In Psalm 50, Asaph confronts Israel regarding their worship and living. What they were doing isn’t much different from what many do today. Their worship was formulaic. In other words, they were going through the motions. Sure, they brought the appropriate sacrifices, but it was done more out of a sense of duty instead of…
In Colossians, Paul is dealing with false teachers. Focusing on the big picture, what we see is that these false teachers were adding something to the gospel. They required the Colossians to do more than believe in Jesus in order to be saved. Here is the thing, however, when we add something to the gospel, we are really subtracting…
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,” (Col 2:6a) Continually walking with Jesus is easier said than done. Maybe we have gotten out of the habit, found another walking partner or we are just not feeling it. Whatever it may be, Paul knows it can happen, which is why he,…
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,” (Col 2:6a) Continually walking with Jesus is easier said than done. Maybe we have gotten out of the habit, found another walking partner or we are just not feeling it. Whatever it may be, Paul knows it can happen, which is why he,…
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,” (Col 2:6a) My wife and I like to take walks together, which has been somewhat hard for us to do since the boys came along. But when the weather is nice and the boys are cooperating, we take the opportunity to take a…
Evidence matters. It matters in research papers, in the courtroom, on the news, and in churches. Evidence matters because it reveals what we know, what we’ve done, or who we are. In this series, I am focusing in on that last one – who we are – in an effort to expound on the evidence of…
Evidence matters. It matters in research papers, in the courtroom, on the news, and in churches. Evidence matters because it reveals what we know, what we’ve done, or who we are. In this series, I am focusing in on that last one – who we are – in an effort to expound on the evidence of…
Evidence matters. It matters in research papers, in the courtroom, on the news, and in churches. Evidence matters because it reveals what we know, what we’ve done, or who we are. In this series, I am focusing in on that last one – who we are – in an effort to expound on the evidence of…
When I was in seminary, almost every class I took required me to write a research paper, which meant that over a two and half year period, I wrote a lot of research papers. As I soon learned, there is a certain learning curve when it comes to writing a good research paper. I remember, at…
In his first epistle, Peter writes, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” (1 Pe 3:15). In his commentary on 1 Peter, Dr. R.C.…
Why aren’t Christians growing? More specifically, why do Christians become stagnant in Christ-like growth? What Occurs in Salvation? If we think about some of what occurs in salvation, this question becomes even more urgent. When we come to Christ, we are: Delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ, releasing us from…
Christian persecution is not something new to us in the 21st Century. Throughout church history, believers have suffered persecution. “They have been beaten, ridiculed, defrocked, and defamed. They have suffered poverty, isolation, betrayal, and disgrace. They have been hounded, harassed, and murdered” [1]. Persecution Should Not Surprise Us Persecution should come as no surprise to…
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2) Called to An Upward Gaze In these verses, Paul calls Christians…
I am convinced that the greatest devotional need for most of those reading this article – even those committed to spending time in the Bible every day – is to meditate on Scripture. It seems a common experience for people to read the Bible and then, as soon as they close it, to forget everything…
We all know we should pray regularly, but we often don’t. There are numerous reasons for why we don’t pray on a regular basis. Why We Don’t Pray Life gets busy — We haven’t set aside the time, and a prayerless morning turns into a prayerless week. We think God doesn’t have the time — Our needs…
Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians while in Ephesus after he heard of some issues plaguing the church. The issues Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians are the same issues we deal with today, which is why this is such a good book for the modern day church to study. However, before Paul dives…
Every Friday morning at 6:30am for the last two years our men’s group has gathered at IHOP for breakfast and Bible study. The Plan – One Chapter When we get together, our plan is to cover one chapter in God’s Word. As we cover that chapter, we work to understand what it means and how…
Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians while in Ephesus after he heard of some issues plaguing the church. The issues Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians are the same issues we deal with today, which is why this is such a good book for the modern day church to study. However, before Paul dives…
Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians while in Ephesus after he heard of some issues plaguing the church. The issues Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians are the same issues we deal with today, which is why this is such a good book for the modern day church to study. However, before Paul dives…
In my last post, I talked about the need for us to model Paul’s method of evangelism in Athens — reach out, build relationships with folks, and then engage them with the gospel where they are on a daily basis. But often we don’t do what Paul models for us. We don’t engage people where they are…
Acts 17 provides one picture of how Paul evangelized the lost. In the city of Athens, we learn he went to the synagogue to engage the Jews on the Sabbath, and the rest of the week he went to the marketplace to engage the more secular minded. The Market Place was this huge open air…
As disciples, our love should imitate Jesus loves for us. But what exactly does that look like. In other words, how are we to love others as an imitation of Jesus’ love? How are We to Love Others As an Imitation of Jesus’ Love? (3) Jesus’ Love is Continual It’s not temporary. He doesn’t love us for…
As disciples, our love should imitate Jesus loves for us. But what exactly does that look like. In other words, how are we to love others as an imitation of Jesus’ love? How are We to Love Others As an Imitation of Jesus’ Love? (2) Jesus’ love is unconditional We know Jesus’ love is unconditional because…
As disciples, our love should imitate Jesus loves for us. But what exactly does that look like. In other words, how are we to love others as an imitation of Jesus’ love? How are We to Love Others As an Imitation of Jesus’ Love? (1) Jesus’ Love is Self-Sacrificial Smack dab in the middle of the…
The Great Commission actually begins with a great announcement. Before there can be a mission, there has to be a message. Behind the sending of the church lies the Father’s sending of his Son and Spirit. Before we go, we must stop and hear – really hear – what has happened that we are to…
If you have been in church for any length of time or if you are a new believer, you have probably heard the word discipleship. Most likely you have been encouraged to participate in some sort of Discipleship process. That is because discipleship is important. It is what helps us to grow as believers. But do…
If you have been in church for any length of time or if you are a new believer, you have probably heard the word discipleship. Most likely you have been encouraged to participate in some sort of Discipleship process. That is because discipleship is important. It is what helps us to grow as believers. But do…