamm, a prominent proponent of young earth creationism, debated…
Crossing Borders 2011 – Muchas Gracias
In December 2011, Crossing Borders mission team had an eventful trip to Mexico to deliver shoebox gifts to our partner…
Crossing Borders – Camp With a Mission
OK, so you’ve been there, done that and got a drawer full of camp T-shirts. Then perhaps you are ready…
Crossing Borders Summer Trip 2015
This summer, as we have done for the last six years, Crossing Borders mission camp crossed into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico,…
Crossing Your "Red Sea"
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on….
Crown of Thorns
When Jesus was on trial for his life, the soldiers twisted thorns into a makeshift crown and jammed it on his head…
Daddy’s Gone
Your friend has just suffered a severe loss. How can you help? I stared at the empty chair by the…
David and Uriah: Are You Losing Faith?
Reading between the lines: David and Uriah The story of David, and the books of Samuel in general, are considered…
Dawkins’ God
Dawkins’ God: Gene, Memes and the Meaning of Life by Alister McGrath Reviewed by John Halford One thing I have…
Days Don’t Matter – Or Do They?
I have encouraged congregations to set aside old covenant customs, in keeping with the example set by Paul, in order…
Dead to Sin — Oh Really?
I grew up on a farm, so I know something about animals—great and small. Animals are still part of my…
Dealing With Difficulties (Hebrews 12:3-17)
We are exhorted to follow the example of Jesus. What kind of example did he set for us? “For the…
Dealing With Disagreements (Romans 14:1-12)
Paul’s letter to the Romans is his most systematic presentation of the gospel. He explains human sinfulness and the forgiveness…
Death Ain’t What It Used to Be
While sipping coffee and browsing news one morning, I came across a lead sentence so amusing I had to write…
Death Will Be Defeated (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
A dramatic change In eternity, we will not need blood to circulate oxygen to our muscles. Flesh and blood is…
Decree of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) Part 1: The Literary Flow of Acts 15
Acts 15 is the center of the book of Acts. In the story-flow of Acts, the Jerusalem council resolves crucial…
Decree of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) Part 2: The Decree’s Purpose
The Four Requirements The decree told gentile Christians to abstain from four things.15 Minor variations occur in order and number…
Denominational Support
Connections A GCI denomination-wide journal that was published for ministers, wives and their families. The journal provided peer support, wisdom,…
Depth Perception
An important part of learning to drive is depth perception. Drivers need to know where they are in relation to…
Deuteronomy: God’s People Challenged
Outline of Deuteronomy Introduction (1:1-5) Historical prologue (1:6–4:43) Stipulations (4:44–26:19) Blessings and curses (27:1–30:20) Succession arrangements and public readings (31:1–34:12)…
Developing a Children’s Ministry
The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance in helping churches develop an effective children’s ministry. It offers a…
Developing a Spending Plan With a "Virtual Cookie Jar"
From what I can tell, very few people today have a spending plan, or budget, to manage their personal finances….
Did God Forsake Jesus on the Cross?
Quotes from Theologians on the Interview Program You’re Included In Alphabetical Order The Trinity says that God is both above…
Did Moses Steal the Ten Commandments?
Shushan, which lies 200 miles east of Babylon, was the capital of ancient Elam (Susiana), and later the winter palace…
Did the Jews Kill Jesus?
Part of the controversy surrounding the movie The Passion of the Christ is whether the film is anti-Semitic. Does it blame the…
Did You Kill Jesus Christ?
Some preachers say that humanity in general and each of us personally is responsible for the death of Jesus Christ….
Dietary Laws and Uncleanness
In this study, we will examine what the Bible says about being “clean” and “unclean,” but we must explain that…
Digging Up the Bible
What type of clothing did the patriarch Abraham and his family wear? Was there really a King David or a…
Disaster in New Orleans!
In America’s worst natural disaster, nearly a million people were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Tens of thousands were stranded without power,…
Disciplemaking Ministry: Communication of the Word
In writing that “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16a), Paul reminds us that God inspired the Bible. He also…
Disciplemaking Ministry: Conclusion
The powerful principle that underlies the foundations of youth ministry is that the Holy Spirit makes disciples of Jesus. Our…
Disciplemaking Ministry: Creating a Biblical Group Image in Your Youth Ministry
One evening after returning from a long day at work, I plopped into an oversized chair and flicked on the…
Disciplemaking Ministry: Creating an Atmosphere of Love
Love expressed and experienced among members of the body is absolutely essential if that body is to be healthy and…
Disciplemaking Ministry: Having a "Commitment to Contact" in Your Youth Ministry
In Carl Sagan’s novel Contact, an astronomer devotes her life to making contact with intelligent beings beyond our solar system….
Disciplemaking Ministry: Introduction
Youth ministry involves obedience to the Great Commandment to love, expressed through obedience to the Great Commission to make disciples….
Disciplemaking Ministry: Prayerful Dependence
Inspiring event I crept closer to the circle of about 20 adolescent boys to listen in on their conversation. They…
Disciplemaking Ministry: The Adoration of Christ
One of my favorite Christmas hymns, “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” invites people to “come and behold him,” Jesus—the One…
Disciplemaking Youth Ministry Includes Equipping Workers
In our youth ministry articles, we are focusing on following the disciplemaking ministry patterns that Jesus modeled and then commanded…
Disciples Who Didn’t Understand
Christianity has never been doctrinally perfect. Even the apostolic churches were not perfect. In fact, much of the New Testament…
Discipleship 101
Here are 30 articles that cover 10 major doctrines of the Christian faith. The entire series of 30 articles is…
Discovering Adoption
One night in 1975, while waiting for his meal in a restaurant, Gary Klahr struck up a conversation with a man…