I have always believed that every Christian receives the Holy Spirit at salvation, but in reading Acts 19:1-12 it seems to contradict my belief.  Is every Christian indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation?

This account in Acts has created confusion for many Christians, but a careful study can clear up the problem.  Remember ...

When we read the Bible, should we read it in a literal sense, or symbolic representation?

When the Bible makes literal sense seek no other sense.  Certainly there are times in the Scriptures where there is symbolic representation, but in most cases those symbols are explained in the context or by comparing other Scripture.  A good example ...

Who are the “sons of God” in Genesis 6:1-4?

The simple answer is that no one knows for sure.  Biblical interpretation falls into two distinct lines of thoughts:

     1.  They are descendants of the ungodly line of Cain who cohabitated with the Godly line of Seth.
     2.  They are ...

Can a person who has trusted Christ for salvation truly surrender everything to Him?  What role does personal choice play in our ability to completely surrender?

This is a very thought provoking question that could cause some great debate regarding the free will of a person.  Instead we should begin by defining what we mean by the word...

Many of you asked for notes from Sunday night’s sermon on Ephesians 6:1-4 so here goes.  Most of my insights come from my own failures as a parent, so I am thankful my children are doing as well as they are.  Hope this is a blessing.
 
The two main goals of parenting

Obedience – developing the right actions in our ...

What is Santa Claus’ place in a Christian home?

This is a question that no matter how I answer will create a firestorm of controversy.  I will begin by looking at the options available to us and then share what we practiced in our home as our children were growing up.  First, there seems to be several thoughts among believers ...

What does the Bible teach about burial and cremation?
This is a very sensitive issue in today’s Christian culture since more and more believers are choosing cremation based on economic factors. We should begin by noting that there is not a clear cut commandment on this subject including no direct law mentioned in the Torah of Moses. At this ...

One of the most painful situations I deal with as a Pastor is the heartbreak of parents whose children have rejected their values and are living in in rebellion to God and everything they have been taught. Most of those parents have a difficult decision on how to deal with their children in such situations. Mind you, I am not speaking about normal ...

Is speaking in tongues an evidence of a person’s salvation and is this gift for our present time?

This is a question that greatly divides those in the Christian faith and requires a great deal of diligence to rightly divide the Word on this subject. Those who teach that the gift of tongues is not for today base the majority of their ...

On August 1, 2012, the world was made aware of another moral failure by the Pastor of one of America’s largest Independent Baptist Churches. The news should bring nothing but sadness to believers because it allows attacks by the world on all Christians. It also causes some, in the body of Christ, to promote the superiority of certain church ...

Can faith and doubt co-exist in the same heart?

Most of us can relate to the father who Jesus told that faith had the power to heal his son, but the man’s response was, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) We all struggle with questions about how much we really believe God and those nagging doubts that often linger ...

Would the local church receive someone into membership that is not a Christian? What about children who have parents who join the church?

This is a great question and one that is not new. First, there are some who actually question the concept of church membership and honestly there are not a lot of direct verses in the Bible that relate to the ...

Since the Christian is under grace and not under the law does that mean we do not have to keep the 10 Commandments?
This is a very difficult question, but very important because of the varied answers different people come to believe. First, let us define law as that which God revealed to Moses in the Pentateuch regarding how Israel was to live a ...

What Scriptures were used when forming the way HBC functions in day to day operations and church government?

This is a great question and I would recommend that you take a look at our Church Constitution which contains a section of officers and church business that would prove helpful. There is so much I would like to write on this subject, but ...

Hi Pastor Archie,

Since God's word clearly says to stay, can your next sermon be on how to manage living in an empty marriage? I know God is supposed to fill the void, and he does, but it is still hard to accept essentially being alone.

This is a great question and the pain that I feel in your request is very, very real. Usually someone in ...