Words are powerful things.  God has revealed Himself to us in detail in His written Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  It is the Word preached that, when heard, can lead to repentance and salvation (Romans 1:16, 10:17).  It is the Word that just by its very reading can move hearts and change minds (1 Timothy 4:13). … [continue]

The cross is probably the most readily recognized of the Christian symbols, and there is significance to it. As a symbol, the cross is a reminder of the sacrifice of our Savior over two thousand years ago. The cross itself did not effect our salvation, but it was the shedding of blood of the perfect, sinless,… [continue]

The temptation of man is to go through life and miss the big picture because of sin and selfishness.  Man, apart from redemption in and through Christ, is doomed to seek after his own glory, to create a false purpose, and to delight in the wrong things.  God’s Word gives us a bird’s eye view of the… [continue]

Matthew 7:1-5 says, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your… [continue]

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will… [continue]

From early childhood on, we by nature are imitators.  We see the people around us and tend to copy them for good or for evil.  The blessing of God-honoring role models to imitate is of great eternal value because it is a highly potent means of passing on God’s truth and ways from generation to generation. … [continue]

There are many character qualities that people in the church aspire to such as integrity, purity, perseverance, kindness, etc.  However, one that is not often considered and therefore often neglected is zeal.  Revelation 3:19 says, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” … [continue]

People fake things all the time in order to gain an advantage.  For example, kids have been known to fake being sick so that they don’t have to go to school.  Adults have been known to stretch the truth about a used car being better than it actually is.  Many have mastered fake sincerity and care, while… [continue]

These days, those who decide to go ahead and make a lifelong commitment to one another in marriage rarely follow through on their promises. Even many “Christian” marriages shatter after just a few years. If marriage was simple and easy, most everybody would choose to marry and would stay married. Sadly, few… [continue]

The conscience is certainly not given the credence that it once was. Even the secular world used to appreciate the value of a clean and clear conscience as evidenced by the storybook character Pinocchio who was advised to always let his conscience be his guide. There was a clear dichotomy between right and wrong,… [continue]

When Jesus addressed the crowds of people following Him, He always spoke in parables (Matthew 13:34).  Mark 4:33-34 says, “With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to… [continue]

One of the deepest needs of the human heart is that of peace, safety, and security. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 says, “While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” People the world over… [continue]

Jude 22-23 says, “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” Jude is a short but potent epistle that carries a central message of contending for the faith and upholding sound doctrine… [continue]

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Jesus said that there are two options… [continue]

Matthew 5:3-12 is commonly referred to as “The Beatitudes.”  Jesus does teach on some attitudes and character qualities that we should wish to possess and cultivate, and these we should study carefully.  But there is a bigger picture concept that He is trying to convey to His disciples, to the crowds,… [continue]

  Matthew 18:5-6 says, “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” In Matthew 18, the disciples… [continue]

Mankind has a way of becoming very arrogant and honing in upon only that which is visible. This leads him to false conclusions about his own power, strength, importance, and understanding. His fixation upon only what is visible causes him to be unable to see the signature of the Divine upon all of creation (Psalm 19:1-2,… [continue]

The Bible is clear that we all, apart from Christ, deserve to go to hell because we are born with a sin nature and, thus, we sin. As Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The consequences for sin, regardless of its kind,… [continue]

Perhaps you know of people who have suffered so greatly or been brainwashed to such an extent that they do not even know for sure what to believe anymore.  They might even question their salvation or even God’s existence, let alone the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ.  They might have been so turned off… [continue]

There is nothing wrong with trying to make money or even a lot of it as long as we do it honestly, morally, and while treating others the way we wish to be treated when we enter a business transaction. Whether we are in management, sales, marketing, human resources, or another aspect of business, we have a chance to be… [continue]

Matthew 24 is full of events that will point to signs of the last days. No man knows the exact day or hour of Christ’s return, but there are signposts to catch our attention that time is running short. These include wars and rumors of wars (v. 6), an increase in earthquakes and famines (v. 7), professing Christians… [continue]

1 John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”  We need only to go back to the first sin to see these three underlying facets of sin at work.  Genesis 3:6 says, “When… [continue]

Sometimes, we read a promise of God given to us in the Scripture and just laugh in a scoffing, unbelieving way at what God has said.  The longer we are believers, the more likely it is that we will find ourselves having laughed at promises of God that we believed were too good to be true.  When God moves us to… [continue]

“And I show you a still more excellent way.” - 1 Corinthians 12:31 Love is the ultimate distinguishing characteristic of true believers (John 13:34-35). Yet, for a variety of reasons, the primary of which is Satanic delusion and deception, love has been rendered as merely being polite, nice,… [continue]

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”  Biblical training is not just training of any kind.  Unless we know what the Scripture teaches, we might think we are doing things right when, in actuality, we are doing just the opposite. … [continue]

It is not easy being in a fallen, corrupt world, especially as believers.  Temptations are everywhere, persecution is on the increase, and those who hate Jesus continue to multiply.  Even Lot, who was not the most shining Christian example, testified to just how oppressing and tormenting it was to be around the… [continue]

The only way to know if we are growing spiritually is to know what spiritual maturity looks like.  Paul said that we are to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).  In other words, Christ is the perfect expression of what it means to grow to maturity in the Lord.  We will never be perfect… [continue]

Whether it is acceptable or not to get a tattoo is a hot topic among Christians, especially young people.  Just as there is great peer pressure to sleep around, to experiment with drugs, to watch garbage on television, and to compromise in music, there is also great lure surrounding tattoos.  To further confuse… [continue]

God is a God of love, a God of grace, and a God of mercy.  These things we have heard more times than we can count.  However, what we may not have heard is that the Scripture also refers to God as a God of vengeance. Psalm 94:1 says, “O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth!” … [continue]

The early church met for corporate worship on the first day of the week, which is Sunday, the same day Christ rose from the dead (Matthew 28:1). Acts 20:7 says, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged… [continue]

We all know what the world thinks about divorce given its prevalence. People moan and groan about its effects on children, yet it continues on recklessly because too often people marry recklessly. People would take who they date and eventually marry so much more seriously if they didn’t view divorce as their “ace… [continue]

Church government, sometimes called church polity, can degrade into the worldly, combative, “us versus them” mentality that politics in general often involves.  In the world, people take sides with the group that most aligns with their personal viewpoint.  They hope that a person will adequately stand… [continue]

The great battle for truth is not between atheists and theists.  I once thought that if we could just help people to believe in God then coming to faith in Christ wouldn’t be that far off.  But the reality is that, though the battle against atheism is worth fighting, the real and intense battle is the call… [continue]

Fasting is a theme that runs throughout the Scriptures. Done rightly, it can have great benefit in our walks with Christ. Too often, however, it is done improperly for the wrong reasons and motives. Fasting is not a rote tradition that is done to earn God’s favor. It is not as if choosing not to eat a meal in and… [continue]

A new year provides us with a chance to be introspective, to reflect on what was, to consider what is, and to think about what we want to become.  It is a mileage marker, a point of no return, a chance to draw a line in the sand.  Of course, any day we have the chance to change, but there is something about a… [continue]

Christmas can be a controversial topic.  We all know about how our politically correct world would prefer that we speak of “the holidays” rather than Christmas, but there is more to preserving the spirit of the season than merely saving the name.  Though such efforts to stand for Christmas are certainly… [continue]

It is easy to give up on people or to write them off. Some people change quickly, while others move very slowly. Some are relatively easy to love, while others require a lot of patience. That is just the reality of life, people, and Christianity. Relationships are central to church life, and, of the many tasks we have… [continue]

  “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” -Romans 1:1 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 says, “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous… [continue]

    John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” There are many things that identify believers and set them apart… [continue]