INTRODUCTION The following three lessons were first preached on consecutive Sunday afternoons for the Pepper Road church of Christ in Athens, Alabama. They have been repeated many times.  While we have revised the original text somewhat, we have tried to preserve the wording and sentence structure that is characteristic of extemporaneous public speaking.  Hopefully the reader will overlook literary flaws. This is not intended to be an exhaustive study of the problems that created so much division during the '50s and '60s.  It is an effort to help people see the real issue in each of the controversies discussed, to briefly point out some of the arguments presented on both sides of the issues, and to do so in a fair and respectful way. It is our conviction that churches of the 21st century can fulfill their God-given responsibilities in benevolence and evangelism without institutional boards or sponsoring church arrangements.  Greater dedication is the need, not centralized oversight; greater sacrifice, not more complex organization. May the Lord use this material to promote better understanding among Christians to His glory.                                                                                       --Bill Hall

Church Supported Orphan's Homes: What Was the Issue?   The Sponsoring Church Arrangement:  What Was the Issue?   Kitchens and Fellowship Halls:  What Was the Issue?