Author Archives: Jay F Guin

About Jay F Guin

My name is Jay Guin, and I’m a retired elder. I wrote The Holy Spirit and Revolutionary Grace about 18 years ago. I’ve spoken at the Pepperdine, Lipscomb, ACU, Harding, and Tulsa lectureships and at ElderLink. My wife’s name is Denise, and I have four sons, Chris, Jonathan, Tyler, and Philip. I have two grandchildren. And I practice law.

Renewing Our Worship: Introduction

At the suggestion of Mark, I’m going to put down some ideas about upgrading the worship service of a typical Church of Christ. Of course, there’s no such thing as a typical Church of Christ. Some would find many of … Continue reading

Posted in Renewing Our Worship, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

The Baptists’ Evolving View of Baptism (and the Churches of Christ, too)

One of the most pronounced identity markers of the Churches of Christ and Christian Churches is our view of baptism. In contrast to most evangelical churches, we reject infant baptism, insist on baptism by immersion, and consider baptism the moment … Continue reading

Posted in Baptism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

A Lover’s Quarrel: A Colony of Heaven

Garrett’s twelfth and final wish for the Churches of Christ is — Let us be a colony of heaven — Cross-shaped, grace-oriented, Spirit-filled. There’s too much to say on this, so I’ll just quote Garrett —

Posted in A Lover's Quarrel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: When Storms Come / Piercing the Darkness

I’m combining two lessons, because the stories are very familiar and Ray Vander Laan does a great job with each. There’s not a lot to add, and the two lessons fit together nicely. The Sea of Galilee The lesson is … Continue reading

Posted in Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Churches of Christ in Decline: What Went Wrong

In the last post, I quoted passages from the first volume of Alexander Campbell’s The Christian Baptist in which he describes how we planned to unite all Christendom. Over and over, Campbell and Walter Scott, the Restoration Movement’s first missionary, … Continue reading

Posted in Churches of Christ in Decline, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Churches of Christ in Decline: Boundary Markers and The Christian Baptist

Alexander Campbell first published his teachings in a periodical called The Christian Baptist, begining in 1823. The following are some excerpts that remain instructive today. First, regarding the “bond of union among Christians.” Passing by, for the present, the various … Continue reading

Posted in Churches of Christ in Decline, Restoration Movement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Lover’s Quarrel: Renewed Assemblies

Garrett’s eleventh wish for the Churches of Christ is — Let there be renewal in our assemblies. We must find ways to make our assemblies more exciting and fulfilling. … Our preaching often lacks passion and a sense of urgency, … Continue reading

Posted in A Lover's Quarrel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Churches of Christ in Decline: What to Do About It

Okay. I’m all over the Churches of Christ in the United States thing. It’s in the past. It’s time to look forward. How do the Churches of Christ overcome their decline? I’ve written lots of posts on this in the … Continue reading

Posted in Churches of Christ in Decline, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

A Lover’s Quarrel: Women and Men

Garrett’s tenth wish for the Churches of Christ is — Let us bring women into the church as equals; let us cease being male-dominated. I’m on record on this one. The Bible does not teach male domination of women. Rather, … Continue reading

Posted in A Lover's Quarrel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Parable of the Old Man With a New Heart

I’ve been reading J. K. Rowling’s Tales of Beedle the Bard — fairy tales for wizards and witches (part of the Harry Potter series). It’s put me in the mood to write my own. Once upon a time there was … Continue reading

Posted in Holy Spirit and Providence, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Parable of the Old Man With a New Heart