We believe such a practice helps the assembly learn the Bible. We want scriptural proof for the existence of the Lord's church and for what we practice in the work and worship of the church. The church began to get away from book, chapter, verse preaching when it became more interested in numerical growth than sound doctrine.

The church went through a stage of gimmicks and-games to draw people in from the community. As a result, people came in from the community with various religious backgrounds or no religious affiliation at all. Many thought that book,. chapter, verse preaching would offend these people and cause them never to come back.

If sincere religious people are in error, and are shown from the Bible by loving book, chapter, verse preaching that they are in error, most of them will go home and study their Bible to see if such is the case. If they are honest they will be willing to forsake that error and come to the truth.

No one need apologize for straight forward Bible preaching. This type of preaching will prick the hearts of people (Acts 2:37). If their heart is not pricked there will be no change in life and there will be no conversion to the truth.

As a result of trying not to offend people, many preachers left book, chapter, verse preaching and substituted social and psychological - research type preaching, thinking they would be able to help man's needs in a way the Bible could not. I have no doubt in my mind that this kind of preaching will likely draw large crowds and preachers will keep on giving their audiences what they want and not what they need. Jeremiah of old warned us of this "it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps(Jer.10:23).

Social and psychological - research can never be a substitute for book, chapter, verse preaching because only God knows what man really needs. If we are interested in pleasing God our preaching will be Bible centered (1 Pet.4:11). Ear-tickling preachers of our day feed the people what they want and not what they need.

Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt.4:4). He also said, "sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth" (John 17:17). Paul told the Ephesian elders, "And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you the inheritance among them that are sanctified" (Acts 20:32)

Book, chapter, verse preaching is alive . It is powerful, it is sound, it is like a fire. It sanctified, it edifies, and it saves. It will reprove, it will rebuke, and it will instruct. It is what God wants and anything else is of the Devil (Eph.6:11-13).

Welcome the day when "thus saith the Lord" is taught in our classrooms and preached from our pulpits across this great land of ours. Then and only then will people be pricked in their hearts and be saved from their sins.