Archives
Categories
Being Disciples
- A “One Another” Community 09/14/2020Generally, a community is a social group that shares in common a set of values, a cultural heritage, and similar ...
- A Guide to Judging Others 02/09/2019“Jesus said not to judge others,” didn’t He? We are often reminded of this because in today’s culture, one thing ...
- A Heart of Wisdom 02/13/2019“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt ...
- A Time to Laugh 03/05/2019There is “a time to weep and a time to laugh” (Eccl 3:4). This is an important realization for the ...
- All Things New 01/01/2020The beginning of a new year is traditionally when we rethink our goals and reassess how we have been doing. ...
- Be Careful What Kind of God You Promote 09/12/2019The religious community of our country, at large, is perfectly satisfied with the statement: “I believe in God.” In our ...
- Be careful what you say … again 12/13/2019James warned about the use of the tongue (James 3). Because of the difficulties in controlling the tongue, he warned ...
- Bear One Another’s Burdens 11/20/2019“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2). We are conditioned today to be individualistic. We ...
- Cultivating Feelings for God 09/18/2019Feelings are strange. We don’t usually pick our feelings consciously, as if we normally wake up in the morning and ...
- Depression and the Christian 09/26/2019Job was a man who suffered far more than most of us will ever understand. His suffering was emotional, spiritual, ...
- Developing Servants 03/13/2019Paul wrote, in Galatians 5:13-15, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an ...
- Don’t Downplay Obedience 01/31/2020Obedience (submitting to and keeping God’s commandments) is one of those concepts that can get downplayed because of how it ...
- Free 05/31/2019In a free society, businesses generally have the right to make their own rules about what to sell and what ...
- Gluttony 02/18/2019Gluttony seems to be one of the under-taught issues of our day. This is, likely, due to our being uncomfortable ...
- Good Actions are Never Wasted 04/01/2019No one wants a good deed to be wasted, right? After all, we want to put in time and effort ...
- How the World Helps us 02/28/2019“Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for ...
- Improving Discipleship 02/02/2019What can I do to improve my discipleship? I trust that these are matters all can benefit from, but I ...
- Incentives For Serving God 02/09/2019Most are familiar with these chilling words from Satan to God about Job: “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have ...
- Is the Wound Incurable? 07/28/2020There is a direct correlation between lawlessness and the loss of love. In speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus ...
- Looking to Jesus 01/29/2020“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and ...
- Lord, Give them Minds to do Your Will 06/13/2019I have prayed this for my children for years. I still do, though now they have grown up and are ...
- Love and Social Media 05/17/20191 Corinthians And Its Original Audience We all know 1 Corinthians 13 for its elaborations on love. But I want to ...
- No Bag of Dry Bones 07/24/2019Ever feel like a husk of your former self? This is not a question only for the older generation. Life ...
- On Breaking Rules 07/02/2019Why does it seem that we get such a kick out of being rule-breakers? Christians, especially, ought to know better, ...
- On Dislocated Hips and Blessings 09/17/2019Genesis 32 tells the intriguing account of Jacob wrestling with a character who, at first, seems quite mysterious. The text ...
- On the Seriousness of Turning from God 02/20/2019We are aware (or ought to be) of the passages teaching that those who were enlightened and then turn away ...
- Political Correctness and the Christian 08/29/2019Christians increasingly must deal with political correctness (PC). This is the idea, according to the online dictionary (.com), of “avoiding ...
- Political Vitriol 07/09/2019Here’s a op-ed headline I once saw: “Political rhetoric will keep getting worse. As government grows, so do the stakes—and ...
- Poor and Rich Alike 09/09/2019It is not uncommon for people to pit the rich against the poor, and vice versa, especially in political arenas. ...
- Praise God for Peace and Hope! 05/24/2020Hope has long been expressed in songs. We see a pattern in Scripture of songs being sung when victory is ...
- Random thoughts about Another Brick in The Wall 05/11/2019We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control No dark sarcasm in the classroom Teachers, leave them kids alone. Hey! Teachers! ...
- Riding Out the Storms 02/22/2019Paul told the Romans that his desire was to go to Rome. He would make it to Rome, but probably ...
- Seek the Welfare of the City 05/26/2020God’s people had been sent into Babylonian exile because of their failure to keep the covenant. While in exile, what ...
- Set for the Defense of the Gospel 02/25/2019“Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter ...
- The Beauty of Sex 06/21/2019I’m going to talk about what we usually don’t like to talk about because neglect on this matter has, I ...
- The Call of Wisdom 02/15/2019“Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?” (Prov 8:1) Wisdom is a major theme of Scripture, pervasive throughout. ...
- The Gall of Bitterness 07/15/2019“See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up ...
- The Meaning of Marriage 06/22/2019“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3) Issues surrounding marriage are not new. Christians face problems ...
- The Most Difficult Command 07/27/2019Being a disciple of Jesus requires that we count the cost of such discipleship. Jesus said it plainly enough in ...
- The Power of Memorials 05/27/2019We generally understand how powerful memorials can be. We create memorials for those who have died in war, for the ...
- The Real Issue in Modesty 04/17/2019I see a variety of discussions about modesty. Often they seem to devolve into disputes about issues like women’s empowerment, ...
- Ultimate Deliverance 06/14/2019Thanking God for being able to meet together for worship “without fear of molestation” or persecution is common. We certainly ...
- Unity and the Problem of Sin 09/12/2020There is always a balance that Christians must seek to maintain. On the one hand, we are to maintain the ...
- What Does it Mean to Forgive? 04/19/2019Sin has destructive consequences on many levels, often involving not just the person or persons who sinned, but also affecting ...
- When We Disagree 04/29/2019The Lord wants unity, but disagreements in discussions are also a fact of life. Sometimes discussions can fall apart pretty ...
- Who Are You? 05/29/2019A popular song from years ago asks the question, “Who are you?” (It was sung by “The Who” and illustrates ...
- Wisdom from Above 02/12/2019“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of ...
First Principles
- A Reminder for Christians about Baptism 08/21/2019We often use passages about baptism to show unbelievers the need to be baptized into Christ. Certainly, baptism was taught ...
- Baptism and Circumcision: An Important Distinction 06/18/2019Two passages are often conflated when thinking about the subjects of circumcision and baptism. Read these (and the greater contexts) ...
- Baptism and How We Read 02/09/2019Think about these two statements: Baptism has nothing to do with salvation. Baptism now saves you. Which is true? I was studying with ...
- By Grace through Faith 02/15/2019Grace, faith, and obedience are brothers in the kingdom of God. Some seem to dismiss the need to obey completely ...
- Can We Be Sure of Our Salvation? 02/02/2019Sometimes we may doubt whether or not we are truly saved. We feel that we aren’t good enough, that we ...
- Causation and Correlation in Salvation 06/01/2019I realize that causation and correlation are terms typically used in mathematics and statistics. There might be a correlation between ...
- Faith, Works, and Ritualism 02/27/2019Religious Ritualism has always been a problem. This means that one is just going through motions, and going through motions ...
- Forrest D. Moyer: You Can’t Afford to be a Sinner 06/18/2022Forrest D. Moyer: You Can't Afford to be a Sinner
- On Sharing the Faith 07/01/2019This is a simple reminder of what we all know is our privilege and responsibility as Christians. We need to ...
- Pride 06/25/2019Sin is described in Scripture, not only as a transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4), but also as a ...
- Purposeful Hearing 02/21/2019Acts 10 tells about a man named Cornelius. He was a devout man who desired to be in a right ...
- Receiving the Kingdom 07/23/2019Receiving the kingdom of God is not always an easy task. Even those who always get what they want may ...
- Repent and Confess 02/13/2019Repentance and confession are fundamental to the Christian’s relationship to God. These are not merely one time “steps” in a ...
- Repentance is Gospel 09/15/2020As John came preaching in the wilderness, he was “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark ...
- Searching for Answers in a Broken World 02/12/2019The world is broken, and the evidence for this is all around us: mass shootings, sanctioned slaughter of the unborn, ...
- The Context of Grace 10/06/2019The announcement of salvation coincides with the message, “Your God reigns” (Isa 52:7). Christians recognize that salvation comes by the ...
- The Original Originals 02/19/2019Let’s say there are some original practices of an original group of people. That group of people is known as ...
- Trust and Submission 03/06/2020Trust and submission are two related issues that we sometimes have a difficult time putting into practice. They are also ...
- We Must Die to Live 03/20/2019“I have to die to get better.” Have you felt that way? You feel so sick that you about wish ...
- We Would See Jesus 02/25/2019“Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast: these therefore came to Philip, ...
- Whom do you Seek? 02/15/2019The gospel accounts demonstrate that people regularly underestimated the power and authority of Jesus. This is especially seen in the ...
- Why Do We Teach the Importance of Baptism? 02/09/2019Baptism, which, biblically, is immersion, is not our design. We didn’t invent it as a practice. We didn’t come up ...
For the Ladies
- Accepting Criticism 02/20/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, It is difficult enough to be conscientious in doing what you believe to be right without ...
- Contentment 02/13/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, Solomon warned us about how futile this life seems when we do not factor God into ...
- Differences 02/15/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, It is common to want to feel like those around us. Peer pressure is not just ...
- Emotion and Truth 02/19/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, Has anyone ever accused you of being too emotional? Emotions are messy. They are not always ...
- Evangelism 02/09/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, You are a needed evangelist in the Lord’s church. The Gospel will not be spread without ...
- Giving Advice 02/21/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, Jesus wanted to gather and nurture the people of Jerusalem, but they would not listen to ...
- Harmony 02/15/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, First, allow me to make a clarification. There is a great difference between “harmony” and “unison.” ...
- Hospitality 02/12/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, “Mi casa es su casa.” Most of us who do not even speak Spanish know what ...
- Married Women: Joint Heirs 08/27/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, It is common when we discuss our relationship with our husbands to stress the need to ...
- Married Women: My Husband, My Friend 08/19/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, I consider you my friend and confidant. There are so many things I can bring to ...
- Older Women: Activity 04/13/2019Dear One, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has ...
- Older Women: Appreciation 03/29/2019Dear One, As a mother in Christ you have encouraged me beyond your ability to know. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with ...
- Older Women: Change 04/16/2019Dear One, What is it about our homes and our own things that make them comfortable? It is usually not the ...
- Older Women: Instruction 04/01/2019Dear One, I need help. Surely that often shows. I can only imagine how some of my actions must seem to ...
- Older Women: Peace 04/15/2019Dear One, I have been struggling recently to remember that God is in control. I don’t mean to say I forget ...
- Teen Girls: Enthusiasm 04/18/2019My Dear Younger Sister, “I love your enthusiasm,” Victor said to Emily, and he was right. There is something endearing and ...
- Teen Girls: Friendship 04/19/2019My Dear Younger Sister, “A friend loves at all times…” (Proverbs 17:17). Do you have a friend like that? I’m talking ...
- Teen Girls: Purity 04/17/2019My Dear Younger Sister, I have no doubt many have encouraged you to be pure. Usually that is the talk about ...
- Teen Girls: Worth 04/18/2019My Dear Younger Sister, When you look in the mirror, what do you see? It is probably not what I see ...
- The Tongue 02/09/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, I admit it. At different points in my life I have been known as something of ...
- Wisdom 02/05/2019My Dear Sister in Christ, There are many times in any given day when I stop to ask myself if I ...
- Young Mothers: Assurance 02/27/2019Dear One, Remember the old hymn Blessed Assurance? Jesus is mine…This is my story… I sometimes have trouble remembering which of the ...
- Young Mothers: Encouragement 02/22/2019A Note of Encouragement Dear One, I am writing you now to encourage you to continue in the wonderful things you are ...
- Young Mothers: Fad Wisdom 03/07/2019Dear One, Have you ever noticed the three different kinds of people described in Acts 17 who heard the Gospel message? ...
- Young Mothers: Innocence 03/08/2019Dear One, From the moment you held your precious newborn child you knew the meaning of absolute innocence. They have no ...
- Young Mothers: Keeping Your Word 03/04/2019Dear One, Your integrity is one of the most foundational elements of character that you can possess. To be known as ...
- Young Mothers: Overcommitment 02/26/2019Dear One, Every day is a wonderful one in which to be alive. We don’t really seem to treasure the gift ...
- Young Mothers: Parental Pattern 02/28/2019Dear One, It is one of the most humbling positions in life to be a parent. The enormous responsibility far outweighs ...
- Young Mothers: Parental Rights 03/25/2019Dear one, This world is full of amazing diversity. I have to smile at the nature books which claim to be ...
- Young Mothers: Persistence 02/25/2019Dear One, As we were worshiping last Sunday I happened to notice the beautiful picture you and your young family painted ...
- Young Mothers: Perspective 03/20/2019Dear one, Sometimes I think being a young mother is like living in a fun house. (Not that you always have ...
- Young Mothers: Respect 03/14/2019Dear One, It is difficult to see the title “Respect” on anything without at least mentally breaking into Aretha Franklin’s song ...
- Young Mothers: Simplicity 03/05/2019Dear one, Do you know many people whose identity of life seems to be bound up in their stuff? Perhaps that ...
Knowing Scripture
- Abraham Believed God 12/13/2019Among the names of great men and women of the Bible who displayed such marvelous faith, Abraham is one of ...
- Bad Company Corrupts Good Morals 03/02/2020Paul makes an important argument in 1 Corinthians 15 about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He begins the chapter by ...
- Comfort and God’s Power 09/27/2020Isaiah 40 begins with an exhortation to comfort: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that ...
- Does Romans Call for the Death of Homosexuals? 04/03/2019Bad interpretations can have devastating consequences. This is especially seen in the recent debates regarding the LGBT movement and the ...
- God’s Right to Judge 02/12/2020Justice is a common desire. When someone has committed a terrible act against another, we want to see justice done. ...
- Idolatry and Sin 07/29/2019One of the most “called-out” sins in Scripture is idolatry. It was one of the primary reasons why God’s people ...
- Jesus and Isaac: God is For Us 02/25/2019The story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22), the son of the promise, has long been seen as a prefiguring ...
- Love and Social Media 05/17/20191 Corinthians And Its Original Audience We all know 1 Corinthians 13 for its elaborations on love. But I want to ...
- Made To Be Sin 02/15/2019Sometimes I am struck with the beauty of a passage while, at the same time, humbled by the fact that ...
- Mercy Not Sacrifice 02/25/2019At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ...
- Mercy, Judgment, and Doctrine 02/02/2019“So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will ...
- Miraculous Lessons 10/28/2019First, consider Mark 4:35-5:41. In these verses, several miracles are recorded for our reflection and understanding. The following take place: 1. ...
- That “Ugh” Feeling when Reading Scripture 05/24/2019Don’t pretend you don’t have it. When reading Scripture there are people, events, and laws that make us gasp and, ...
- The Fulfillment of the Law 02/09/2019The relationship of the Old Covenant to the New is a longstanding discussion. Thinking that the Old was simply abolished ...
- The Grand Picture of God’s People 02/13/2019Think of the completed picture. Think of the temple (tabernacle) and its articles. Think of the priests and the various ...
- The Intent of the Law 02/18/2019“Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a ...
- The Living God 02/11/2020God the Creator is sometimes viewed, in Scripture, in contrast to the idolatry that was so prevalent. The question is ...
- The Misunderstood Jesus 02/09/2019Understanding people is often difficult. What do they mean? How are they using phrases? Are they being literal or figurative, ...
- The Redemption of Judah: Judah’s Role in Genesis 02/24/2020We often think of the latter part of Genesis as being all about Joseph. There is no doubt that the ...
- The Thoughts of God 02/12/2019Isaiah 55 gives us great insight into the way that God’s word can supply the power to restore. Consider the ...
- Themes of the Law 07/02/2019The Decalogue (Ten Commandments) is probably the the most well-known part of the Law of Moses (Exod 20; Deut 5). ...
- To Be With Christ 07/20/2019The apostle Paul gave us a glimpse into a worldview that transcends this world. It is a view that is ...
- Under Grace 03/06/2019“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Rom 6:14). By this ...
- Wickedness and Righteousness 04/18/2019Reading through 1 Samuel again, this time from the Christian Standard Bible, I paused to reflect when I came across ...
Mind Your Faith
- A Working Bibliography of Apologetics Resources 11/14/2019Bacon, Francis. Francis Bacon: Complete Works. Minerva Classics. Kindle Edition. Bahnsen, Greg L. Pushing the Antithesis: The Apologetic Methodology of Greg ...
- Argument or Assertion 02/25/2019Controversy entails the use of argument. Real argument. Unfortunately, some confuse argument with assertion. What do I mean by this? An ...
- Belief and Desire 04/15/2019“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). What we believe determines ...
- Christianity and Bloodshed 07/22/2019This world is a dangerous place in which there is much war and bloodshed. Many live in terror as merciless ...
- Created In God’s Image 02/18/2019Genesis is a battleground for worldviews. Humanists know that to undermine the teachings and concepts of Genesis will ultimately undermine ...
- Do Feelings Determine Truth? 02/15/2019If you are earnestly seeking Truth, the first question to ask is not, “How do I feel about this?” That ...
- Does Jesus Care? 07/10/2019No words can describe the difficulties we sometimes face. Our minds can hardly grasp the evils, the hardships, the ...
- Evil and God’s Love 02/02/2019One of the strongest objections to the existence of the biblical God is the existence of evil (moral, physical suffering, ...
- Faith is the Evidence 02/09/2019“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1, NASB; ESV). Some ...
- How Faith Reconciles Difficulties 02/13/2019“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. ...
- Judgment and God’s Compassion 08/08/2019When Abraham was told about the destruction of cities known for unrepentant wickedness, he didn’t rejoice in that, but begged ...
- Living with Unanswered Questions 02/09/2019Most of us would likely agree with the idea that the older we get, the more we realize we don’t ...
- Not in Vain 02/25/2019In our reflection on Jesus Christ, we must ever remember the fundamental nature of the gospel message: “Now I make known ...
- Overwhelmed by the Problem of Evil? 02/24/2019Over the years I have written and taught a good bit concerning the problem of evil. The topic is never ...
- Scripture and Sexuality 06/17/2019Due to the length of this article, links are provided below that will take you to various sections. This is ...
- The Anti-Gospel: No Need to Repent 07/05/2019The gospel is rooted in the fact that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23). The ...
- The Christian’s Relationship to the World 09/20/2019What is the Christian’s relationship to the world? It’s always helpful to review what Scripture teaches us about our involvement ...
- The Fallacy of the Modern Mind 03/08/2019Here is the problem stated up front. The fallacy of the modern mind is the failure to see the whole ...
- The Intellectual Double-Edged Sword 04/23/2019Educational institutions have long been breeding grounds for ideas that have been anti-God, among many other things. This is not ...
- The Need to Encourage Questions 08/05/2019One of the objections I have heard from those who have left Christ and His people is that “the Church” ...
- We Always Need God 11/26/2022Because life comes at us so quickly, and because we get so busy moving about doing so much, we can ...
- What Sort of People? 04/19/2020Peter spoke of the coming of Jesus as the “Day of the Lord” (2 Pet 3:10). He said it the ...
- When Tragedy Strikes 08/30/2019What exactly does one say to another when tragedy strikes? We all wish that we had the perfect words that ...
- When We Begin to Doubt 07/31/2019Believers often battle with doubts. These doubts range from questioning whether we have the ability to live as we ought ...
- When We Don’t Know Why 03/17/2020We have so much difficulty grasping why bad things happen in this world. How can God be in control when ...
- Why Do We Care? 06/26/2019Care is not a material property or a material thing that we can touch. It is not composed of material ...
- Why is Bigotry Wrong? 02/12/2019Bigotry. Hatred. Racism. Murder. All connected, and all stand loudly condemned by both believers and unbelievers. There is little worse ...
Mind Your King
- An Attitude about Authority 02/12/2019Writing about the problem of judges who essentially try to free themselves from the constraints of legal texts, Scalia and ...
- Be Thankful for God’s Authority 03/04/2019God is Creator. Because of Who He is, He has the inherent right to command and expect obedience. He has ...
- Congregational Independence 02/09/2019The Scriptures teach local congregational independence and autonomy. What does this mean? The body of Christ (universal terminology as in one ...
- Going Beyond Scripture 02/15/2019“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you ...
- It’s Just Too Simple 04/13/2019Years ago I spent over 8 hours one day studying with a youth minister from an evangelical church. While there ...
- Seeking Restoration 02/02/2019Much is made of what is termed the “Restoration Movement.” In theory, the idea is good. Restoration is a biblical ...
- Silence and “Negative Inference” 02/25/2019In communication, silence is tricky. It might communicate either approval or disapproval. It may mean nothing at all. It all ...
- The Greater Danger 08/12/2019Differences over the interpretations of texts among those who claim allegiance to Christ is a long-standing problem that continues. We ...
- Toward a Better Understanding 02/13/2019Over the years, I have tried to work hard at communicating truth in ways that are pretty simplified. The goal ...
- Tradition and God’s Word 01/21/2020Mark 7 tells one of the more well-known accounts of Jesus’ confrontations with the Pharisees. The Pharisees and some scribes ...
- What is an Inference? 07/12/2019In my experience, I have seen a number of times in discussions where the idea of using an inference is ...
- Where is the Will of God? 02/19/2021“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will ...
- Whose Voice do we Follow? 09/10/2019“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, ...
- Why Be Concerned with Sound Doctrine? 02/09/2019Paul wrote to Timothy, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith ...
Wit and Wisdom
- Chesterton on Wasted Virtue 02/12/2019The modern world is not evil; in some ways the modern world is far too good. It is full of ...
- From the Neck Up 02/12/2019Franklin Roosevelt once asked Harry Hopkins, “Harry, where is the population most dense in the United States?” Harry grinned a moment, ...
- Grady’s Bible Story 02/02/2019There was an old preacher once who told some boys of the Bible lesson he was going to read in ...
- No Longer Water 02/12/2019My dad was teaching a Bible study from 1 Timothy 5. Verse 23, in the KJV, says, “Drink no longer ...
- The Fox and the Hare 05/14/2019Once upon a time a hare of philosophical temperament invited a politically oriented fox to dinner. During the entree the ...