by Pastor Ray Viola | Aug 2, 2023 | Contemporary Christianity
Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Of course we would all agree this is true intellectually, but have we discovered the truth of this scripture personally and experientially? Our example of giving is our gracious, loving heavenly Father. To...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Jul 23, 2023 | Contemporary Christianity
Obedience to the word of God is proof of our love for Him. It’s with this kind of person that Jesus finds a “home.” The greatest witness the Body of Christ can present to a lost and dying world is love. The greatest element within the Body of Christ is love. Love is...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Jul 14, 2023 | Contemporary Christianity
The only individual who can claim exclusive ownership of the church is Jesus Christ. To build the church upon man is simply carnal. Yes, there are offices given to the church, but to be contentious over our preferences for the men of these offices is divisive. The...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Jul 7, 2023 | Contemporary Christianity
One of the prominent messages of the Protestant Reformation was that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from any works, ritual or merit on the part of sinners. As we read in the Bible: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Jun 30, 2023 | Contemporary Christianity
If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have more than likely been drawn into the Calvinism vs. Arminianism conversation regarding the method or process of man’s salvation. Both systems of interpretation contain 5 points that contain biblical...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Jun 25, 2023 | Contemporary Christianity
We have learned in our journey through Paul’s letter to the believers in Philippi that there was an undercurrent of selfishness which manifested itself in attitudes of vainglory and strife. To address that problem, Paul reminded them of the humility of Jesus Christ...