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That’s what humility has been called – “the knees of the soul.” Faith and humility not only go together; they ought not be separated from each other! Proverbs 3:34 says the Lord is scornful to the scorners, “but to the humble He gives favor.” We all wrestle, at least occasionally, with pride. And Christians must understand that we face few enemies so formidable. Here’s the reason. We can’t be full of ourselves and full of God at the same time.…

The people of God are to be known by their love, their light, and their being the salt of the earth (John 13:35; Matthew 5:13-16). How we conduct ourselves says much about our spiritual health. What we are really desiring to pursue in this life, God says, has much to do with our relationship with Him. Consider the words of Paul to the church in Rome in Romans 14:19, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and…

It is the gospel of Luke that gives us the most information surrounding three crosses on Calvary (Luke 23:32-49). Jesus was crucified in the middle of two criminals. Holy Writ gives few details of the circumstances leading to the criminal’s demise, but we are given in the three crosses four pictures that show the relationship between death and sin. Death because of sin. This picture is seen in the two thieves. The Garden of Eden must have truly been an…

It is unfortunate that the word “edification” is a term that’s fallen into disuse. Every thoughtful Christian should recognize that God’s people should strengthen each other spiritually and build up one another in the faith (Ephesians 4:16). That’s what biblical edification is. For one thing, it’s a natural outgrowth of evangelism – when people come to Jesus in faith, repentance and baptism, they need additional attention, nurturing and instruction to continue growing in Christ (see 2 Peter 1:5-11; 3:17-18). For…

It is fascinating in studying the book of Colossians to notice, that while some form of false teaching was threatening the church, Paul repeatedly stresses the preeminence and sufficiency of Jesus and His gospel. While some description is given concerning the nature of the error affecting the church, the exact problem never is completely spelled out. Its precise identity eludes us. However, by emphasizing Jesus and His gospel as Paul does, the church would have everything needed to combat error…

It is a thought that should be a source of great joy and comfort – the church belonging to Jesus was in the mind of God from eternity! God was not caught off-guard when the crown of His creation, Adam and Eve, would make the choice to disobey and bring sin into the world. God knew that provisions would need to be made in reconciling the relationship that sin had broken between Himself and mankind. He knew that redemption would…

The devil will use temptations and troubles to worry and weaken us, but God can use them to strengthen us (see 1 Peter 5:10-12). When problems cause us to worry, the prescription is prayer. 1 Peter chapter 5 speaks of God as the Mighty Warrior-King and as Merciful Lord and Shepherd. As Warrior-King, we are to think of His mighty hand and know He will lift us up (5:6). He will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us (vs. 10). Our…

The Gospel is God’s power to save – Romans 1:16. The power to save is in the message, not in the messenger. We have an opportunity to invite friends, neighbors, and loved ones to hear the message of God’s word every week when we gather to worship. However, a special opportunity to hear the word of God proclaimed this coming Sunday with our special sermon series on the topic of “Renewing Our Faith And Focus On Jesus.” It is a…

Everything about the Cross of Christ says God wants us back, and everything else in the whole world pales in significance when compared to the love and grace displayed there. Surely Paul had this in mind when he penned, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). [All Scripture quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise…

The audacity to question the authority of the King of kings! Yes, it happened, and it happened on repeated occasions during the earthly life of Jesus. One such occurrence is found in Matthew 21:23, after Jesus had again ‘cleansed’ the temple. Matthew records that upon entering the temple the next day, the chief priests and elders confronted Jesus as He was teaching and asked, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” The authority…

Why does it seem some Christians could write a book on worry because we’re such experts? It’s very easy to cross the line from being concerned about a matter to worrying, isn’t it? Why would anyone want to obtain the life equivalent of a PhD in worrying? Talk about a “”terminal degree!” As one who has been far too prone to worry, the Lord’s words in Matthew 6:25-34 have often blessed my life. And they’ll continue to bless the lives…

It’s a verse in your Bible which you no doubt have great familiarity. Romans 12:2 reads, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (NKJV) The word that we find ‘conformed’ could be translated ‘fashioned’ or in a very literal way ‘squeezed.’ In other words, don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own…